Super Duper Love [Mainstream Hits & Rarities 73-76]

Liner Note Author: Tony Rounce.
Illustrators: Ellerine Harding; Doris Duke; Linda Perry .
Ace/Kent began excavating the Mainstream Records catalog in 2010, but they first dug into the soul sides from the New York-based indie label in early 2016 with Mainstream Modern Soul: 1969-1976. Super Duper Love: Mainstream Hits & Rarities 1973-76 arrived later that year, concentrating on the label's knack for smooth soul and proto-disco. Like its cousin, the chief appeal of Super Duper Love is its sound and feel: even when the rhythms bubble, the feel is warm and velvety. Its aesthetic is best summed up by the title of Calvin Arnold's "(I'm Your) Friendly Neighborhood Freak," an outright lift of the Staple Singers' "Express Yourself" that also illustrates the limitations of Mainstream's soul. They had the sound and feel, but rarely the songs. It's the kind of the thing that makes for some pleasurable period crate-digging, though. Maybe the songs aren't indelible, but it's easy to succumb to these soft, supple grooves. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine