今回は名盤中の名盤、デルズ (The Dells) の “There Is” (オリジナルは 1968年3月リリース) です。私にとっては、James Brown、Otis Redding、Sam Cooke に続いて、ソウル方面への視野を広げるきっかけとなった思い出深いアルバムです。もともと CD で 15年以上前に購入し長らく親しんできましたが、昨年オリジナル盤 LP を入手する機会がありました。

Here is the definitive masterpiece album, originally released in March 1968, entitled “There Is” by The Dells. For me, it was such an album which opened my eyes wider toward the Soul music (others included James Brown, Otis Redding and Sam Cooke). I firstly listened to the album on CD more than 15 years ago. Since then I enjoyed listening to the CD version. And recently I could have a chance to obtain an original LP version.

1953年デビュー以来、50年以上に及ぶキャリアの中で最も人気があるのは後期 Vee Jay 時代〜Cadet 時代でしょう。Johnny Funches がグループを離れ、代わりに Johnny Carter が加入、彼のハイトーンと Marvin Junior のバリトンの対比が際立つ様になってから、本領が発揮され数々のヒットシングルを連発した時期です。コアなソウルファンの間では、1970年代に入ってからの Cadet 後期の評価が非常に高いようですが、ドゥーワップ〜ゴスペルのスピリットを受け継ぎつつ、ソウルミュージック全盛の時代に一気に花開いたこの 1960年代後期のアルバムを代表作とすることに異論はないでしょう。

The Dells spends over 50 years of long and rock-solid career since the debut in 1953, and the most popular years would be the 1960s-1970s (Vee Jay and Cadet era) – Johnny Funches was replaced by Johnny Carter, whose high-tone vocal created a beautiful contrast with Marvin Junior’s baritone, then they made a hit after hit. Although deep and core Soul fans prefer The Dells of early 1970s (still from Cadet label) far better, but this album “There Is” from 1968 is a monumental album both for The Dells themselves and for the Soul music scene at the time. The album is such a special album of what the Soul music should be, by a talented group with the spirit of Doo-Wop and Gospel.

なんといっても まず、A面の構成と楽曲、歌唱、アレンジの完璧さに圧倒されます。ヒートアップ間違い無しのアップテンポナンバーと、とろけるようにスウィートなスローバラードが交互に配され、緊張感溢れる歌唱と演奏は A面を通じて統一感に溢れています。特にスローの A-2 “Stay In My Corner” と A-4 “Please Don’t Change Me Now” の出来は完璧で、最初は静かに、そして中盤から終盤にかけて圧倒的なエネルギーをほとばしらせるコーラス。このドラマティックに展開していくエモーショナルなコーラスと歌唱にノックアウトされます。

The greatest side of this album would be on Side-A. The construction from start to end, chorus singing, arrangements are all superb and you will be knocked out with their perfection. Up-tempo numbers and mellow ballads laid out by turn, and the Dells’ perfect singing (with full tensions) goes throughout the Side-A, which presents an impressive totality. Highlights of the highlights would be two mellow ballad tracks, A-2 “Stay In My Corner” and A-4 “Please Don’t Change Me Now”, both of which are superb, soulful and emotional ballads – starting with solemn moods then the instruments and the singing gains emotional energy. The entire chorus goes dramatically emotional.

それに比べると、B面はやや統一感に欠ける感もあります。これは、B-2 “Close Your Eyes” が他の楽曲より数年前に録音されたものであるらしいことや、やや古いマナーにのっとって作曲とアレンジが行われた楽曲が多いためなのかも知れません (中にはモータウンっぽさを感じさせるアレンジもあったり)。しかし A面に負けず劣らず素晴らしい歌唱が引き続き楽しめます。

On the other hand, Side-B lacks such perfect totality a little bit – this is probably because B-2 “Close Your Eyes” was said to be recorded a few years before all other tracks, as well as some tunes on Side-B are written with a bit corny arrangements (some tracks even shows very similar arrangements as Motown). Still, this side also features marvellous chorus work as we can hear on Side-A.

いかにもこの時代のこのジャンルらしい、リミッター / コンプレッサーを多用した音圧の高い音はハイファイと呼ぶには程遠いものですが、これはこれで実に気持ち良い。やや中高域を持ち上げたイコライジングとあいまって、この音楽に対して必然性のある音作りがなされているといえるでしょう。ポータブルプレーヤーやAMラジオから聴いても迫力充分であろうサウンドとでもいいましょうか。そういう意味ではシングル盤でも聴いてみたいですね . . .

The sound on this LP is not so-called “Hi-Fi” – high pressured sound (being engaged with limiters and compressors) which was fairly common during the period, especially of R&B recording of those days. But Hi-Fi is not the only way to represent energies of music itself. Actually this equalized sound (containing a bit brighter sides on mid-high frequencies) shows great affinity and get along well with the music by The Dells. The sound may remind us of that of powerful (and somewhat low-fi) music from a portable radio and a portable vinyl player of good old days. In this sense, I would like to listen to these tracks with 45rpm single releases . . .

A-1: There Is
A-2: Stay In My Corner
A-3: Wear It On Our Face
A-4: Please Don’t Change Me Now
A-5: Show Me
A-6: The Change We Go Thru (For Love)

B-1: Higher And Higher
B-2: Close Your Eyes
B-3: Run For Cover
B-4: Love Is So Simple
B-5: When I’m In Your Arms
B-6: O-O, I Love You

The Dells: Charles Barksdale, Verne Allison, Michael McGill, Johnny Carter and Marvin Junior.
Recorded at Ter Mar Studios, Chicago, IL in 1962(?)-1968.
Recording Engineers: Doug Brand and Malcolm Chrisholm.
Arrangements by Charles Stepney.