js Kool and the Gang started out as one of the more innovative funk bands on the scene, often mixing jazz and space rock sounds with hard syncopated rhythms that were ahead of their time. By the time the late 70s rolled around they had dropped all that and were going after the big bucks by churning out crowd pleasing pop. They really connected when their hit single “Celebration” hit the airwaves in 1980. Possibly one of the catchiest riffs of all time, topped with a hard to miss sing along party anthem, this song will be pure gold for the writers and their heirs for years to come. If you are thinking the rest of this album, “Celebrate”, is pure fluff hastily thrown together to support their hopeful hit single, you are pretty much correct. Unfortunately none of the other songs on here have near the hooks of their big smash hit, and the songs lyrics become almost laughable in their attempt to keep the same positive vibe going with one clumsy line after another. One odd exception is the tune “Brown vs. Brown” in which the writer tells a no-nonsense tale of receiving his divorce papers, not sure how that one got on here, maybe later he realized this was a cause for ‘celebration‘.

Recommended for vinyl DJs who work the suburban wedding gigs and corporate holiday parties, you know damn well someone is going to want to hear “Celebration”, and if you can’t find the 45, this LP works great because they put the song at the first of side one because they knew no one would ever play the other songs. One last thing, whats up with that album cover, ...I mean really.

Sean Trane Fifth (maybe sixth) album from the Kool Gang, and now we are getting rather close to the sound that brought them to larger attention and therefore to wider chart success. Indeed, we can definitely classify Spirit Of The Boogie as a disco-funk album. Coming with an awesome gatefold graffiti artwork, this is their last really worthy album, IMHO.

Quite a bit of those funk tracks have veered kind of binary rhythmically-speaking, which was a commercial opening to reach out for the crossover dancing crowds who they thought couldn’t handle their more complex patterns of previous. Indeed, the opening title track and the following Ride The Rhythm are clear invitations to the poor-moving types to get down and boogie dance, shake them bootys as if they “had the moves”. Still, there are some extremely gifted killer-funk tracks, like the almost Jazz, where flutes, sax, slapped bass and congas all melt your brains or yet still the ultra bass-heavy Ancestral Ceremony, but they also can’t help but dispelling cheesy soulish-rock ballads like Cosmic Energy

Only three tracks on the flipside, but they’re definitely longer and more involved, and right from the start, the instrumentally-impressive Mother Earth can only please complex music lovers, even if the cheesy chorus-vocals somewhat dampen the impact. The calmer and cooler almost-instrumental Winter Sadness can’t help but plunging into semi cosmic-ey cheesiness, despite some rather pleasant instrumentations. The closing 7-mins+ Caribbean Festival is definitely a Latin-sounding mainly-instrumental showcase, where the group engages one last bravado piece and jams in your eardrums as much sparkles as they can, but maybe they overdo it a tad by overstaying their welcome by two minutes or so and ending in mock-Latin spoken outro.

Certainly another excellent K&tG album, but one clearly announcing their disco era to come, as evidently audible with the first two tracks of the album. The CD reissue comes with a shorter disco-version of the Caribbean Festival closing track, but it’s definitely expandable (not to say useless or even best-avoided). Anyway, SotB is nearing the end of very interesting K&tG string of albums, and from here on, the unstoppable disco slide is also unavoidable, because it was just that time’s trend.

Sean Trane Almost three years after the release of their debut album, K&tG comes back with their sophomore effort (I think), a definitive step in the direction that most of us are familiar with, a funk (later disco) band, but there are still many traces of their debut albums left in Good Times. Indeed you’ll find some traces of soul, light-jazz, and some fusion spread here and there between the funky pieces. Released in the late 72, on their usual Dee-Lite label, but freed from the Gene Redd production stranglehold, the group is becoming aware of its own self and turns gradually to what it does best: funk. They’ve also added an essential dimension t their music… they’re not afraid to unleash vocally.

And indeed, right from the opening title track, we discover a wild and gifted funk that will shake your booty to shreds. Despite its suspicious name Country Junky, we’re faced with a fun funk piece laced with a few country hints (well almost hillbilly), that shows that they can indeed make a wink to the crossover crowd. But the soul-jazz easy-listening stuff, like Wild Is Love, is not yet history (it will never completely disappear) with the string arrangements and soft luscious vocals, the whole avoiding being cheesy by one hair. Another superb instrumental funky-jazz NEWS is an early highlight of the album with some spine-tingling Rhodes leading the dance.

More funk-rock ala jumpy Merry Music and the instrumental string-luscious Rated X (Was Papa Really Rolling A Stone?), which is constantly evolving and even an ARP synth: great stuff. A bit more surprisingly is a soft soul-jazz ballad that’s an homage to John Coltrane, which is rather easy-listening enough, at least until it suddenly and abruptly speeds up, and Bayyan’s sax pays tribute dutifully over Rhodes and bossa rhythms, then reverting to the opening ambiance. Unfortunately the album closes on the album-longest Father track, where the first minute or so is taken up by one of those tacky monologue intros. Not like the rest of the track is much better, anyway as we’re hearing some kitschy soul-jazz overloaded by string arrangements and uninspired vocals. Not an inspired way to close another-wise strong album.

While Good times is vast improvement over their debut album of almost three years before, it’s only a stepping stone to the upcoming Wild And Peaceful album of the following year, but GT is certainly laying down the blueprint for its successor. Not essential, but representative of their early stuff.

Sean Trane Third album from this combo, W&P is definitely much more representative of K&tG’s musical realm, before the disco craze would deviate them from their course. Indeed, the present album is one of the more representative funk album of the 70’s (there are a quite a few killer-funk tracks on this collection), and unlike their debut album, the vocals are quite present and the mood is demented and de-complexed. Gone are the gentle almost 60’s soul-ish songs (well one exception with the atrociously cheesy, but cocky Heaven At Once), and incomes the funky beats, these guys were not ashamed of making their self-promotion as studs of the music scene.

While Funky Stuff and More FS are typical early 70’s funk, you can already feel that with Jungle Boogie and Hollywood Swinging, the future disco-ish style (like Chic, for ex) with more binary dancing beats. The brass section is much less present than previously and used mainly as such, but once it’s there it gives the band even more sharpness and power, like in the 100 MPH This Is You. Excellent guitar work on Life is What you Make It, BTW. In that regard, it’s rather surprising that the 9-mins title track is very different than the majority of the album’s funk: indeed the gentle jazz-rock/fusion developed allows for plenty of delicate time sigs and excellent soloing, including a delightful flute. Difficult to call that superb title track the album’s cornerstone or even its highlight, because it sticks out from the rest of the album and is completely unrepresentative of it, but it’s definitely this writer’s fave. With a superb artwork fronting W&P, this could be K&tG’s ideal entry point par excellence.

Sean Trane Well most people will remember the disco era of the late 70’s when thinking of K&tG, but little do they know that the group started a decade earlier. Yes, it’s rather difficult to think of them as a 60’s almost pre-funk band and even more like as a brass-rock ala BS&T act. Their debut album was released in January 70, on a Dee-Lite label, produced by Gene Redd, who gets shared writing credits over half the tracks and it did get some success in the RnB charts, with some 5or 6 singles climbing their own sweet way onto the charts.

Ten relatively short mostly-instrumental tracks (max 5-mins) that are generally gentle and soulish with a slight funk touch like Give It Up (maybe my fave of the album) or the two version of Kool’s (or Gang’s) Back, with those vocals imbedded in the funky mix (not Floyd’s), but the overall sweetish production kind of drowns the band’s energy into over-powering soft arrangements. Sticking out from the lot is the instrumental Smoky Robinson reprise of Since I’ve Lost My Baby. The closing Let The Music is an excellent funky closer, but again the vocals and production issues are shoddy. Guess this album could need a solid remastering, in case it hasn’t yet received one. Not my cup of tea, but most everyone should at least get at least once an earful of the present album.