AMG Review of Voodoo Woman

David Jeffries
All Music Guide

If you’re looking for the boisterous sound of ska, move along because as the subtitle “Music for Mods” might suggest, this compilation focuses on the R&B and rocksteady side of Laurel Aitken. Voodoo Woman prefers the man’s slower, more soulful material, much of it rare on CD and about half of it coming from 1966 while the rest comes from the surrounding years. As the liner notes point out, Aitken wasn’t really recording “Music for Mods” as much as bringing the “swinging R&B groove” to “British West Indians,” including his island-flavored covers of songs from the Stax label's catalog plus plenty of selections from the world of blues. Still, the UK kids fell hard for this material and the Pressure Drop label’s concept is just as sound as it is rarely explored. Newcomers should look elsewhere since this one is for the veteran fans who will no doubt appreciate the thick liner notes, the better than expected sound quality, and the overall effort.