9th Creation: A Step Ahead
Past Due Records

Any appreciation of this lost album by 9th Creation is incomplete without a bit of backstory. First, a little refresher for those whose take on the group's hazy: founded by bassist A.D. Burrise in Stockton in 1970 and fronted by lead singer J.D. Burrise (A.D.'s brother), the boogie-funk outfit initially appeared as Soul Struts and then 3rd Creation before settling on 9th Creation and issuing the albums Bubble Gum in 1975 and Superheroes four years later. Other musicians fleshed out the band's sound with horns, woodwinds, guitar, keyboards, and drums, making for full, rich productions.

In 1980, the group was recording material at a Modesto, California studio that was considerably cheaper than others. Weeks into recording, the band eventually found out why: the guys running the studio were drug dealers, which was revealed when a raid led to the confiscation of the studio's master tapes by the DEA. Though a lawsuit waged by J.D. against the agency to recover the tapes failed, it was discovered that band member Mike Micenheimer had saved cassette mix-downs of some of the sessions' songs, eight of which now appear for the first time on A Step Ahead.

Issued on the Still Music sub-label Past Due, its focus long-forgotten disco and funk material, the release is available in digital, CD, and vinyl versions. Whereas the LP presents the eight songs only, the CD supplements them with nine bonus tracks culled from the Love Crime twelve-inch, the Mellow Music seven-inch, plus three previously unreleased demos of middling quality. No matter: the core eight cuts provide a solid sampling of the band's body-moving blend of soul, funk, disco, and boogie.

The title track steps out with horns ablaze, a muscular funk groove solidly in place, and soulful lead and harmony vocals leading the charge. Goosed by funky analog synth spotlights and slap bass, “Let It Shine” distills the band's strengths into five frothy minutes of uplifting soul, and it's easy to visualize disco balls rotating when “Beautiful Lady” sashays onto the dance floor. While most of the material's high-energy, “Always Be Lovers” (sounding not a little unlike “I'm So Proud”) captures the band's romantic ballad side and gives a crooning J.D. ample opportunity to strut his stuff (falsetto, too). At album's end, the steam-driven frenzy of “Party Down” segues without pause into “Music Is My Pen & Paper” to cap the album with heartfelt, R&B-styled outpourings.

9th Creation's sound takes its rightful place alongside outfits such as Kool & The Gang, Chic, and Earth, Wind & Fire, and don't be surprised if you're reminded of Rick James, Prince, and similar funksters as the album plays out. Certainly a major selling-point of A Step Ahead has to do with arrangements that see vocals and bottom end augmented by a rich blend of horns, woodwinds, keyboards (electric piano, synthesizers, clavinet), and rhythm guitar. All praise to the good people at the Chicago-based Still Music headquarters for giving the album a belated chance to be publicly heard.

April 2019