Customer Reviews

Still Kool (Bonus CD)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Now I know you may be thinking: "Kool & The Gang?.... When dinousaurs roamed the earth" LOL. While there may be much truth in that, as they've been around for decades, I'm here to tell you this album is as good as any they've ever recorded. Matter of fact, as a body of work, pound for pound, right now this is the best album I've heard all year. From the opening track, the bouncy "Dave", all the way down to the smooth jazz grooves of "Sailing", what a surprise treat this is. Other highlights? The whole CD is a highlight, but I would like to point out that you can't go wrong with the sweet stepper "Steppin' Into Love", smoking slow jams like "Everything's Gonna Change", "Made For Love", "Someone Like You", party funk like "Give It Up" with it's tropical influence, and also "Living In The 21". A dangerous CD that does 'em proud. I didn't think music was made like this anymore. By the way, "JT" Taylor ain't on here cel-e-bra-ting and having a good time. You won't miss him, trust me. Oh! Just so's you know, he is cel-e-bra-ting and having a good time on the bonus CD as it has five of their past hits on it. Not sure why this release is marketed this way, but I presume the suits know what they're doing. Anyway, the verdict on this one? Essential. Yeah hoooo!!!

Wow! A must have! What A Comeback!!! You can hear a lot of their 80's flair with a current groove. "Steppin' Into Love" and "Trust Me" are nice grooves for dancing. My favorites of the entire listing are "Too Low For Zero" and "Made For Love". Mellow grooves to enjoy during a quiet rainstorm, a mellow glass of wine and someone to cuddle with! "Too Low For Zero" is a tearjerker! The entire CD is wonderful! I think you will be pleasantly surprised if you're looking for something fresh and engaging! Enjoy!!!

This is an amazing album. These guys have been around a long time(Cleveland Brown's informative liner notes) and aged to perfection. This is one of those albums that will make it a better year and be played for the rest of your life. Reading the notes inside the cover help you appreciate why this music is so great and now I am going to buy the other albums by Kool & the Gang. This is way better than anything I have ever heard from them but now I understand more about them from reading the story. Must have album.

Kool & the Gang have evolved through the years into the band for all ages. Their newest album "Still Kool" proves that this group has the staying power to keep their old fans happy while attracting new younger fans. They make beautiful music together and I hope they keep going for many years to come. My favorites have got to be "Dave," "Too Low for Zero" and "It is What it is," but listen for yourself and decide. Definitely worth the price. I always look forward to Cleveland Brown's insightful and detailed liner notes too, and though he wasn't as wordy as he usually is, the liner notes did not disappoint. Thanks for keeping this fan "KOOL!"

"Still Kool" is a great CD. I've told all my friends and they agree that this a refreshing change from all the junk out there. Just Imagine: real trumpets, real drums, real saxophones, etc. And the vocals are right on time. "Still Kool" is a great hard hitting mixture of music. As I read in a review elsewhere,this CD will make you smile, dance, think, relax and more. I put it in my car CD player and now I cant wait to get back in the car. True, they don't sound like the old KATG; They sound much better. Buy this CD and I guaranty that you will love it. 8 of the 16 tracks really stand out. The combination of "Whats Happening Brother" and "It Is What It Is" will blow you away. "To Low For Zero" will warm your heart. "America" will make you proud. "Steppin' Into Love" and "Trust Me" will have you up and dancing. As you can tell, I love this CD. This is a buy.

STILL KOOL is an awesome piece of work..from the first track to the very last. My absolute favorites are "Stepping Into Love" and "Too Low For Zero". Those 2 especially, because they are just as good (or better) than anything on radio, right now. And, as always, Cleveland Brown's liner notes are a treasure.

After enjoying this masterpiece, I truly look forward to buying their next project! ----LiL'BiT

Definitely not Kool, more like Luke Warm

Kool and the Gang are one of the best bands ever to grace the Funk Orbit but as another reviewer put it: When you listen to this Album you would never know it was Kool and The Gang.

This is the digitization of the Kool and The Gang. All the tracks have a sterilized quality about them. There is not one real funk track on the whole disc instead you have middle of the road soul pop. 'Bang Bang With The Gang' is an attempt to gain some of their lost Funk but fails miserably. 'Made for Love' is a R-Kelly type ditty without production or attitude. 'Give it Up" is a pure embarrassment. 'Trust Me' has the lyric - 'Love is like monopoly, Ohhh, you roll the dice, probably land on chance' Need I say more?

Basically this is not Kool and the Gang but some listless digitized pop act . 'Still Kool' is seriously luke warm. The fact that they have to state that they are 'Still Kool' on the Album Cover might suggest that they are far from it.

THIS IS A GREAT GROUP OF ARTIST. I WAS EXPECTING THEM TO MELT THE CHARTS WITH THIS ONE. I PURCHASED THE CD BECAUSE I AM A TRUE FAN. COME ON! BRING THE NOISE!!

Haven't heard anything new from Kool & the Gang for quite a while.. Was very happy when I found out that Kool & the Gang had come out with a new CD... After listening to the new CD, "Still Kool", was glad to learn that Kool hasn't lost his touch !!!! I just hope he continues to record his music... I will buy all!!!

New albums from bands that were big in the `70s and `80s are tricky because you never know who's in the band any more; there could be one or two original members and the rest of the band seems to be filled up with contest winners (Atlantic Starr, anyone?). I still decided to check out Kool & the Gang's latest album Still Kool, and it's pretty good.

One good thing is that the band isn't trying to cater to the young crowd on here, as the songs don't sound a whole lot different from the songs they made when they were at their peak. Some might think they're looking at the young crowd after all due to the guest raps in "Give It Up" and "Livin' in the 21", but even those songs work well. Also stellar are "Steppin' Into Love", "Trust Me" and "Too Low for Zero" (no, not a remake of the Elton John song).

But there ARE some good remakes, like Marvin Gaye's "What's Happening Brother" and Christopher Cross' "Sailing" (albeit an instrumental). In fact, at face value this album could be worth five stars, but the reason I knocked it all the way down to three-and-a-half is because the final six tracks are all previous hits that were tacked on: "Party People", "Celebration", "Hollywood Swinging", "Joanna", "Summer Madness" and "Ladies Night". I mean, those are all great songs, but there's really no point in having them here.

While I wouldn't suggest listening to this album if you're looking for another Wild and Peaceful, it does prove that Kool & the Gang are indeed still kool. Pick it up.

Anthony Rupert