Good Feeling

Joe Bataan: It's A Good Feeling (Riot) and What Good Is A Castle
From Riot! (Fania, 1970, reed. 2006)

While I just learn Oliver Wang wrote an article about Joe Bataan for the next Wax Poetics, just want to say last week (on 22 september) I release a radio program about Joe Bataan too. Forty years ago Bataan was the originator of latin soul fusion and some adds he could reappear in 2007.

Joe Bataan's Riot! was the biggest-selling Latin music album when it came out in 1968. The album's music was the sound of the times : boisterous Latin soul with its fusion of cha cha cha's and R&B backbeats. Anger and ecstasy come together here-the anger over social injustice and the Vietnam War and the ecstasy joy of youth, love and that "good, good feeling".

'It's A Good Feeling (Riot)' is inspired by Make It Happen's Smokey Robinson album released in 1967 for Motown. And 'What Good Is A Castle' is a mi-soul mi-latin tune, probably my favourite.