Lost/Forgotten Album #265

[Jon]

This week's selection might not be the third in a series. Then again, it most probably is.

Last week's selection caused someone to whine about there not being enough funk. They obviously don't understand funk. If you're not ready for the funk, you cannot be thrown into the funk. You must be eased into the funk. The first two selections in this series gave you a little bit of the funk, just enough so you would be ready to get thrown headfirst into the funk.

This might be too much funk for some people, so next week's selection might ease of on the full-throttled funk. Maybe it won't. Maybe you'll be part of a funk deluge. Only time (and the funk) will tell. 

This week's pick is the 1973 release from Kool & The Gang, Wild And Peaceful. This is one of those albums that is technically not lost or forgotten since it did spawn three successful singles and reached #33 on the charts, but there might be those that didn't bother to listen to Kool & The Gang way back when. There also might be those that know Kool & The Gang from their 80's output which is quite different from their 70's output. Plus, I can post what I want and there's nothing you can do about it.

Album review from allmusic.com? Ok!

Prior to James "JT" Taylor adding pop flavor vocals, which help garner a handful of top selling albums, this was Kool & the Gang's most successful album, spawning three bonafide R&B hits. Produced by Robert Bell, and featuring Donal Boyce's incredulous vocals, these songs have held up well. The fast, chugging "Jungle Boogie" was a club favorite, while "Funky Stuff," with its "whoa whoa whoa" hook, was slower and spacier than "Jungle Boogie." The band formerly known as the Jazziacs got their first R&B number one with "Hollywood Swinging," a slightly faster than mid-tempo song with whistles, festive ambiance and lead vocals by keyboardist Ricky West. All three hits were inspired by Manu Dibango's "Soul Makossa," and were recorded in one night at a studio in midtown Manhattan. The title cut flash backs to their prerecording jazz days, when they dazzled New Jerseyites with their playing skills.

Now, let's bring da funk!

Wild And Peaceful

1. Funky Stuff
2. More Funky Stuff
3. Jungle Boogie
4. Heaven At Once
5. Hollywood Swinging
6. This Is You, This Is Me
7. Life Is What You Make It
8. Wild And Peaceful

Availability: Less than $5 new, quite the deal!

[RJhog (Admin)]

The first two songs move by pretty quick.  They are both certainly funky, as I'm sure this whole album will be.  

Jungle Boogie is familiar.  I've heard it.  I don't believe there is a higher meaning in this stuff.  The pure purpose is to bring the FUNK!  Purpose served.

Uh-oh.  Heaven At Once is a slow jam.  You break something like this out at just the right time if you know what I mean.  Well, at least until the spoken vocal starts.  That would ruin that mood real fast.  I totally dig the music, not the vocal.  Hollywood Swinging doesn't really do anything for me.

This Is You, This Is Me get's this train right back on the track.  I'm not a huge fan of horns, but they can sound really good, and they do here.  Much better track than the previous one.  Track number seven is terrific too.  That guitar is sweet.  Decent instrumental to close the album out.

This was a cool listen.  You did good.  I will say there isn't much melody here like there is in the 80's stuff.  And I dig the 80's stuff.  I have the two disc Gold best of CD on my wish list but I'd really like to pick up a couple of albums as well.  I've got some funk to throw at you in a couple of days as well.

[Jon]

I will counter your funk with even more funk.

[Scott]

Pre-James Taylor Kool is new to me except for Jungle Boogie of course... But I am a fan of this band with Taylor as the lead singer.  Much like the Bee Gees, I publicly dissed the band, and more specifically Ladies Night and Too Hot, but privately cranked it up.  Still do...

Fun band to watch old videos of, this is a party band no doubt.  And while the first two songs are quick, I think they were meant to be the same song, just extended, at least it sounds that way to me.

Heaven at Once, heavy tune man!  What are you doin' to make things better?  What do you mean "the key to the light?".  Kool tackles heavy subjects with a kool back beat and the unifying sounds of soul.  It works to!

What a great rhythm section!! But the addition of the perfect lead singer really put these guys into the stratosphere!  I liked this!  A Lot!!