Buddy Miles Express - Expressway To Your Skull (1968)

Buddy Miles was an American rock and funk drummer and vocalist, best known for his work with The Electric Flag and Jimi Hendrix's Band of Gypsies.

Buddy Miles was a teenage prodigy, and played with numerous bands in the 60s, including a stint with soul singer Wilson Pickett. His first big break was as drummer with The Electric Flag, the soul/blues band formed by Mike Bloomfield. When Bloomfield left after their first album, Miles took on a leadership role, and sang on many songs as well as playing the drums. After the Electric Flag broke up he formed his own group, Buddy Miles Express, with guitarist Jim McCarty (later of Cactus) and the brothers Billy and Herbie Rich, on bass and keyboards respectively (Herbie Rich had been with him in the Electric Flag). By this time he had become associated with Jimi Hendrix, who came to produce their debut album.
Expressway To Your Skull was a big, muscular mix of psychedelic rock, soul and funk. The horn arrangements and Miles' solid drumming provided the funk backbone, his powerful voice brought the soul and McCarty's bluesy fuzz guitar gave it its psychdelic edge. It's a really great mix - Miles was from a soul background, but was playing in the midst of the psychedelic counterculture under Hendrix's guiding hand, and his music bridged the gap between the two scenes.

|> Electric Church (1969)
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