The Best of the Gap Band

Gap Band

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 7, 1994)
• Original Release Date: June 7, 1994
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Island / Mercury
• ASIN: B000001E54
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #13,916 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Now that it's become mainstream, there's a lot of quality R&B around, but it's not until you go back and listen to veterans like the Gap Band that you realize what modern soul is often missing: raw funk. This collection includes some of the funkiest and smoothest tracks you'll ever hear. In fact, even if you've never heard old-school soul, you'll be familiar with the riffs and bass lines: they're the type of classics today's producers reference in almost every great party jam. Tracks like "Early in the Morning" and "Outstanding" are just ripe for sampling, and "Shake" and "Burn Rubber" throw you back in time, grooving on a dance floor and bobbin' your head. The adrenaline only slows for superslick ballads like "Yearning for Your Love." A blueprint for today's R&B. --Rebecca Wallwork

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Tasteful party-funk from the boys from Tulsa, August 5, 2000

By	MilesAndTrane (Chicago, Il USA) - See all my reviews

This album serves as a fine introduction into the modest funk from the Brothers Wilson. The Gap Band are not a band interested in showcasing their musical acumen, but rather, they want to get you onto the dance floor. However, their musicianship is still considerably impressive. They very well may be the only funk band that didn't give into the synthesizer craze of the early 80's. There are keyboards littered throughout the album, but they are complimented by jazzy, James Brown guitar licks, funky percussion and horn arrangements just as tight as Earth, Wind & Fire or the Ohio Players. Charlie Wilson's deep-throat holler vocals rank up there with Teddy Pendergrass or anyone like him. Also, many of their jams which are featured of this greatest hits compilation, "Burn Rubber On Me", "I Don't Believe You Want To Get Up And Dance", fortunately extend themselves in length beyond the usual radio friendly 4 minutes. What a gift it is to start off the album with the seminal "Early In The Morning", one of their greatest compositions. Tracks like "You Can Count On Me" also showcase their delicate ballads, but tearing up the dance floor is still their mission here.

How can any hard-core funk lovers resist this album when it closes with the quintessential early 80's classic "Party Train"? Alongside Barry White, the Gap Band also proves the potency that disco could of had. Your enjoyment with this album will certainly determine if the Gap Band are worth checking out on a larger scale.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Outstanding" is not just a song title!, July 5, 2004

By	Reginald D. Garrard "the G-man" (Camilla, GA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

When one purchases a compilation like "The Best of the Gap Band", one realizes how influential the 80's group was. Every major hit by the trio is represented here in its full-length glory. The order of songs is perfect for a party; for example, the first cut ("Early in the Morning" with its trademark "rooster call") starts the disc off and is followed by the mid-tempo "Shake" and the slower paced "Outstanding".

The fire starts again as "Burn Rubber On Me (Why You Wanna Hurt Me)" ignites the set and leads into the soothing "Yearning for Your Love". The chart-topping "You Dropped A Bomb on Me" and "I Don't Believe You Want to Get Up and Dance (Oops!)" are two other classics that remind the listener of why these guys ruled the dance floors during the decade.

Along with Cameo, Parliament/Funkadelic, The Gap Band was the best at what they did: got folks and on the dance floor and kept them there!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Gap Band was a phenomenal group in the 80's, November 8, 2004

By	ProudmamaDivaJ (Greenville, SC) - See all my reviews

This album will not disappoint anyone who remembers these brothers; I had the pleasure of seeing them perform in Greenville, S.C. twice during their heyday & MAN...they could tear up the stage sumthin' fierce!!!! Early In The Morning is my favorite cut off the whole album; Party Train a close second. As far as slow cuts go, Yearning For Your Love is one of my favorite Quiet Storm type songs to listen to. Charlie Wilson has one of the best voices I've ever heard, along with Howard Hewitt & Luther Vandross. I highly recommend this collection.