Frenchy’s Reloads: Young Disciples – ‘Road To Freedom’
General Description
Artist/Band: Young Disciples
Album Title: Road To Freedom
Year: 1991
Soulful Experience!
How I Got Into This Music
Here’s a blast from the past, man! Young Disciples rocked the scene quite some time ago during the Acid Jazz period, the retro-proto Soul from the UK. Can’t remember the exact moment but the intro on ‘Apparently Nothin’ was incredible! That voice! That groove! It’s another of those albums that Hieronymus Fox and I enjoyed waaaay back in ‘91.
Album credits at artistdirect.com
Tracks that got my attention:
Get Yourself Together
The band called the Disciples, another incredible intro with singer Carleen Anderson’s powerful voice. Laidback bass, a tiny bit of SoulIISoul piano and violins and a great flute.
Apparently Nothin’
Only real semi-hit in Holland, still a great message and nice dance groove.
Funky Yeh Funki (Mek It)
Great skit!
Talkin’ What I Feel
Nice rap performance by Masta Ace
All I Have (In Dub)
Not my favorite dub, but it’s got some great moments!
Move On
Pure energy! Miss Anderson’s vocals will tear up your sound system, heheh..
As We Come (To Be)
wow.. wow! WOW! Just love this track! (enough with the exclamation marks, willya?)
This is the perfect song to play while enjoying a lovely breakfast in bed with your loved one..
Step Right On (Dub)
Now this is what I call a great dub track! It’s the haunting keyboards, that great snare and hi-hat, hell the overall percussion on the background is mellowness to the max.. And the scratching.. zowie!
Freedom Suite: (I) Freedom/(II) Wanting/(III) To Be Free
You know like how bands wanna make this one song that’ll be their Masterwork, their defining moment in History, etc.? A lot of bands kinda don’t achieve such heights, but with Freedom Suite, I think that this band has succeeded.. Sixteen minutes long and not one boring second!!
First part – the ghostly choir work with Carleen Anderson’s vocals.. DAMN!
Although you don’t want me to live
I am existing,
and you keep resisting,
but I keep persisting
The second part – a rap done in the most fluent of ways, continuing the clear and heartfelt message of the first part with this great sample of which I never knew it’s origin, until Hieronymus Fox gave me a CD with rare grooves: it’s Aaron Neville with ‘Hercules’. Fifteen years later I finally get my reward, heheh..
Third and final part – great finale!
Conclusion
Still one of the best albums I’ve heard, so why isn’t it one of my Favorites? Well, dunno.. Just maybe because the total work isn’t that earth-shattering. Two or three tracks are fantastic grooves. Freedom Suite stands on its own: the emotions triggered by this track are of intense pride and sadness..
So maybe not a favorite coz I don’t play it that often or just because three or four great tracks don’t make a favorite? Still don’t know..
Just buy the friggin’ thing, have a listen and make up your own mind.
Rating: 
