Right on Time [Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered]

Brothers Johnson | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 16, 1996)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
• Label: A&M Super Budget
• ASIN: B000002GA0
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #42,055 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Louis and George Johnson formed the Brothers Johnson under the auspices of Quincy Jones in 1975, releasing this second album in 1977. With Quincy at the helm as producer, the duo quickly broke wide open with its debut album Looking Out for #1, which contained the No. 1 R&B smash "I'll Be Good to You" as well as the funk jam "Get the Funk Out My Face." The album's standout is "Strawberry Letter #23," their second No. 1 R&B hit, but it also contains "Runnin' for Your Lovin'," a Top 10 in R&B. Remaining tracks prove spottier, however, with significant filler between the two hits. --Tom Vickers

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Right On Time!, August 17, 2004

By 

Andre' S Grindle "Funk Meister" (Bangor,ME.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Right on Time (Audio CD)

This is the Bros' second offering and it's a bit of a smoother ride then the first time around,but that's only a

relative term.When the Johnson's are smooth they've OVERHEATED

and the funk is sooooo deep it almost burns!That's exactly what

happens on the instrumental "Q"-it starts off as a quint little

pop-jazz instrumental fit for an elevator THEN breaks into a

full blast of funky heat when these guys come on the bass and

guitar-bopping and riffing away!"Runnin' From Your Lovin" finds

a nice soulful middle ground in the affair even as they make

a total killing on Shuggie Otis's "Strawberry Letter 23" and

frankly wipe the floor with his version-a Johnson classic to be

sure."Brother Man" offers up a maddeningly funky instrumental

and the title song only adds vocals for a rhythm that changes nothing!Sometimes 'Right On Time' feels very glossy and

polished but it's sudtle too,making it work in both ways!So

it really IS okay to like this-when even an album's soft spots

punch you out (ie Graham Central Station) then your not faking

the funk!And these brothers never did!So pick this up and it'll

go great with the other three Quincy Jones produced Brothers

Johnson CD's in print-they're all soooo excellent!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Essential Slice Of West Coast Funk, January 10, 2007

By 

David Alston (Chapel Hill, NC, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Right on Time (Audio CD)

One of the more underrated releases of the 1970s - Brothers Johnson, and this disc in particular - have aged very, very well, which is more than you can say about 95% of their contemporaries. At the time, I know everyone noticed how great of a funk/r&b album it was - I had the album as a kid, and the magnificent cover of Shuggie Otis' "Strawberry Letter 23" was one of THE car radio hits of '77.

But I don't know if everyone noticed how THOUGHTFUL this stuff is, and the subtle sonic diversity underneath the grooves: fluid shifts from jazzy to danceable to folk/pastoral on the last tune, and through this broad musical range, the sense of rhythm and melody never fails. To pull this off and not come across as trendy, or pretentious is quite an accomplishment. These guys talent is never in question, but their musical and imaginative sense of adventure, combined with a genuine charm and sense of really enjoying what they were doing is what makes this disc sound fresh going on 30 years after it's original release.

It should be noted how specific the lyrical imagery is as well - at the time this disc was being made, times were getting a little weird, and the rather precise romanticism that emerges in the words here was - I think - another calculated move (and a good one): what might have seemed a little hippy-dippy in 1970 was a statement of calm, quiet defiance seven years later, at a time when cynicism or nihilism would have been the easier or more expected path to take - witness punk and disco - two contemporary musical movements that both produced some very interesting stuff, but also often got very soulless. All around - in words, music, groove and ambition, RIGHT ON TIME is a definite, late classic of the kind of West Coast r&b pioneered by Shuggie, Sly and Graham Central Station.

I don't know if Brothers Johnson's other releases quite hit the heights of this one, but with this release, they still accomplished far more than most.

-David Alston

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Well Produced Funk, March 13, 2006

By 

Riley (Charlotte, NC United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Right on Time (Audio CD)

This cd still holds up I'm happy to say. I give 5 stars to Strawberry Letter 23 and the whole cd is strong. Compares to Earth Wind and Fire. Quincy Jones produced this album and it shows. It's like jumping into a timemachine back to the late 70's, early 80's. If you like smooth, funky R&B then you should check this out. Unfortunately, they didn't do a lot more. They have one other release of new material and then a greatest hits package. Too bad. These guys seemed to have a lot of potential. Great fun. Buy and enjoy.