Genre: soul
Rating: 4 stars ****
Title:  Get Off with Us
Company: Dynamic Artists
Catalog: DA 1001
Year: 1976
Country/State: Richmond, Virginia
Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+
Comments: --
Available: 1
Catalog ID: 249
Price: $140.00

My older son went to college in Richmond, Virginia and every now and then I'd troll record stores in the city (there are actually quite a few), which led me to stumble across the band Starfire. The album cover had a cool looking '70s vibe (wouldn't you love to hear them trying to explain the stage outfits to their offspring?) and I couldn't beat the price (which I'm not going to disclose here). 

I can't tell you a great deal about the group, other than they were Richmond-based and featured a line-up of drummer Ronnie Cokes, bassist Antwan Garrison, singer Rudy Leaper, lead guitarist Jay Pryor, and keyboard player Willie McWhite. Released by the small Richmond-based Dynamic Artists label, the band made their debut with 1976's "Get Off with Starfire". Co-produced by Joe Carter and Tom Caphan, the album featured a largely original mix of up-tempo funk tinged numbers and conventional ballads. Musically their influences were pretty standard - Larry Graham, Maurice White and Earth, Wind & Fire, Philadelphia International, etc. and while the results were occasionally a tad on the rough side, the overall performances and vibe were quite strong. Bassist Garrison's contributions were a consistent highlight, but guitarist Pryor was even better, welding a mean fuzz guitar that bore an occasional resemblance to Dennis Coffey, or Ernie Isley (not bad baselines to be compared against). Nothing here was particularly original, or life changing, but it was a fun album to listen to and if you like playing "spot-the-influence" you should have a blast going through this one. Personal favorite - 'Cussin and Fussin' which sounded like their take on Norman Whitfield-styled Temptations.
 
- I can't tell you 'Calling All Party People' wasn't the most original dance track you've ever heard, but as far as mid-70s funk went it wasn't half bad, somehow managing to cobble together a slew of influences ranging from Graham Central Station, to Ohio Players, and even a bit of Ernie Isley-styled Jimi Hendrix guitar pyrotechnics. And it was that latter characteristic that gave the song it's winning edge. Pryor's screaming fuzz guitar was first rate, giving the song a nice rock edge. rating: **** stars
- Penned by guitarist McWhite, 'Make the Most of It' was a surprisingly smooth and accomplished ballad. Kicked along by Garrison's bass and Cokes thumpin' drums, the track had a nifty Earth, Wind & Fire-styled jazzy edge to it giving it an almost adult contemporary feel. Again, not the most original song you've ever heard, but nicely done. rating: **** stars
- The album's first disappointment, 'f You can't Stand the Heat Get Out of the Kitchen' was a rather pedestrian funk number highlighted by Garrison's chugging bass line. rating: *** stars
- The ballad 'Almost Insane' was the album's most mainstream and commercial number. It was also one of the album's dullest performances with a horrible spoken word segment, some cheesy synthesizer washes, and a completely plain and anonymous performance. Guess that's why it was tapped as the single ... rating: ** stars
- Opening up with some intriguing Garrison bass moves, 'Out of the Ghetto' morphed into a Moog-powered jumpy number with mulit-tracked Leaper vocals. I wouldn't call it a hardcore funk number, but with Pryor's fuzz lead guitar it would have given The Isley Brothers a run for their money.  rating: **** stars
- The title track may have had the album's best funk groove (certainly the best bass line), with the group chant/vocals sounding a bit like prime Ohio Players. 'Course, The Ohio Players weren't exactly the most innovate funk band under the sun ... Fun track, but far from the album's best performance. rating: *** stars
- A pretty, adult contemporary-styled ballad with some new age-tinged lyrics, 'Trust the Infinite' has always reminded me a bit of the British soul band Heat Wave. McWhite wrote it and also turned in some nice, slightly jazzy keyboards. The song also showcased the group's tight harmony vocals. rating: *** stars
- Bass player Garrison wrote it so you had every right to expect 'Don't Come Back' to underscore the band's funk side ... and it did in capital letters. Showcasing Garrison's bass and McWhite's bouncy Moogs, the result was a great dance track. rating: **** stars
- Say what you will about these guys, but you had to admit that Pyror was one talented guitarist and seldom was it as aptly displayed as on the up-tempo 'Fussin and Cussin'. Musically this one sounded like something copped from Norman Whitfield's Temptations playbook - very Motown-styled psych, complete with one of those trendy socially relevant lyrics and Pryor's Dennis Coffey-styled guitar ... I'm a pushover for this kind of stuff. rating: **** stars
- Unfortunately the album ended on a flat note in the form of the plain and pedestrian ballad 'Girl Your Good Thing Has Come To An End'. Technically it was fine, but not in the least bit memorable. rating: ** stars

As mentioned, the album was tapped for an instantly obscure single:

- 1976's 'Almost Insane' b/w 'Don't Come Back' *Dynamic Artists catalog number DA 1001)

I'm not sure I'd agree with the label designation "the baddest five stars in the galaxy", but they were pretty entertaining and I've heard far worse from better known bands.

"Get Off with Us" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Calling All Party People (Joseph J. Carter) - 3:51
2.) Make the Most of It (Willie McWhite) - 4:59
3.) If You can't Stand the Heat Get Out of the Kitchen (Jay Pryor) - 3:17
4.) Almost Insane (Joseph J. Carter) - 6:05
5.) Out of the Ghetto (William T. Thomas) - 3:09

(side 2)
1.) Get Off with Us (Chauncy Burnett - David Brown) - 3:55
2.) Trust the Infinite (Willie McWhite) - 3:34
3.) Don't Come Back (Antwan Garrison) - 3:59
4.) Fussin and Cussin (Joseph Evans) - 3:07
5.) Girl Your Good Thing Has Come To An End (William T. Thomas - August Moon) - 3:49