Kool & the Gang - Celebrate! (CD)

Performance Gold

By Andre  Apr 19, 2006

Pros: Celebratory And Rousing

Cons: Short

While many people found this period of Kool & The Gang to be unashamadly commercial.Perhaps production wise that's true but (especially with the title track) this would be any of todays act's crowning aristic achievment.In fact just to prove ...that this band hadn't become a bland sellout the slickly jazzy instrumental "Morning Star" put that idea to rest in a hurry-even that was filled with hooks,not unlike an instrumental from Eumir Deodato's solo work of the period (check out his Nightcruiser CD for similar style tunes).Like Earth Wind & Fire,The Commodores,Raydio and Lakeside Kool & The Gang were able to provide highly funkafied grooves (in this bands relaxed,loose style) such as "Take It To The Top",the deeply jamming "Love Festival" the the disco-funk of "Night People" and turn right around with the beautiful ballad "Jones Vs' Jones","Just Friends" and "Love Affair".I would say Kool & The Gangs four albums from 1979 through 1982 were the most successful at blending pop and funk into great singles and consistant albums.After two more albums in this general formula after this Kool & the Gang took a lot of the funk out of their sound and became far poppier and their albums were,in fact somewhat less consisant (say one fine return to form with 1984's 'Emergency').But this is the beginning of the peak of 1980's Kool & The Gang". Read more Less