O’Donel Levy’s foray into a more mainstream jazz, funk and soul style has been compared to that of George Benson. Both guitarists, no doubt, sport some talent as well as a good ear for gritty stuffs. But as each moved passed the beginning of their careers the music produced got bogged down by nonsense. There are moments from both men’s catalogs that still genuinely rule subsequent to some pandering, but nothing would ever hit as hard as the first few release from either guitarist. Regardless of that, Levy, after the release of Simba went onto put out music that was rather disdainful to my ears. I dunno why I took a chance on the 1976 Windows, but I did and was pleased, kinda. Below is the blow by blow…

01 - Panama Red
Slickly produced and precisely played, there’s still a lot of funk in this track. That bass line doesn’t hurt, obviously. Nor do those punchy horn bursts. But Levy’s guitar – even when it starts getting phased in and out of channels towards the end of the track – fits pretty perfectly into the track. Why it took him three years to return to form, I dunno, but I’m glad it happened.

02 - I Believe In Miracles
It’s really surprising that this wasn’t the lead off track. It’s all smooth jazz and crooning. The song shoulda been a hit, I suppose, but it’s also something you might hear in a waiting room. There was and is a market for this tripe, but really, “I Believe in Miracles” needs to get skipped in order to find another, more funky track.

03 - Freedom and Good Times
At least this one has some teeth to it. But while the music here is closer to “Panama Red,” O’Donel decides to get back on the mic. It’s not that he can’t sing – he can – and the back up singers don’t denigrate the track. But what I’m looking for on a disc from this guy isn’t singing. “Freedom and Good Times” isn’t unpleasant, but we want the unexpurgated funk.

04 - I'll Sing From My Window
Instead of being given what we, the listeners, want, there’s some more sappy nonsense. Smooth jazz should really be punishable by death. Of course at the time that Windows was recorded that term didn’t exist - I don’t think. But any self respecting jazzbo is already reaching for the stereo before Levy’s voice kicks in.

05 – Moisturizer
I won’t guess at the meaning of this song’s title, but it’s pretty awesome. Almost as awesome as the jazz/funk that the band gets into here. It’s not picture perfect – and really none too different then the other jams that work well on Windows. More of the same is fine as long as it’s funky.

06 - Green Machine
Again, I wanna speculate about what the title means, but I’ll refrain from that. More unsurprising jazz/funk with only a dash of singing so as not to make this an unlistenable track. Maybe not the crowning jewel of Windows, but it’s a good middle ground that Levy finally located. There shoulda been more of this and then I’d be able to talk about his guitarist as if anyone knew who he was.