Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A superb, joyous jazz-funk extravaganza, April 18, 2000
I had never even heard of incognito until I was lured in by Amazon's "people who bought Count Basic bought"...well, you know. I have over 1,000 CD's and this is some of the best best music I own. Everyhing about this CD is great, especially the Joy Malcolm vocals. This woman can bring me to tears! I can't say enough about the inspired, yet hook-laden songwriting, the deep orchestration, and the pure musical joy of this group. If you like soulful, jazzy, upbeat music, this is a must!
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8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
British funk outfit turns up the heat, August 24, 2000
In 1995 a bit of an earthquake occurred in the world of Incognito fans: the band's fourth album, "100 Degrees and Rising," was released...and Maysa Leak was nowhere to be found! As it turned out, Leak -the distinctive voice behind Incognito hits "Don't You Worry Bout a Thing" and "Deep Waters"- was off making her solo debut. But considering the group's artistic ascent began with Maysa's arrival, where would this leave Incognito? And would Maysa fare as well on her own? Luckily for fans, both projects panned out: Maysa's self-titled album was a gorgeously-crafted work of art that both capitalized on and branched out from the musical styles Incognito fans were accustomed to, and Bluey had enough top-notch songs onhand to make a fantastic Incognito record even in Leak's absence.The most noticeable change is the arrangment style. While there are still horns aplenty, strings take more precedence on "100 Degrees," creating a lush and warmer sound than the group's previous work while still maintaining their authentic 70's sensibilities. A Stevie Wonder influence can be heard fairly clearly on the record, especially in the hardcore funk of "Roots (Back to a Way of Life)" and on the richly-chorded ballad "Too Far Gone." "Good Love" and "Spellbound and Speechless" offer up classic Cog grooves, while the disco-happy "I Hear Your Name" and the club-ready "Everyday" (the latter of which ended up being the album's significant hit) rank among Incognito's best dance numbers. We're also treated to four exceptionally strong instrumental cuts: the breezy, lite jazz "After the Fall"; the frenzied flamenco number "Jacob's Ladder"; the grooving and futuristic "Millenium," and the stunningly gorgeous Bossa Nova excursion "Barumba." So how do the replacement vocalists measure up? Frankly, Pam Anderson does a respectable job of trying to fit into Maysa Leak's shoes; her fiery and soulful vibrato, sounding like energy itself, is a sharp contrast to Maysa's smoother stylings, so her presence on "Good Love," "Roots," and "Everyday" marks a bold new sound for Incognito. Unfortunately, a lesser vocalist by the name of Joy Malcolm is given more chances in the spotlight...and while she's a technically adept vocalist, hitting every note she goes for on the lush ballad "Where Did We Go Wrong" and creating pleasant enough moods on "Spellbound and Speechless" and the title track, her voice is lacking in color and individuality. Luckily, Incognito's always-superior production and arrangements manage to create memorable moments where her mediocre vocals couldn't. In the end, the only shortcoming to be found with the record is the absence of Maysa Leak, something no one can be held responsible for from an artistic standpoint. That said, the warm and infectious "100 Degrees and Rising" showcases one of today's strongest jazz/soul outfits in top form.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Stunning Soul LP, February 22, 2002
From the huge sounding orchestral intro to "Where Did We Go Wrong" Jean Paul "Bluey" Maunick and company serve ample notice to the listening audience that this is no ordinary soul album. Bluey writes real songs and his gift for crafting gorgeous melodies, funky, Latin-flavored rhythms and setting it all to some of the most lush arrangements is proof that someone still makes music with a true passion for the art form, popular music is all the better for his mere existence. While current black pop wallows in the mire of cartoonish male crooners, tired & silly hoochie-fied female performers (can you say GLORIFIED PROSTITUTION?) and black radio programmers play it so safely that they actually think the garbage of the past few years (are ya'll listening Jill, Alicia, Angie et. all?) is "new soul"!
What a travesty! Here to save the day are true music makers with actual talent, that play instruments and arrange huge, gorgeous pieces of soul paradise! "100* And Rising" was released almost 7 years ago, but virtually nothing has come out since then to rival it. Every track here is flawless, the dance raver "Everyday" incorporates live, jaunty horns for a boundless, energetic feel, "Too Far Gone" is a REAL ballad sung by a man and woman with warm, accomplished voices that actually complement each other, not just two wannabees singing all over each other (hear that KeKe and Avant?) and the instrumental "After The Fall" has become a jazz classic that fairly drips with melodies and terrific band interplay, buliding from an understated guitar solo by Bluey to a great synth solo and trumpet figure that builds to a stunning crescendo, breathtaking!
Picking any one or two tracks from this is impossible, but my current fave, the spicy, Latin jazz/funk of "Barumba" just brings tears to my eyes, you'll play this one over and over and over.
If you don't own any Incognito, first of all, shame on you, secondly, stop what you're doing immediately and go buy "100* And Rising", it's money well spent. Besides, isn't it time you stepped up and heard some real music? The finer things in life aren't limited to wine, food and clothes, there's also Incognito!
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