Customer Reviews

Is This the Future?

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

 

 

...Fatback, coming out of the 70's, was totally prepared to make this album.

The songs are quite funky, and the lyrics are even intelligent at times (although we funk lovers don't care too much about lyrics--it's all about the VIBE, THE GROOVE, and THE ABILITIY TO MAKE U MOVE)

The entire album was produced with moog synths, including the MINIMOOG & MEMORYMOOG, and an Oberheim DX drum macine...

Yes, very, very synthy---and this is a GOOD thing!
Synths are great...
This album is JUST AS FUNKY as anything you've heard from the 70's!!!

It's an extremely SOLID lp from start to finish!

Buy it now!!--or be UNFUnKY FOREVER!...

...

Electronics had been a huge part of Fatback's sound over the course of the previous three albums. In fact along with Cameo they were one of the few 70's era large format funk bands who were able to effectively adapt to the heavily synthesized arrangements of the 1980's without looking desperate AND also further innovating the genre itself in the process. One of the things that truly defines this particular album however is the strong musicianship and songcraft. The electro production used on this album is some of the most creative and inventive in the funk genre alongside the EWF offering Powerlight from roughly the same time period and actually is only maybe a step behind in the synth oriented sound from the previous years On the Floor With Fatback so this album really isn't going to be any disappointment to 80's funk lovers-not only because of the inventive musical ideas but also based on it's strong content.

The title song actually skips two generations in terms of the funk/hip-hop style; with it's midtempo,textural arrangement and pointed rap (I believe by Michael Walker) regarding the the contradictory cultural politics of the Regan era,combined with Ed Jackson's sax solo on the bridge of the song actually precipitates the early 90's G-Funk tradition of combined dreamy,slower paced jazz-funk with socio political rapping. The rest of the album has a very high level of quality again-again there are no ballads and tracks such as "Double Love Affair","Funky Aerobics" and "Double Love Affair" all feature a strong combination of polyrhythms and melodies laid out on either layers of moog bass and/or Oberheim synths,creating a symphony of high and low toned synthesizers that give the music a reall beefy electro flavor. "Up Against The Wall" is a more new wave inflected message track extending on the fear created by the conditions expressed in the title song.

The old school hip-hop/electro funk beats of the sassy "Spread Love" and the closer "The Girl Is Fine" plus the straight on 80's disco funk of "Finger Lickin Good" lead us up to another strong cut "Sunshine Lady",a very bass/rhythm guitar driven groove with a strong hook to it for a more organic sophistifunk flavor. Overall this particular album presents Fatback in a seemingly non ending winning streak that started at the beginning of the 80's when they were transitioning almost effortlessly from the rhythm/horn section based funk of the mid to late 70's into the sound of the early 80's where the lines between electo funk and what's now known as "ol skool" hip-hop were totally blurred. Well of course they were musically one and the same pretty much anyway,except for how the vocals were presented and even here that line in terms of message and style are nearly erased to this is worth the time to pick up,listen and groove to.

Even with the increased use of electro-funk techniques, this 1983 album by 70s funk masters Fatback (aka The Fatback Band) has much of the gritty, pounding grooves that the band had become well-known for up to that point. The best song in my opinion is the pumping, thumping masterpiece "Finger Lickin' Good." The more downtempo "Sunshine Lady" is also good.

From the relevant rap of the title song to the likeminded electro-funk grooves of "Double Love Affair","The Girl Is Fine",
"Finer Lickin' Good" and the metallic "Up Against The Wall"
Fatback seem to have fully acclimated to the early 80's musical
climate without sacrificing their ability to get down!Not only
HAVN'T they disbanded they're horn section but the grooves have
more muscle and (unlike before) they've actually written alot of
great SONGS too complete with catchy hooks.The most pop oriented
tune is "Sunshine Lady",smooth synth-funk with a hint of a
contemporary George Benson influence!And of course on the comic
"Funk Aerobics" Fatback show they haven't lost their sence of
humor!Quite possibly the bands best album and CERTAINLY their best of the 1980's!

The Fatback Band had a lot of hits and they were a great group and I had enjoyed their music a whole lot but this cd is a good cd and I enjoy it a whole lot my favotite song on here is "Up against the Wall" I enjoy this song it is out of sight and it is jamming I love it and it makes me groove and dance like all their other songs so, therefor I enjoy this album and this band so therefore if you like classic funk you will enjoy this cd!!!!