Customer Reviews

Word Up

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

 

 

1986 was quite a year. I was busy perfecting an advanced level of high school nerdiness that future generations would never be able to equal, and Cameo was releasing what was, to me, the coolest song I had ever heard in my life. Word Up was huge; not since the heyday of Fonzie had I encountered such a concentration of coolness in anything. Everybody loved this song, everybody played this song, and everybody inevitably introduced the word Owwwww into his/her vocabulary. Then the song Candy was released, another great song that increased the shelf life of Larry Blackmon's trademark Owwwww for several more months. The way I saw it, you couldn't even pretend to be cool without owning this album. At first glance, you look and see only seven songs and wonder what the deal is here, but let me rationalize this seeming weakness of the CD by explaining that the album is 35 minutes long, with two songs over five minutes long and one spanning an excess of six minutes; thus, while it's still a relatively short album, it is not "too short" by any means (especially for its time). While none of the other tracks comes close to equaling the power of Word Up, this is still a great album all the way around. The only thing I knew about funk at this time was that Rick James' Superfreak was the funkiest funk around. I knew nothing about Cameo's emergence in the late 70s and their successful adaptation to the musical changes of the 80s, not only surviving where other funk bands fell by the wayside but prospering like nobody's business. I guess this can be called hip-hop music; all I know is that this was bold, cutting edge stuff to my young little mind. Now, I can appreciate this album in altogether new ways, and I must say it's still all kinds of cool. She's Mine is a great song, with Blackmon telling some unwelcome stranger that he doesn't appreciate him making moves on his special lady. Featuring a rap-like section and hard-driving beat, it's vintage Cameo. Back and Forth is another beat-rich track with an infectious groove sound. Don't Be Lonely is something of a slower yet still quite funky little track. Fast, Fierce, and Funny has a cool bass bridge voiceover and a steady beat that you may struggle to get out of your head as it explains to you that money isn't everything in this world. Somewhat ironically, the final track You Can Have the World is an empowering song communicating the fact that you can have whatever you want in life, including wealth, if you just get up off your back side and work for it. For me, Cameo's Word Up! is an indelible part of the 1980s and my coming of age, but this music is by no means old and out-of-date in the twenty-first century. Something this cool never really goes out of style.

What a chant!The title track aside the first three songs
on this album-the title song,"Candy" and "Back And Forth" all
blend into a sublimely funky frenzy."Fast,Fierce And Funny" and
"You Can Have The World" all charge ahead in the same maddening
way-all hyperspace synths and vocal wailing!'Word Up!' is one of
the few albums hanging by the old clishe of 'classic' that,in it's own genre,really deserves it!Not even the ballads will
dissappoint you!

Cameo--as a group and in terms of ideas--really hit it's best period in terms of popularity and creativity from late 1983 to early 1987 with it's three albums in that period. "She's Strange", "Single Life" and "Word Up" had the group pared down from it's Earth, Wind, and Fire-sized band of the late 1970s to the Larry Blackmon/Tomi Jenkins/Nathan Leftenant core that carried these albums. "Word Up" is, in many ways, Blackmon's Magnum Opus--"Strange" was very good, "Single Life" was brilliant (Besides, can we ever forget the video for the title track--with Blackmon in the wedding dress?), but "Word Up"--the catchprase in the New York clubs in the mid-80s-- had those quirky lyrics that Blackmon created mixed with those stone dead funky beats and the hard-rock guitar...and, of course, the Morricone whistle in the title track and "Back And Forth". Plus the video for "Word Up"--remember LeVar Burton as the cop trying to catch Blackmon? Plus, I think this was the first video in which Larry wore the infamous fire-red codpiece...
Which leads me to saying something that many will consider sacrilege. The best track on this album ISN'T the title track (Allow me a second to duck), it's "Back And Forth". Why? First of all, it's just a great beat--many Old Schoolers think this was easier to do the Electric Slide to than "Word Up" (Cabbage Patch, y'all!!!). The vocal arrangement, especially in the chorus with Leftenant echoing Blackmon ("Back {back} and forth (and forth)..."). Plus, that absolutely stunning guitar bridge (Boy, if ANY song on the album should have been done full-length in video...).
Nothing Cameo and Larry Blackmon did after this album could top this performance--this was the one album that great artists have where everything in terms of artistry, popularity, pure talent and unbridled full-bore funk comes together, and nothing done after that can capture that whole package again.
"Word Up" is Cameo's best, and most perfect performance.

That's right! Cameo's 'Word Up!' CD is now 20 years old, and I agree with Funkman, there SHOULD'VE been a reissue of 'Word Up' by Polygram, but they must be on da pipe again, so I remastered the joint MYSELF, and included Extended Remixes for 'Word Up!', 'Candy', and 'Back & Forth'. If you have proper CD audio enhancing software, you can do the same thing. The 3 extended remixes I used can be found on Cameo's 'Funk Essentials - 12 Inch Collection' CD, which is also a must have in it's own right. Cameo...WHERE ARE YOU ?? WE NEED DA FUNK!!
Peace, SD
(of 'Chaka's World')

This the album that broke Larry and the boys 2 the mainstream.Larry himself said "the only difference between this album and the previous 11 is that the record company finally gave it a major push,not bad after all these years huh?".This album shows why cameo had survived along with zapp,prince,and a couple of others,"The Synthesizer" Blackmon embraced it instead of running from it. he brang cameo into a new direction "Electro Funk" you could not run from hearing "Word Up" on the radio in 86.There should be a special addition of this album with notes and interviews of how this funk masterpiece came together.I've said before and I'll say it again BET are insulting Cameo buy not giving them a lifetime achievment award.

I love this album and it comes when I think personally the tail end of the Nu Wave R& B genre (soon to be replaced by New Jack Swing and later Hip- Hop)with the smash crossover Word Up. This album is the final trio of great albums starting with 1984's "she's strange" and ending with this statement the last gasp of a great genre.

Cameo was now pared down to a three piece group with other players from the cameo universe (Charlie Singleton, Bernard Wright and Aaron Mills)and It brims with the electro funker title track (with great horns ending the song)and the rocker " Candy" which is one of the great songs they have recorded. with it's searing guitar solo and the videos were even better with great visuals .And the ballads "Back and Forth" and "Don't Be Lonely' are excellent songs. while the album "single life" was in the middle of the "nu wave r&b craze this album completes it. If I was a "jheri curled nU Wave soilder" I would "run" not "walk" to the store and get this great album.

note: too bad i lost the password to my old account below, lol ... some copy & paste is in order therefore, yes? ;)

wow ... i remember hearing the title track on afn in frankfurt/main, germany some 14 years ago as if it was yesterday. after that aural experience during my adolescent phase, nothing remained the same: i went to the nearest department store and bought cameo's single, although i didn't even have a record player at that time. i was hooked (and i still am).

if it hadn't been for cameo, i'd probably still be one of those unfocused consumers that lack the appreciation for genuine artistic achievements. luckily for me, i've come to discover all the funk, soul and jazz gems that are worth checking out.

now, after this "general introduction", on to the actual review: the production is tight and on point. from the very first moment it becomes evident that mastermind blackmon and his mates can't go wrong with this one -- it's a midas thing: everything they touch turns into funk. the horn arrangements in particular (something i always gave them big respect for) are perfect and the lyrics are also decent and entertaining.

word up!: out of this world. this is a killer track, and even the worst cover version couldn't spoil it (as is the case with most terrific songs).

candy: indeed, sweet. melts in your ear, not in your stereo system.

back & forth: on the move -- shake your money-maker. the beat is extremely heavy and makes this song a winner. sure shot.

don't be lonely: now, this is a top-notch ballad delivered with *soul*. i feel it.

she's mine: hilarious and groovy. spice up your party with this cut.

fast, fierce & funny: it's all about the dough. nice inserts mocking the stock marketeers.

you can have the world: an appropriate closing track. in 1986, the world was theirs, with only prince's "parade/under the cherry moon" matching them.

hope i didn't bore y'all too much but this review i just *had* to write.

cheers.

This Album took Cameo to ANother Level all Together.The Title Track is Still the Jam.it was very Strong.Candy was a Thick Groove as was Back&Forth WHich was TradeMark Cameo Grooves.Very Essential For Fans Of Funk&Cameo.

wow ... i remember hearing the title track on afn in frankfurt/main, germany some 14 years ago as if it was yesterday. after that aural experience during my adolescent phase, nothing remained the same: i went to the nearest department store and bought cameo's single, although i didn't even have a record player at that time. i was hooked (and i still am).

if it hadn't been for cameo, i'd probably still be one of those unfocused consumers that lack the appreciation for genuine artistic achievements. luckily for me, i've come to discover all the funk, soul and jazz gems that are worth checking out.

now, after this general introduction, on to the actual review: the production is tight and on point. from the very first moment it becomes evident that mastermind blackmon and his mates can't go wrong with this one -- it's a midas thing: everything they touch turns into funk. the horn arrangements in particular (something i always gave them big respect for) are perfect and the lyrics are also decent and entertaining.

word up!: out of this world. this is a killer track, and even the worst cover version couldn't spoil it (as is the case with most terrific songs).

candy: indeed, sweet. melts in your ear, not in your stereo system.

back & forth: on the move -- shake your money-maker. the beat is extremely heavy and makes this song a winner. sure shot.

don't be lonely: now, this is a top-notch ballad delivered with *soul*. i feel it.

she's mine: hilarious and groovy. spice up your party with this cut.

fast, fierce & funny: it's all about the dough. nice inserts mocking the stock marketeers.

you can have the world: an appropriate closing track. in 1986, the world was theirs, with only prince's "parade/under the cherry moon" matching them.

hope i didn't bore y'all too much but this review i just *had* to write.

cheers.

This 1986 album really put Cameo at the top of their game! I still hear Word Up to this day! Even that spectacular 83-second section between 1:57 and 3:20! The funk beds, the W-O-R-D Up! chants and the thundering beats and rhythm guitar make for one of the best funk sections of a song since the Parliament/Funkadelic era! Candy continues that thundering sound right after Word. Back and Forth is just as good as they smooth it out a bit, yet keep it funky. The ballads on here are just as good before shifting to more funk afterwards. They tend to go a more jazzy route on the ballads,especially on Don't Be Lonely. Most people complain that the album is too short, but Cameo packs a lot of funk within these 7 songs! Definitely the best album when they were a 3-man group! They won an American Music Award in January of 1988, which was well deserved, given the hard work that they put on that Word Up album and the hits that came from it in '86 and '87. Larry Blackmon's production is still high charged right here! And his infamous OWWWWWWWs are all over this album. They still love to recycle from the previous album, as the whistle from the Single Life album is heard again in Word Up. In a year when Janet Jackson's Control dominated much of '86, this was another strong runner up to it. Cameo's best album since their '70s efforts is still a classic to this day to me! Funky, funky, funky!!!!!!!