CD Odyssey Disc 36: Kool And The Gang

This was a strange one - I had already rolled it, but I have a new album I'm dying to review. Still - a rule is a rule, however bizarre - so I went ahead with my roll first. And so,

Disc 36 is...Kool & The Gang: The Millennium Collection


Artist: Kool & The Gang

Year of Release: 2000 (but the music is from 1973-1984)

How I Came To Know It: In 1980 I really dug the song "Celebration" so I bought this K-Tel album called "Dimensions" that had that track. I didn't really give it much thought until I saw this best of collection and bought it, to discover I liked quite a few more of their tracks.

How It Stacks Up: Not applicable - "best ofs" don't stack up. They aren't real albums. They're damned lucky I allow them in my house at all!

Rating: not applicable. Stop pushing your luck, Kool & The Gang!

Kool And the Gang are one of those bands where I can't decide how I feel.

On the one hand, they lay down some very funky grooves, and it is without a doubt grade A party music.

On the other hand, they are sort of "funk-lite", their grooves never grow anywhere, they just hang around. It is great stuff, but I sometimes feel like they have mastered writing hooks and then just get lazy.

They are like fast food funk - it tastes good, but it isn't filling, and you probably should've made the effort to eat something better.

Then again, the "lazy" grooves they lay down are pretty awesome. Celebration is one of the greatest songs about having a good time ever written. It is really 5 star material. It has been overplayed for almost 30 years, but it is still fun to hear it.

Also, Kool & The Gang provides us valuable life advice. For example.

"Get down on it.
If you really want it.
If you gotta feel it,
Get down on it."

Good point. Or,

"We gonna have a good time tonight
Let's celebrate. It's alright.
Mmmm, baby."

Again - that is a strong argument in their favour.

I guess if they could just cut out the schmaltzy pop ballads like Joanna and Cherish I could forgive their other faults. Because basically, Kool & The Gang write some pretty good music.

For some reason this time around I really got a kick out of "Ladies Night" which is basically a song about the ladies getting out and having a good time. Reminded me of back in the nineties, when Julie's Nightclub had a Ladies' Night which featured male "performers" until 10 PM. Guys would gather in this cordoned off area for the arrival of 10:01 PM, when they could get in there and "Get Down On It". Yikes.

I recognized a couple of "Kool" samples while listening as well. "Get Down On it" is sampled in a K-OS song - the part that goes "Get Your Back Up Off the Wall" - K-OS pairs with a new verse of his own. I can't place the song right now.

Also, Shaggy samples "Hollywood Swingin'" for the bass line in "Freaky Girl" to good effect.

So upon further review, Kool & The Gang are pretty...well...they're pretty cool. So go ahead - celebrate.

Best tracks: Celebration, Jungle Boogie, Ladies Night, Get Down On It, Fresh