Pretty sure you’ve never heard of Mother’s Finest. If you have please comment. I had never heard of them until I was scouting for a gift for my best friend Bill in 1979. As I’ve mentioned before, Bill and I were always trying to surprise and impress each other with new band finds (see Vinyl of the Month – American Tears) and I ran across this live album, the cover caught my eye. So I bought it and presented it to Bill for Christmas.

Bill gave me a Hendrix album. I think Electric Ladyland. Needless to say, he was not impressed with my gift and pointed out that he had gotten me a Hendrix album and I bought him some unknown funk band. He didn’t like it, and he pissed me off. So I kept the Mother’s Finest album and his Hendrix gift. It didn’t affect our friendship.

Mother’s Finest is an American band out of Atlanta Georgia. They formed in 1970 and they are still around. The Live album came out in 1979. I had bought it without even hearing what it sounded like until Bill opened it and we listened to it. I liked it. I like Funk (Parliament, etc.) and there was a strong rock/metal influence in there too. My favorite song is Mickey’s Monkey. I went out and bought their third album Another Mother Further which came out in 1977 and has Mickey’s Monkey on it.

Mother’s Finest is still around as of this posting. Check them out. They are touring. Their last album, Goody 2 Shoes & the Filthy Beast, was put out in 2015. Nothing since then.

I chose Mother’s Finest Live by Mother’s Finest for Vinyl of the Month based on the memory of that 1979 Christmas with Bill and our gift exchange. Sadly, Bill is no longer with us. But many of the albums in my collection remind me of him and our high school years and our friendship.