Customer Reviews

Very Best of Kleeer (Reis)

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This CD marks the first time that Kleeer's music has been released on CD format and it definately is a definative Very Best Of Collection-very well put together. All 13 tracks on this CD are great,everything here is a winner. The Very Best Of Kleeer has almost every one of Kleeer's classic songs and the long length of the Cd is also a plus(it's about 78 minutes long). The majority of the tracks are the Full-Length Versions which I strongly prefer with Old School Funk Music. Kleeer was one of the supreme and premier funk bands of the 1980's, they truly had mastered a Winning Funk Formula all their own. This CD is packed with Pure & Natural Funk showcasing some classic funk gems from Kleeer. And I speak from True Funk Experience because I own all of Kleeer's albums-6 on LP,I Love To Dance,Winners,License To Dream,Taste The Music,Get Ready,& Seeekret and I have the 1984 album Intimate Connection on CD. It's a rare,import edition released only in Japan,if you ever come across it- Buy it because it's an innovative masterpiece. To best describe this CD I've typed a track by track review of the Cd below.

"Tonight's The Night(Good Time)"~ A perfect Intro to all that was to come from Kleeer's inventive music. Nostalgic Dance Tune. Kleeer's interpretation of disco with a certain Flavor of Funkiness to add to the mix.
"Keeep Your Body Workin'"~ A Earth-Quakin',Body-Shakin' Dancefloor Cut with a Bass Line So Bad,So Deep-Down Funky it'll blast through your eardrums.<"Winners"~ A Kleeer,Positive Message set to Motivating Dance-Funk. Contains a swaying string section. "Open Your Mind"~ A Sleek & Sophisticated Arrangement that will Blow Your Mind. My personal favorite,all the musicians click on this track: the funky,rhythm guitar work of Richard Lee,the mezmerizing sound of the Fender Rhodes,the exquisite percussion performance by Paul Crutchfield on Congas, and the lively luminescence of the Saxophone Solo at the end."Running Back To You"~ A Slice of Funk & Roll at its Best. Great Electric Guitar Solo by Richard Lee.(Actually,Kleeer started out as a Black Rock Band to begin with)
"Get Tough"~ A Slick Synthesizer-Driven Funk Track. Includes some cool Timbale Percussion Fills and a Bombastic Bass Guitar Solo.
"Taste The Music"~ A Smooth Gliding Piece of Funk Heaven. Infectious Synth Riff and another unforgettable,pulsating bass line.
"De Ting Continues"~ An Eccentric Funk Romp,Quirky Synth-Rhythm,Solid-As-A-Rock Drumming.
"She Said She Loves Me"~ Signature track from their 1982 album,Get Ready.Features a Fantastic Keyboard Offering-played to perfection by Rick James-This song has a rockin' rhythm and great syncopation. Very Catchy song and lyrics. Another Monster Drum Beat provided by Woody Cunningham.
"Next Time It's For Real"~ A well-written and produced tune. Norman Durham sounds great as a lead vocalist and his Synth-Bass playing is Simply Stunning. The beat sails effortlessly atop a Swirling Synthesizer Soundscape.
"Intimate Connection"~ One of Kleeer's all-time greatest songs-a classic. This track is proficiently & skillfully arranged. U have to hear it to experience its Breath-Taking Brilliance. Woody Cunningham's silky smooth singing style sprinkles this song with a Soulful Shine. The OBX-A Drum Machine is programmed flawlessly & infallibly by Norman Durham. He laid that down REAL FUNKY.
"Tonight"~ An Electronic Innovation for Funk and Dance Music. Kleeer's sound on this track(and on the entire Intimate Connection Album & also the next one,Seeekret) was ahead of its time,Kleeerly a Musical Progression & Evolution in the Technical & Engineering Aspect of Funk. This Track makes good use of the Drum Machine,Keyboards,and Synthesizer-all with astounding effects. Most Notable, is the Amazing Vocorder Hook and the actual,Electric Bass Guitar pluckin' along with the synth-bass. (Both played by Norman Durham.) Pump this Jam up REAL LOUD and allow the Groove to penetrate your mind,body,& soul. Feel the Bass vibrate from the floor through your body. That's what makes this the Ultimate Excursion to Funk Ecstasy.
"Take Your Heart Away"~ It's a Soulful Styling of Lush Vocals,Light Rhythm Guitar Melodies, and Luxurious Keyboard Tones. Memorable Tune from their 1985 album Seeekret.

So this concludes my review of Kleeer's Best Of CD and I hope my review helped to shed some light on what a Talented & Gifted Band Kleeer really was. All and All, this CD was a wonderful listening pleasure and near-perfect. Except for the fact that some killer cuts were missing from this compilation such as the following: 1979's "I Love To Dance" and "It's Magic", 1981's "De Kleeer Ting" and "License To Dream",and 1985's "You Got Me Rockin'" and "Seeekret". But, there just wasn't enough room on one disc so that's understandable. Maybe a Kleeer Best Of Volume 2? That would be nice. Better yet would be if Kleeer's classic albums would start showing up on CD. I'd also like to see more of Slave-The Super Bad Band From Dayton,Ohio. It'd be cool if Slave's Stellar albums would resurface onto CD OR perhaps a 2-Disc Anthology. Anyways,this CD receives 5 Stars from me because when it comes to funk,Kleeer's always at the top of my list.

This is the stuff memories are made of. It takes me right back to the early 80s skating the streets of Nottingham England, youv'e got to work that sucker to death, slave, hydraulic funk, peech boys etc etc etc.Where did all those days go... and come to think of it my hair and skates...never mind!

Outstanding best of for Kleeer! This CD captures exactly what Kleeer was all about. Pure natural Funk! Eventhough a few of the songs on here are heavily sampled today, these originals are dynamite! The format and sound are great! This compilation marks the first time that their music was released on CD. This is waaaaay better than their previous best of LP. I highly recommend this!! 13 tracks solid!

i hate to say it but the world is missing some real funk. I have Taste the Music, License to Dream,Winners and the first one. I hope that these can be released because they will turn out any party.

Kleeer has all the right ingrediants you want in a Real Band.Tight Rhythm Section&The Horns were Tight.The Songs are Still Funky to this Day.this is Feel Good Grooves.Folks TOday Are getting Shafted on the Funk.What Happen To Jams Non-Stop?

Kleeer is "quality" funk! Their creative blend of heavy bass lines with crisp drum rhythms are quite intoxicating. Harmonious vocals deliver positive messages of much-needed encouragement. Definitely music that drives, soothes, and inspires - all in one unique sound. Music that will endure - a lifetime! Get it!

I had a vinyl promo copy of "License to Dream" which had hit after hit on it. It got damaged and I can not find it on CD. I decided to try this CD since it was supposed to be the "Very Best" of Kleeer. The CD is OK but not as enjoyable as album I had. A lot of the songs from the album did not make it to this CD. I rate the CD a three because of this. The other songs which I had not heard before do not compare the the songs on "License to Dream". Unless you are are true, true fan of Kleeer, I would not rush to get this CD.

This brings me back to my hanging out and partying days!! The dance music was designed to get the juices flowing and that they did. I've had a nostalgic fling with dance music of the '70s and '80s recently and find that the above genre far outweighs much of the "auto-tune" style found in much of today's music; mainly dance music. I've always found this album to be an energetic release for me to express myself on the dance floor.

If you like Kleeer, check out the solo album by one of its members, Woody Cunningham, which was released in 2000! You will be pleasantly surprised by a number of gems. If you like the song from Kleeer called "TONIGHT", he has a remake (I like to think of it as a remix) on his album! It sounds very much like the original but now with harder hitting bass and a little jazziness mixed in.

His funky Kleeer roots are back, just more refined and smoothed out in a jazzy, R&B way.

from 'tonight's the night' to 'take your heart away' this compilation is groove-fest all the way down. very underrated group back in the day but still no.1 in our hearts.