Time Is Running Out (Mr Scruff Edit) - Single

In an ideal world, both of Brass Fever's LPs — Brass Fever from 1975 and Time Is Running Out from 1976 — would be reissued back-to-back on a single CD. But that is unlikely to happen because there isn't much of a demand for the out of print albums. So the only thing to do is search for them at a place that sells a lot of 1970s vinyl. Brass Fever is the more essential of the two; Time Is Running Out is uneven but does have its moments. The title track has little to do with jazz — it's an infectious soul/disco vocal number featuring the Jones Girls. But most of the time, Brass Fever offers instrumental jazz-funk versions of major R&B and rock hits, including the Jackson Five's "Dancing Machine" and the Doobie Brothers' "Takin' It to the Streets." Although Esmond Edwards tends to overproduce, participants like guitarist Lee Ritenour and trumpeter Oscar Brashear still manage to get in some inspired solos. However, Brass Fever doesn't fare as well on a forgettable arrangement of Toots & the Maytals' ska/reggae classic "Pressure Drop," and its cheesy remake of Bob Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man" is pure elevator Muzak. But Time Is Running Out has more plusses than minuses, although Brass Fever's first LP is definitely more consistent.