Title:  In Session
Company: Invictus
Catalog: SKAO-7304
Year: 1970
Country/State: Detroit, Michigan
Grade (cover/record): VG+ / VG+
Comments: gatefold sleeve

Their sophomore release, 1971's "In Session" found Eddie Custis, General Johnson, Harrison Kennedy, and Danny Wood working with Raynard Miner, Greg Perry and William Weatherspoon in the production chair. While the results were somewhat uneven and patchy, about half of the collection was impressive and enjoyable and with two or three minor changes this could have been another Holland-Dozier-Holland soul classic. Those changes would have been quite modest - basically ditching 'Twelfth of Never', 'Patches', and their cover of Simon and Garfunkel's 'Bridge Over Troubled Water'' since neither track fit with the rest of the group's patented mix of soul and pop influences. C'est la vie. So what's here? As lead singers Curtis Johnson, Kennedy and Wood remained a triple threat ... Hard to pick a favorite since each had distinctive strengths and weaknesses. As an example, Johnson's voice was instantly recognizable, but some folks may not have been thrilled when he kicked into that weird 'almost strangled' falsetto. The biggest surprises here were Danny Wood's stinging vocals on 'Pay To the Piper' and the fact Johnson wrote 'Patches' (which Clarence Carter promptly appropriated for a massive hit). I always assumed that Carter had written it himself. Personal favorite, the proto-punk 'Children of Today'. Think I'm kidding? Check it out. This is what The Clash always dreamed of achieving !!!

- Showcasing Harrison Kennedy handling lead vocals, the leadoff track was an atypical R&B-flavored number highlighted by some tasty fuzz guitar and an insidiously catchy refrain. One of the first songs I ever heard with a lyric that included the phrase 'sex appeal' ... rating: *** stars
- General Johnson had an instantly recognizable voice and he was in prime form on the bouncy 'Everything's Tuesday'. A far more typical Invuctus composition, this song had one of those killer melodies that seemed to effortlessly flow out of the Invictus creative machine - bubblegum soul ? One of the album's most commercial offerings, it was easy to see why the track was tapped as the lead off single. rating: **** stars
- Danny Wood's voice was shriller and more fragile than his cohorts, but the driving 'Pay To the Piper' was a perfect fit for his vocal strengths. Co-written by Johnson, this was another highly commercial composition that provided the group with a pop and R&B hit. rating: **** stars
- The first disappointment, there simply wasn't much that could be done to salvage a sappy ballad like 'Twelfth of Never'. I imagine none of them wanted to get stuck with this loser ... Yech !!! rating: * star
- Opening up with some roller skating rink organ, 'All We Need Is Understanding' found Johnson singing the album's uplifting 'save the world' ballad. Hokey beyond all description, but still enjoyable. rating: **** stars
- Maybe because Clarence Carter's version is such a high standard, their cover of 'Patches' just didn't make the cut. Actually the biggest problem was that Johnson's waivery voice simply wasn't up to the task in this case. You could literally hear him struggling to get through the song. Not a pleasant experience. rating; * star
- Side two started with another lost General Johnson classic in the form of 'It was Almost Something'. Yeah, this one borrowed a little bit from the earlier 'Give Me Just a Little More Time' but that didn't detract from it's pleasures. Very commercial and would have made a good choice for a single. rating; **** stars
- Pity Custis for getting stuck handling the schmalzy cover of 'Bridge Over Troubled Water'. Geez, it almost sounded like he was trying to make it sound operatic. Bad, bad, bad ... rating: * star
- With Woods handling lead, 'Hanging On To a Memory' was the album's funkiest number and lost treasure. Packed with some great fuzz guitar and cheesy synthesizers, this one was simply great - imagine something Norman Whitfield might have done with prime career Temptations ... rating: **** stars
- Every time I hear the guitar pattern on I Can't Find Myself' it reminds me of Ray Parker Jr's 'Ghostbusters'. Add another one to the commercial could've been a hit column. rating: **** stars
- 'When Will She Tell Me She Needs Me' was a perfect example of why I'm such a big General Johnson fan - I can't think of another singer who can squeeze out the same feelings of anguish and hurt out of a song ... his voice is simply unlike anyone else's. And what was with the gasping on this pop gem? rating: **** stars
- As mentioned above, 'Children of Today' was unlike anything else on the album. Complete with jailhouse harmonica and strained, choking vocal, this one literally had a proto-punk feel to it ... sounds weird, but you just had to hear it to believe it. rating: **** stars

Elsewhere, the Invictus writing staff provided another collection of highly commercial tracks, with the album spinning off four singles:



- 1970's 'Everything's Tuesday' b/w 'Patches' (Invictus catalog number IS-9079)
- 1970's 'Pay To the Piper' b/w 'Bless You' (Invictus catalog number IS-9081)
- 1971's 'When Will She Tell Me She Needs Me' b/w 'Chairmen of the Board' (Invictus catalog number IS-9086)
- 1971's 'Hanging On To a Memory' b/w 'Tricked and Trapped' (Invictus catalog number IS-9089)

So close to perfection ... but even with three crappy songs, the rest of the album was well worth owning.

"In Session" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Chairmen of the Board (Brian Holland - Lamont Dozier) - 3:34
2.) Everything's Tuesday (Ron Dunbar - E. Wayne - D. Dumas) - 2:48
3.) Pay To the Piper (Greg Perry - General Johnson - Ron Dunbar - Angelo Bond) - 3:05
4.) Twelfth of Never (Paul Francis Webster - Jerry Livingston) - 3:13
5.) All We Need Is Understanding (Ron Dunbar - E. Wayne) - 2:55
6.) Patches (General Johnson - Ron Dunbar) - 3:22

(side 2)
1.) It was Almost Something (William Weatherspoon - Raynard Miner) - 2:41
2.) Bridge Over Troubled Water (Paul Simon) - 5:19
3.) Hanging On To a Memory (Ron Dunbar - E. Wayne - D. Dumas) - 4:13
4.) I Can't Find Myself (General Johnson - Greg Perry - Ron Dunbar) - 2:33
5.) When Will She Tell Me She Needs Me (General Johnson - Greg Perry - Ron Dunbar) - 3:06
6.) Children of Today (William Weatherspoon) - 3:17