Unopened/new vinyl, factory sealed, and in excellent condition. Some wear to edges and corners. A few small tears in shrink along edges. (Notch.)
When the Ohio Players were burning up the R&B charts in the mid-'70s, various budget labels tried to cash in on their popularity by putting out collections of lesser-known material that they had recorded in the 1960s. One of them was First Impressions, which focuses on the pre-Westbound sessions that Johnny Brantley produced for the Players in New York in 1968. These selections are quite different from their Westbound and Mercury output of the 1970s; in 1968, the Players' forte was raw, gritty, southern-style soul along the lines of Sam & Dave, Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding, and Rufus Thomas. In fact, Tell Me Why, A Thing Called Love, and It's a Cryin' Shame sound like they could have been recorded for Stax -- and the same goes for the early Players singles Trespassin' and I Got to Hold On. This LP doesn't contain the Players' most essential work, but the material is generally enjoyable.