Released by the U.K.’s Edsel label in 2011, this compilation has a title that is somewhat misleading.
The Best of the Arista Years contains Showmen and
Chairmen of the Board leader
General Johnson's self-titled 1976 album -- co-produced with Rick Chertoff -- in its entirety. The remainder of the disc consists of the disco version of one of the album’s A-sides, “Don’t Walk Away,” the B-side “Ready Willing and Able,” the 12” version of the 1977 single “Let’s Fool Around,” and the 12” disco version of another 1977 single, “Can’t Nobody Love Me Like You Do.” While none of it quite matches
Johnson’s best moments with
Chairmen of the Board, it’s all sturdy, disco-laced mid-‘70s soul, comparable to what the likes of
Willie Hutch and
Johnny Bristol were releasing at the time. Each one of the A-sides impacted the R&B chart, with the Top 25 “All in the Family” the most successful of all. This is likely the first time any of the material has appeared on compact disc. ~ Andy Kellman