Customer Reviews

Budos Band II (Dig)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Budos Band has done it again, and I have to say I'm not surprised. Their first album hit me like a ton of bricks, and this disc is proof that they not only avoided the dreaded sophomore slump but that they scared it off with their irresistable grooves. They haven't just rehashed the formula of their first album though, this album definitely moves their sound in a different direction. There is an almost middle eastern feel to some of these songs, particularly "Deep In The Sand", which sounds like it could have been taken off of one of my discs from the "Ethiopiques" collection. Their organ player also has more of a lead role on many of these tunes, and the tone of the organ is different from that on their first album. I don't care who you are or where you're from...if you play this disc in the car you will be rolling around the streets with your head back like the Mack with a nonchalant smirk on your face. This is music that forces you to move to it, you really don't have much choice. Fans of afrobeat, latin, jazz, and funk music won't be disappointed. This goes without saying, but catch these guys live, I went over a year ago and wouldn't hesitate to see them again. Get on the bandwagon folks, BUDOS ARE RISING!

The Budos fixed the main problem I had with their first album (being that it was mostly rhythm beds without much melodic interest.) The songs on this album are much tighter and more elaborately crafted. There are horn solos, which were noticeably lacking from the first album. The Band lays down a funky groove and then actually TAKES it somewhere, making the whole album very satisfying to listen to. The mix oozes with faux-retro lo-fi beauty, like the band went back in time to 1970 to record this (how did they get that sound???)

My only complaint - which keeps me from awarding the full 5 stars - is still the organ. This time Mr. Deller has upgraded from whatever sorry piece of junk he was using on the first album, to a vintage Farfisa ... he plays it well, but the Farfisa has a transistorized, electronic, synthy-plastic sound far more suited to psychedelic rock than to afro-beat and soul jazz. In this genre my ear really wants to hear the gutsy, grinding tone of an overdriven Hammond B-series organ. The Farfisa sound (though better than the previous organ) was a poor fit and dragged the mix down from the perfection to which it aspired.

Anyway, that's my opinion. The fact is, the Budos Band gets better every time I listen, and if they keep improving, maybe the third time will be the charm. Please, Budos, try again! I may be a critic but I'm also a fan. These guys are doing stuff I wish I could do.

I buy music almost constantly, but this is the first time I've been prompted to write a review. If you listen to a lot of funk, it can occasionally blend together, sounding too familiar or similar. Sometimes even the good stuff doesn't distinguish itself enough to truly stand apart head and shoulders above the rest.

But the Budos Band's latest offering is just that - aces above the rest. It's a real burner, with more horns than you could ever hope for, sounding wickedly devilish yet bright and ebullient. At times it even sounds like the quality 'Ethiopiques' CD series. Don't sleep on this - you won't be able to STOP listening to it. I enjoyed their first release, but II pushes them into the realm of brilliance. Their take on 'My Girl,' never one of my favorite songs, is stunning.

My intro to The Budos Band came earlier this year when I was prowling the bins at a San Diego music store looking for something new. I wasn't having much luck, but The Budos Band II CD that was playing on the store's system sparked my interest. I wound up leaving with both this and the debut album and eagerly inserted them into my own CD player.
This was my favorite of the two from the start, but now after many listens I have concluded that it is only marginally better than the debut. The horns are what attracted me in the first place, but now I am discouraged that the band can't seem to break out of the stylistic box in which it has trapped itself. Instead of cutting loose, the band returns over and again to a tried and true groove. That's fine for background music, but not for something you want to be able just sit and listen to.
There are a couple of cuts here where the band shows signs of loosening up: Budos Rising, King Cobra, and Scorpion to name them, but it hasn't yet reached the point where they can confidently launch themselves into the musical stratosphere.
If you like horns, if you enjoyed Cold Blood, Tower of Power and even Poncho Sanchez, you will probably find something to like here. But don't give any creedence to what the industry hack breathlessly terms the Budos Band's "poisonous vision". A couple of listens to this, you'll hear that it does not yet exist.

I listen almost entirely to rock or rap (more rock), so this CD doesn't really fit in with the rest of my library. Nevertheless this disc, full of pulsing, driving rhythm, has been in constant rotation. It's not really worth evaluating each song, since they tend to flow into another. Rather, the disc as a whole resonates with a driving energy totally unlike anything that I'd listened to previously.

A mind blowing album - a tonal tapestry weaved in heart thumping funk, intoxicating soul and hypnotic rhythms.

... and this album delivers even more than the first. Budos Band III is in the mail and the next time these guys are performing in my neck of the woods, i'm there.

This albums is great! The sonics are dead on, as most Daptone releases, and the music is so sexy, it's great!

Perfect for wine parties or hanging out playing games, or just cooking dinner. Not just background music either, it's an engaging album that will do justice on any reference system.

Buy it, you won't be disappointed!

Fully excellent. "Ride or Die" is gangsta. Every track is good to drive to. I can't wait to see them in concert!

First heard this in Amsterdam...and was proud to discover this band was from the homeland. A very interesting and enticing classic yet modern full band sound. If you love Theivery Corp.and/or old-school James Bond sounding scores, you'll adore this too.
Cheers to Amsterdam in helping me find this ear-candy little treasure...Budos band!