Various

If you’re a soul fan, you’ve likely come across many artists from the ’60s that refer to themselves as rock’n’roll singers even though they are now considered soul legends. Sly Stone was praised as a rock artist as much as a funk innovator in his heyday. By the same token, Soundway’s Nigeria Rock Special is as funky as its concurrent Nigeria Disco Funk Special. The difference, like that between Funkadelic and Parliament, is the prominence of guitars instead of horns taking the solos. There are a few stellar examples of tight garage rock, like Question Mark’s madcap "Freaking Out,” but for the most part, this is either Osibisa-style Afro-rock or Bootsy-era James Brown stylings. "Rock” more often than not means "prog” as well, which makes for some imaginative arrangements, like the Elcados’ Santana-goes-to-Ethiopia "Ku Mi Da Hankan.” This is another strong compilation by Soundway.