Customer Reviews

Celebrate

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

 

 

For a while, I believed that 1979's barnstorming Ladies Night was Kool & The Gang's debut. By bringing in producer Eumir Deodato and lead singer James "J.T." Taylor, they did indeed launch themselves into the pop chart stratosphere that year but they'd already had a long-running and very successful career as a jazz-funk band. This is best exemplified by their tune "Summer Madness" from their 1974 album Light of Worlds which was a firm favourite among fans at the time but was introduced to the wider world in 1991 when DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince sampled it for their monster hit "Summertime". Another good indicator of what the guys were capable of can be found on their contribution to Saturday Night Fever: The Original Movie Sound Track, called "Open Sesame". I was playing "Ladies Night" just the other day and was struck by how incredibly clean - even by today's standards - the production was. It only has six songs on it but every one is a winner.

This 1980 follow-up, if anything, was even more popular than its predecessor. The two party hits "Celebration" and "Love Festival" are as alive now (in connoisseur homes and on specialist dancefloors at least) as they were then but the album offers much more. The mid-tempo tune "Jones Vs. Jones", "Just Friends", the ballad "Love Affair" and the instrumental "Morning Star" were all firm favourites of mine right from the gate. My love and enthusiasm for these tunes has not diminished in the intervening 28 years; on the contrary, my appreciation for them has actually grown. Kool & The Gang were a real band, made up of people who were incredibly good musicians who also knew how to write good, funky songs. To crown it all, they had the warm, soulful lead vocals of J.T. and from what I recall, the ladies loved him. The guys just wanted to be him.

This successful phase of Kool & The Gang's career went on for a few years, with albums like Something Special, As One and Emergency. Good albums all, but this ultimate classic from a golden era should be in every 80s music lover's collection. The CD cost me a bit more than usual but it's worth every penny. What's more, I even managed to sell my old vinyl copy for a decent amount.

They don't make them like this anymore. Once again, I'm just glad I can say I was there.

I HAD BEEN SEARCHING FOR THIS ALBUM ALL DAY. YOU KNOW SOMETHIMES WHEN YOU REALLY NEED TO HEAR SONGS THAT MAKE YOU GO BACK IN TIME AND YOU CAN REALLY SMILE TO. WELL KOOL AND THE GANG BROUGHT BACK SOME REALLY GOOD FEELING. THIS ALBUM CAME OUT DURING A TIME WHEN I WAS IN MY EARLY 20'S, VERY MUCH IN LOVE, WEARING A GRAY SHEEP SKIN COAT (WITH MATCHING HAT AND GLOVES OF COURSE) DRIVING AROUND WITH JLJ (BOYFRIEND) AND KNOWING THIS WAS GONNA BE MY FIRST LOVE. (SMILE) WELL, IT'S NOW 2003 AND I DIDN'T MARRY JLJ BUT .... FOUND MY MISTER RIGHT AND WE NOW GROVE TO THIS ALBUM (JUST FOR THE RECORD, IT FEELS LIKE THE FIRST TIME......THANK YOU KOOL & THE GANG!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In 1980 by their last year hit Lp 'Ladies Night', they were on the spot at the billboard charts. The world was into the disco, it was the fact!Now it's time to do something like massive! Then their international anthem Celebration came that changed our life!What about the another tracks from the album.Groovy 'Take It To The Top', smooth 'Jones vs. Jones', funky'Night People','Love Festival',instrumental monster 'Morning Star'(God bless you Robert Mickens),and of course the emotional 'Love Affair' and 'Just Friends'.What can I say? Whoever you are and what music ever you like,this album brings you the massive energy as you listen it!God bless all Kool fans,all of the members the group and of course J.T. THE VOICE.You are the best!!!!!

By this point, Kool and the Gang were already established as a great band with a sound all their own. Celebrate is the follow up to their Ladies Night album that reintroduced them with a new late disco, R&B sound but still infused with funk and jazz. Right from the start it leads off with "Celebration", which I believe still stands as their biggest selling single. Also included is "Take It to the Top" and "Love Festival", which is sort of a part two to "Celebration". The rest of the album is great as well, particularly the instrumental "Morning Star" and "Jones vs. Jones".
The ballads are pretty good, but the best stuff on here are the dance and uptempo numbers.

After the breakthrough of Ladies Night Kool & The Gang were pretty much set up for the next few years. So there was never really much danger of anything lacking on the commercial level. All the same,as an album this doesn't quite possess the even punch that the previous album has. Mainly because,in many respects the groove is interrupted occasionally by something else. They were still continuing to expand their new sound as far as they could into the pop relm without losing too much of their unique character. In a lot of ways that approach worked very well. In some cases some things might've afforded a different treatment. But since this was a band whose harder funk was some of THE hardest ever made in it's early years they had to actually get used to playing in a less improvised,loose and jazzy style. All the same they somehow managed to redefine the looseness of their sound and that is one of the postives of this album overall.

Now I've heard just about everything there is to hear about "Celebration"-overplayed,obnoxious,you name it. Musical revisionism aside it was INTENDED by the band to be anthemic and all emcompassing. Also it's groove is still extremely strong despite it being one of the most.....questioned signiture songs a group could have. There are three ballads here too,varrying in range. While "Jones Vs.Jones" is certainly a well done urban pop ballad the subject of divorce takes some of the joy factor away to a degree. "Just Friends" is similar and a little friendlier,if actually also on the breakup topic. "Love Affair" is the more enthusiastic of the ballads but not all that captivating in many ways either. With it's funky high pitched guitar riffs and slower rhythms "Love Festival" is a fine piece of sophistifunk on a part with the previous album. "Take It To The Top" is faster in tempo and crossess the disco-funk line in about as clever a way as Roy Ayers Running Away whereas the catchy instrumental "Morning Star" and "Night People",a disco era variation on Dancing In The Street both emphasize the disco-dance sound a bit more in the music.

While not an album for those who detest pop music or the disco phobic, this album has many happy surprises even though it doesn't maintain as consistant a level as the previous. Then again I would'nt call the weaker material filler either. Everything here is firmly of the pop design. So it's not a question that the songs aren't good. They are. The trouble is,at the weaker moments it sometimes sacrifices a strong groove for pop craft. Time proved that one can easily have both. Probably the idea of becomming so popular so fast too quickly redirected their focus. But the interplay and general caliber of the band never faulted. A band with lesser ability would likely not have pulled this off the way Kool & The Gang did. And most of their albums of the early 80's contained no weak songs at all. It all came down to a matter of how to put their musical priorities into a sensible order,for them to gain the most advantage.

Loved it, loved it, loved it. Have been looking for this CD for years. Some of the songs have appeared in classic Kool And The Gang compilations and I have only ever seen this album in vinyl format. What a great addition to my CD collection. Kool And The Gang at their very best. Simply brilliant!

Kool&The Gang is the best group in my opinion.so this album is the best Kool&The Gang album.'Celebration'strongly song and very popular still around the world.But my favourite is'Love Festival'.again J.T'S great performance in this song.Dont forget 'Jones vs Jones,instrumental classic'Morning Star',emotional song'Take It To The Top' and others.You must buy this album! If you want groove funk and disco you mustnt wait and buy!.And again Kool&The Gang rulez!Don't Forget:)))

Great album! Very good dancing music