Customer Reviews

Feel the Peel

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

 

 

"Feel the Peel" is Deep Banana Blackout's third attempt at attaining the "funk." This album is hard to judge, becuase those familiar with the band are familiar with their last album, a live, 2 disc concert called "Rowdy Duty." Rowdy Duty showcased the bands improvisational talents as well as their knack for just letting loose and jamming out. This was the band's style for the first five years or so of their existence. However, since the lead singer Jen Durkin left the band, their sound has changed slightly. With the addition of new comers Hope Clayborn(lead vocals and sax)and Brian Smith (trombone), DBB has worked to elevate their sound to the next level. Feel the Peel is a great example of the band taking their great music in raw form and producing it into a proffesional sounding album. However, by doing so, DBB has sacrificed that uncut, unproduced sound that got them to where they are today. Musically, Feel the Peel is excellent and is certainly worth purchasing. If you are used to their older style however, you may want to listen to the album before you buy it.

I had never seen DBB before nor heard any of their music. I bought this out of the blue. Let's just say I was grooving from the beginning.

I understand those other reviewers who were looking for something more traditional from the band - of course, I have no frame of reference.

However, if you want something fun, groovy, movin, and with some variety then this is an album you want to have. Newcomer Hope's voice is like riding on a magic carpet. She delights with everynote and lyric that emanates.

Enjoy!

Feel The Peel is a step forward for this band. I read a previous negative review of this disc, and I must disagree. I own their last disc, Rowdy Duty - a double-live CD, and it's quite good, but grows REALLY repetetive over 2 discs. I've also seen them live (with Jen Durkin) and felt the same thing. They'll get a good groove going and then basically play a variation of that for what seems like forever. The songs all followed the same basic structure, with little variation. (I assume that their inspiration was found in Parliament/Funkadelic, Tower of Power, and the JB's, but compared to those groups, these guys have a way to go). HOWEVER, this record is a nice change of pace. They are beginning to mix it up a little, and have some latin flavor(Everybody) as well as some much smoother soul tunes (Rocco's Lament) and some nice jazz flavored touches as well (Fire It Up). It's definitely not a sequel to "Rowdy Duty", but what seems like a new direction. Instead of just blaring the horns on every tune and trying to out-JB the JB's they are incorporating various new elements into the (new) songs. It's a very good disc, and I recommend it for those who like soul-based groove music that occasionally rocks. (I couldn't think of a better description...sorry).

The rhythm section remains intact from "Rowdy Duty" with the other most noticeable difference is the absence of Jen Durkin's vocals. But has it really hurt them? I don't think so. This band can find a groove and make it bark like a dog. Go ahead and buy the disc; "Big Thing" is worth the price of admission alone.

Perhaps Deep Banana Blackout just can't liven things up in the studio, but this one pales in comparison to their earlier (live) releases. Some of the songs are decent, but overall Feel The Peel is an uninspired disappointment. Most conspicuously missing are the wailing vocals of Jen Durkin. New addition Hope Clayburn makes a respectable attempt to compensate, but those are some big pipes to fill. The biggest problem with this album is that the songwriting itself lacks the soulful inteGRITy of works past. If (the essential) "Rowdy Duty" has left you thirsting for more, I'd recommend you skip this one for now and seek out "Live In The Thousand Islands" (available from Homegrown). Perhaps they still got it on stage, I don't know as I haven't seen them since Durkin went to play with Bernie Worrell (and now apparently has her own "Conscious Underground" project...), but on this studio effort DBB has only shown us how easily the funk can be faked. I can only hope a band that just recently showed so much promise hasn't already peaked, but I fear the worst.

I have played bass for 20 some years and i loveto listen to these guys! If you are a bass player or any musician for that matter than you need this and all dbb cds!