Mandrill - Best of Mandrill (CD)

All Music Guide

Rounding up the greatest grooves from the band's first five albums, right up until it left for United Artists in 1975, The Best of Mandrill is a top compilation for one of the most freewheeling bands of the early '70s. Unsurprisingly for a funk group, Mandrill excelled at recording catchy, well-played material with deep grooves, though unlike many bands, all of it was tempered by an experimentalist bent and a restless desire to explore many different avenues (occasionally in the same song). The compilation opens perfectly with "Ape Is High," "Fencewalk," "Git It All," and "Hang Loose" -- the band's four biggest hits, and (not a coincidence) its four greatest songs. The other seven tracks aren't always the best available: "Mango Meat" and its self-titled debut single are solid choices, but substituting a pair of album tracks ("House of Wood," "I Refuse to Smile") for the RB hits "Positive Thing" and "The Road to Love" doesn't make much sense. Most importantly, though, The Best of Mandri...ll includes every song Mandrill's known for, in a punchy sequencing that does justice to the band's uncommon style. - John Bush, All Music Guide Read more Less