Street Life

The Crusaders

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 26, 1996)
• Original Release Date: 1979
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Blue Thumb
• ASIN: B000003N56
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #41,426 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "The Allure of STREET LIFE....", October 4, 2000

By	L. Kelsey "lkelsey" (Riverside, CA. United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

got me to buy this album when it first came out in '79. This is the album that introduced the Crusaders to a much wider audience and did the same for MISS RANDY CRAWFORD. This is a musical match made in HEAVEN. The only drawback is that Randy and the group didn't work together more often after this project.

This album is one of the classic jazz/funk exercises of the era. A time when the fusion of jazz and funk was at perfection. To me, jazz/funk has evolved into "acid jazz" more so than "smooth jazz" and with the Crusaders, and this album, you're listening to the innovators of both genres.

The jam "Street Life," starts the album off with a bang. This tune paints a picture of "street life" at its classiest, thanks to Randy's vocal performance. You are given a picture of how you can "play your life away," but because Randy's vocal is so seductive, you want to take your chances and play anyway.

From there, you move to the funky/smooth "My Lady" and Wilton Felder's melodic sax. Then it's back to groovin' with "Rodeo Drive." The Crusaders keep it funky with "Carnival of the Night" and "The Hustler." Then they smooth it out with "Night Faces."

Adding to the seductive nature of the album is Wilton Felder's horn work. It is his playing along with the standout title track that sets the mood for your musical experience. You listen to this and you can picture yourself living the "street life." A masterpiece.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mesmerizing Jazz, July 31, 2000

By	Kurt Harding "bon vivant" (Boerne TX) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Of all the great albums the Crusader's have issued, Street Life is tops. Its kind of ironic that I didn't really like the title cut when it was released,(preferring instrumentals instead) but now it is one of my two favorite cuts on the album. Its not just the tremendous voice of Randy Crawford, its the awful plain truth of the lyrics. People in the fast lane living the street life would do well to heed the song's powerful message. The instrumentals are great too, but the real stand-out is the sax-powered Rodeo Drive (High Steppin'). I can listen to that over and over again. I've owned Street Life since its release more than 20 years ago and I never get tired of hearing it as it is positively mesmerizing.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Greatest Album to Date...., December 17, 2002

By	RADAR (New Zealand) - See all my reviews

The Crusaders' 1979 album 'Street Life' would have to be one of the greatest albums ever made to date. The reason for that would have to be the classic disco-jazz-funk song of the same name in which the great soul singer Randy Crawford helped make into a huge hit.
Wilton Felder (saxophones/bass), Joe Sample (keyboards) and Stix Hooper (drums) show why they know how to keep things together on the whole album musically and universally, even with the help of other sessions musicians like bassist Robert 'Pops' Popwell and guitarist Larry Carlton and the use of some peachy string, horn or other instrumental arrangements here and there.
A Must-Buy and Must-Hear Experince for any Crusaders fans wherever you might be in the world.