Customer Reviews

Jam on This: Best of Newcleus

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Put on your parachute pants and throw down that cardboard matt. We are breakin' and shakin' on this album. Why four stars? Newcleus came materializing through the snap, crackle and pop rapping that was bombarding our senses in the 80's and offered us an album that had a plot, of sorts, and a sense of humor. The image of these intergalactic rappers battling Superman in Jam On It evokes the memory of the classic Godzilla fight scenes. Other rappers of that era were preoccupied with finding new verbage to convey the message, "Yo! I'm better than this other rapper!". Please. They needed to lighten up. And Newcleus was the Willy Wonka Soda to do the trick. Since I am on the nostalgia kick, remember Wendy's "Where's the beef?" campaign? Newcleus took advantage of that catch phrase and infused it with the backbone of any good rap: beat. The song "Where's the beat?" complains that the music played in discos had good grove but not enough beat. The three Newcleus space travelers drone out that they came to dance but are rendered listless. What a wonderful environment in which to party. If you don't want to listen to the lyrics and follow these traveling rappers through their journey on earth, then you can groove with the beat, reminisce about the 80's or just enjoy the good tunes. Ah, man. This is too funky for me. I got to get out of here. "Hey Mergatroid! Let's gooooooo."

I would just like to start of by saying that "Jam on it" is one of my favorite dance songs. It has a good beat and the lyrics are slamming. I'm only 25, but I listen to old schools songs and old school groups and Newcleus is still up there in my book. Not only was "Jam on it" was a hit song, they also had songs that people slept over. Newcleus had good music and clean lyrics. Not only did they video play on video music box all the time but they also went on tour with "Cameo and RunDMc" Let's not forget some of the new talents that has sample some beats for them too. So yes, don't hate, congratulate

it seems just like yesterday these Jams were banging on my boom box in the summer time.Newcleus brought some serious electronic Grooves here."Jam on It" was the kind of Jam You Could Pop Lock,Glide&Break to.still tight.

For those of you who like Newcleus, I would definately suggest acquiring this CD. Since it is obviously impossible to get the original Jam On Revenge album (which I think is still better)on CD in it's entirety, this is the next best thing. Versions of Jam On It and Jam On Revenge are different from the classic versions we are used to but still very good.

Newcleus had some dynamic songs that smartly used the techno dance sound under their raps. Cosmo D had the coolest raps over those songs. I still like Jam on It from 1984, which still sounds funky and catchy today. Had some humor in its lyrics too. But there are other surprises such as the 7 minute Computer Age, which came a year later in 1985. In most cases, they rival Afrika Bambaataa and the Soul Sonic Force in terms of the song quality. Most of the songs average around 5, 7 and 8 minutes, but they keep you entertained and dancing wild too! Jam still sounds good in its full 7 minutes--the 45 single that I got in 1984 doesn't even come close to it. The 1997 remix for Jam on It is just as catchy too. This group is underrated but made their mark in the 80s.

As they were very aptly named by Music Instructor.
Not many bands had their vision. You only have to look back at the success Music Instructor had with the same type of music fifteen years after Newcleus' first releases. Take Instructor's version of 'Jam on it' and you find it's virtually the same thing, but it didn't seem to bother anyone, a whole new generation of kids redescovering the music and enjoying it as much as we had in our time.
I had most of the tracks on cassette when they were released and I remember I was crazy about them. There just wasn't anything like it then, like there isn't anything like it now. It took me a long time to get them on CD, but even though I'm not the kid I was then any more, I still find their music fascinating. The only ones I'm not that crazy about are 'I wanna be a B-Boy' and 'Na Na Beat', but that doesn't mean they are not good, it's just that I don't think they're as good as the others.
A CD release of 'Jam on Revenge' would be fantastic, but I don't know if it will ever happen. Might be too late for it, though I bet there's enough people that want to own one.

Jam on it and the Wikki Rap are 2 of the best electro-funk records ever made. And once you include Let's Jam and I Wanna be a B-boy well that's worth the cost of the album alone. Computer Age and Automan are worth listening to but they're not exceptional. The remaining cuts are just so-so but far from intolerable. The best 4 cuts are all worthy of 6 stars but there's enough other marginal material to bring down the overall rating. Nonetheless this is a MUST have disc.

Alright... I realize records like this find little airplay anymore. Even those of us who still own this album rarely play it. However, if you're in the market for some old school hip hop that rocks...NEWCLEUS!! Jam On It propelled me into the breakdancing scene was I was in grade school, and it still rocks on in my head. This is the first hip hop song that I memorized every word of. Simply great!!

At last! One of my favorite groups of the 1980s has returned, albeit a greatest hits album. Although a couple of tracks are different versions of the full length album versions, everything still sounds great! I just wish I knew how good these sounded back then! Like many people, I would much rather see a re-release of the full length album of "Jam On Revenge", but this will do.....for now. The staples of the classic album are here, including "Computer Age (Push The Button)", "Jam On It", and "Automan". If you like today's Electronica/Techno music, listen to this and know where some influence for today's artists came from. I should know, this was one of mine. Trust me, this one's a keeper! :)

This is an OK compilation of the best cuts from the two above Newcleus albums (which really should be listened to as ALBUMS), but DON'T BUY THIS CD! Why? Good news: "Jam On Revenge" and "Space Is The Place" are now available on CD from Cozmo D's web site, jamonproductions-dot-com. Here's the description of the "Jam On Revenge" CD from the Newcleus web site:

"After hearing the numerous pleas of frustrated Newcleus fans for so long, who have wanted this legendary album on CD but did not have the $100 and up to pay for an obscure German bootleg, Jam-On Productions proudly responds with our paramount reissue of Newcleus' first album "Jam On Revenge"!

The song "Where's The Beat" has been extracted due to its not actually being made or even liked by the group, but every other note and beat is included as it was originally released, from the opening narration and the sound effects joining the songs to the classic Hip-Hop and Electrofunk in-between.

Painstakingly re-mastered from digital sources (no vinyl was used whatsoever), this reissue sounds even better than the original! The famous Bob Camp cartoon cover art is included of course, along with added photos and complete full liner notes documenting all performances. Also included are the full 12inch versions of "Jam On It", including the instrumental, never before available on CD! Finally, the CD is rounded out with the original studio arrangement of "No More Runnin'", which was taken from a rough mix of the song made right after the original studio session. This has never been released on any commercial recording anywhere!

Whether you are a big fan of Newcleus, or a serious connoisseur of Old School Hip-Hop or Electro, or just a lover of good music, your collection is incomplete without Jam-On Productions' and Jam-On Recordings' reissue of Newcleus' "JAM ON REVENGE"!!!"