Home → Edwin Starr → Clean
Clean
R&B / Soul · 1978

Clean

Edwin Starr

High-octane 1978 soul-disco fusion. Gritty, commanding vocals meet polished orchestral arrangements and relentless, syncopated funk grooves.

October 20, 1978 · 20th Century Fox Records

Find on Amazon

Clean represents the peak of Edwin Starr's late-seventies evolution, where the raw, protest-ready power of his early Motown years collided head-on with the sophisticated sheen of the disco era. It is an album that feels physically demanding; the rhythms are tight and unforgiving, driven by a rhythm section that favors heavy syncopation and a four-on-the-floor pulse. Unlike the more ethereal or plastic disco of the time, this record retains a muscular, organic weight, thanks to the live brass and Starr's unmistakable, gravel-flecked vocal delivery.

Moments Worth Listening For
The explosive brass entry on the title track that immediately sets a high-voltage pace.
The way Starr's gravelly bark contrasts against the silky, polished string arrangements in I'm So Into You.
The relentless, driving bassline of Working Song that mirrors the lyrical theme of industrial grind.
Where This Album DepartsEach spoke is a trait. The orange shape shows where this album pulls away from — or holds to — the rest of the artist’s catalogue. Tap for more.

How does Clean sound next to the rest of Edwin Starr's catalogue?

Party Celebration+2.1σ

The writing leans far further into party celebration than the rest of the catalogue.

Cassette uses generative AI to enrich its catalog. How we use AI →