VA - Pulp Fusion: Return To The Tough Side (1998)

The Harmless label's Pulp Fusion series continues with a volume subtitled "Return to the Tough Side." It's much like the first volume in scope and selection, cherry-picking tracks that have often been sampled throughout the years by hip-hop buccaneers. That makes it an instant draw for crate-digging types, and it should also be attractive to those who want to reach further than the Shaft and Superfly soundtracks for their fix of funky '70s music. Bob James' "Nautilus," featuring one of the most frequently sampled breaks of all time, is included here, along with more adventurous cuts like Gary Bartz's "Celestial Blues," Herbie Hancock's "Wiggle Waggle," the Ramsey Lewis Trio's version of "Slippin' into Darkness," and Mandrill's "Fat City Strut." This is one of the best discs in the series.