Ya-Ka-May

Galactic | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 9, 2010)
• Original Release Date: 2010
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Anti
• ASIN: B0030OJPA4
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (42 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #63,022 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Galactic have made what may be the definitive New Orleans Tribute With YA-KA-MAY, by recognizing this fundamental truth; that all of the town's seemingly disparate styles jazz, brass bands and funk as well as the newer bounce/hip hop are intrinsically linked.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Modern Crescent City Brew For Your Earhole, February 9, 2010

By 

Andre S. Grindle "Andre' Grindle" (Brewer Maine) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Ya-Ka-May (Audio CD)

Funk has come,funk has gone and over time it's come disguised and other times full blown. Nontheless no matter what happens it somehow ends up back in New Orleans. The first time I heard Galactic was when they burst onto the scene with their excellent Meters-like debut album Crazyhorse Mongoose. Over the years they've adapted their sound more and more to the hip-hop/funk crowd with a lot psychedelic touches. This album comes full circle with all of that. This is a guest oriented recording but there's an interesting catch: most of the participants are going to be somewhat unknown and all come from the New Orleans area. The biggest known guests are Irma Thomas and needless to say Allen Toussaint (is it really possible to make ANY album in that city without him?) and both are tremendous highlites in Irma's bluesy jam of "Heart Of Steel" and the chugging funk of "Bacchus". Even though no one else on the album is a big name there are some great new funk tunes in "Cinermascope" and "Speaks His Mind". These songs bring it all together not just from some hip-hop style rhythms to the Sly Stone,Miles Davis and Norman Whitfield that inspired them. It may sound something like The Roots but their is a difference. These compositions are not only strong but never dwell in any way on "live music naturalness",a subject I've discussed many times in my reviews. There's excellent production throughout this entire album,from reverb to echo for some exciting funk sounds and not only that everything from blues,jazz even to the African style sounds that once came out of Congo Square. Even if it is a modern sound with some almost crunkish hip-hop influences here and there,even some profanity thrown in on "Do It Again" curtesy of Cheeky Blakk this album is an important reminder that funk is definately not the pure retro music it's often made out to be: that it's one of the most adaptable form of R&B from over the years and that it's always going to have something new to it and continue to offer the unexpected.

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Another guest-laden album (N.O. Edition), February 13, 2010

By 

Scott Crippen (Bellingham, WA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Ya-Ka-May (Audio CD)

For the second time Galactic has invited guests along for their most New Orleans-centric album to date. Unfortunately, I found a majority of the album fell short this time (along with their last release). There are some great songs on here though I recommend..Boe Money (feat. Rebirth), Heart of Steel (feat. (the great!) Irma Thomas), Dark Water, & Do It Again. For the second time we are treated to a single (very short) instrumental by the band itself which is a disappointment. Having followed the band since their debut album Coolin' Off I'm looking forward to another album that is closer to their earlier releases.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars paparich, April 17, 2010

By 

Richard G. Wolf "PapaRich" (Crofton, MD United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Ya-Ka-May (Audio CD)

I own most Galactic albums- but this is really different- very Hip-Hop centric- or New Orleans Bounce style.
I enjoy some songs more than others; but some of the language is pretty strong. There are about 2 really good songs- non hard core hip hop that are good. but then again this band makes their sound match who ever is going to be leading/vocalizing.