(Funk, Soul) [LP] [24/192] Don Blackman - Don Blackman - 1982/1991, FLAC (tracks)

Lineage:
Degritter RCM > Rega P10 Turntable with Rega P10 PSU > Rega Apheta 3 Cartridge > PS Audio NuWave Phono Converter ADC > AudioQuest Carbon USB Cable > USB-IN > Audition CC 2019 @ 24bit float, 192kHz capture.
Processing:
24bit wav > Run through Click Repair 3.9.9 at 10/0 on DeClick > Volume Boost +4.3/4.5 DB > Remove DC Bias > Saved as 24bit,192kHz WAV > FLAC > Tagged with Discogs tagger through Foobar.
Scans:
Epson Expression 11000XL -> 16bit 600 DPI with Unsharp Mask -> Color Correction in Photoshop CC 2021 x64 -> 8bit 600DPI PNG.

foobar2000 1.6.13 / Dynamic Range Meter 1.1.1
log date: 2022-11-06 00:42:56
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Analyzed: Don Blackman / Don Blackman
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DR Peak RMS Duration Track
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DR14 -0.80 dB -17.33 dB 5:18 01-Yabba Dabba Doo
DR15 -0.95 dB -18.01 dB 4:31 02-Heart's Desire
DR15 -1.50 dB -19.84 dB 4:13 03-Holding You, Loving You
DR15 -1.15 dB -18.89 dB 4:04 04-Deaf Hook-Up Connection
DR15 -0.67 dB -18.02 dB 3:03 05-You Ain't Hip
DR15 -0.79 dB -18.49 dB 3:40 06-Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide
DR15 -0.71 dB -18.75 dB 5:14 07-Since You Been Away So Long
DR15 -1.40 dB -18.53 dB 3:54 08-Never Miss a Thing
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Number of tracks: 8
Official DR value: DR15
Samplerate: 192000 Hz
Channels: 2
Bits per sample: 24
Bitrate: 5198 kbps
Codec: FLAC
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Don Blackman could never be accused of clogging the bins with his own records. Prior to this 1982 debut for GRP -- the songwriter/keyboardist/vocalist's lone LP until 2002 -- he was quite visible, though only as a desired touring and session hand, with connections to Parliament/Funkadelic, Lenny White/Twennynine, and Weldon Irvine. At this point in his career, he was riding high on the successes of Twennynine's "Peanut Butter" and Bernard Wright's "Haboglabotribin'," two monstrously funky cuts he penned and was spotlighted on. He seemed to approach the first opportunity to flex on his own as if he was on a mission -- his self-titled album is as phenomenal as anything else his contemporaries were producing at the time (George Duke in particular), elegantly merging styles and adding new dimensions with each passing track. Beginning with a call-and-response P-Funk-style roof shaker, Blackman and friends then roll into a pair of tender midtempo grooves, where the leader's sweet and easy voice shines as brightly as his tickling touches of piano and keyboard. (Do check Lenny White/Twennynine's "Best of Friends" for a precursor to these highlights.) The first side is closed out with one of the album's heaviest moments; neither kicking horns nor grinding guitar riffs are out of place. Side two is almost the equal of the first, bounding just as freely between gritty and smooth numbers. Blackman would continue to be valuable to others throughout the '80s, '90s, and 2000s, but this is his greatest achievement, a happy-spirited, genre-blending affair that can enrich the lives of those who hear it. Can you hear it, though? That's the question. The album has remained scarce, though intermittent bootlegs and reissues (including Expansion's legit 2006 issue) have popped up throughout the years. Nevertheless, many of its components have been sampled by producers of rap and downtempo house alike. So you've probably heard some of it, but not nearly enough, and you most certainly need the full effect.