Funk Odyssey [Import]

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Feel So Good

2. Little L

3. You Give Me Something

4. Corner of the Earth

5. Love Foolosophy

6. Stop Don't Panic

7. Black Crow

8. Main Vein

9. Twenty Zero One

10. Picture of My Life

Disc: 2

1. Space Cowboy [Classic Club] [*]

2. Super Sonic [Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Vocal] [*]

3. Deep Underground [*]

4. Little L [Bob Sinclair Remix][*]

5. You Give Me Something [Full Intention Radio Mix][*]

6. Main Vein [Live][*]

Disc: 1
1. Feel So Good
2. Little L
3. You Give Me Something
4. Corner of the Earth
5. Love Foolosophy
6. Stop Don't Panic
7. Black Crow
8. Main Vein
9. Twenty Zero One
10. Picture of My Life
Disc: 2
1. Space Cowboy [Classic Club] [*]
2. Super Sonic [Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Vocal] [*]
3. Deep Underground [*]
4. Little L [Bob Sinclair Remix][*]
5. You Give Me Something [Full Intention Radio Mix][*]
6. Main Vein [Live][*]

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
2001 album plus a 6 track bonus disc featuring non LP cuts, 'Everybody's Going To The Moon', 'Do It Like We Used To Do', 'Deeper Underground', 'Little L' (Bob Sinclar Remix), 'You Give Me Something' (Full Intention Radio Mix) & 'Main Vein (Live). Housed in a slipcase.

Funk Odyssey,Jamiroquai,Sony Int'l,Acid Jazz,Adult Alternative Pop/Rock,Alternative Dance,Dance,Pop,Retro-Soul,Rock,Soul/R & B,Urban

Tracks:

Feel So good
Little L
You Give Me Something
Corner Of The Earth
Love Foolosophy
Stop Don't Panic
Black Crow
Main Vein
Twenty Zero One
Picture of My Life
So Good To Feel Real

Amazon.com

After scoring the crossover hit "Virtual Insanity" in 1998 (remember the moving sidewalk video?), the U.K.'s Jamiroquai failed to keep their momentum alive with the somewhat scattered and skittish Synkronized. Thankfully for fans of the retro (if lightweight) pop/soul that is the band's specialty, Jamiroquai are back with their most cohesive effort since 1995's Return of the Space Cowboy. There's still too much blathering on about the cosmos from Stevie Wonder-inspired vocalist Jason Kay, the most egregious example being the subdued and folksy "Black Crow," which takes the bird-in-flight cliché to new lows. Better and much more rugged are the sizzling synth-driven "2001" and the guitar-stoked rave-up "Stop! Don't Panic." That's where the guys bring the funk with more bite than you'd expect. --Amy Linden

Customer Reviews:

What Funk?.......2007-03-20

How dare he use the name Funk in the title. Funk is James Brown, George Clinton, Sly Stone, etc. THIS IS DISCO MUSIC.

Try not to be too hard!.......2006-07-13

Last night I've listened again this album and I liked a lot "Love Phoolosophy".

Stu Zender has moved on...let it go.......2006-06-14

The first three Jamiroquai albums are great/groundbreaking and Stu Zender's bass playing had a lot to do with their misical richness. "Synchronized" was a pretty good album (it took some time to grow on me admittedly) but "A Funk Odyssey" is even better. Yes, it's very different from earlier disks, but it is very funky head bopping music. The first two tracks ("Feel So Good" and "Little L") are especially good. I also really like the last track "Picture of My Life" (and it would be awesome if "Feel So Good to be Real" was released as a full track). I got a better appreciation for this album after watching the Jamiroquai: Live in Verona DVD - check it out if you haven't already (I got mine on Ebay). This is good music - give it a chance and embrace Jamiroquai's new direction.

Jamiroquai - Always the hotness!!.......2004-12-10

Jamiroquai does it again in this album. The song, "Butterfly" alone is worth the money spent. I love the funk sounds and the bass grooves are ALWAYS on point. You can "see" the needle gliding on this record! If you didn't understand the previous sentence, you are not old enough to truly appreciate this album.
It is Funk-tabulous!

one of the all time great funk/dance/pop/retro cd's ever.......2004-10-28

you're missing the boat if you don't get this cd, put it on and catch a major groove. only one - maybe 2 duds on the cd - but the jams totally make up for it. don't think I've missed a week listening to it since it came out.

Average customer rating:

Back in Time
Odyssey Band
Manufacturer: Pi Recordings
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Avant Garde & Free Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Funk | R&B | Styles | Music
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Sound Grammar
Timeless: Live at the Velvet Lounge
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Bad Blood in the City: The Piety Street Sessions
Birthright

ASIN: B000BPK2C0
Release Date: 2005-11-29

Tracks:

Last One
Open Doors
Happy Time
Little Red House
Water Tree
Love Nest
Woman Coming
Channel One
Let's Get Married
Free For Three

Album Description

"Electric guitarist James "Blood" Ulmer ... is one of jazz's great progressives." -- Will Hermes, Entertainment Weekly "Back In Time is the new year's first A+, Ulmer's friskiest since the 1983 Columbia LP from which the trio derives its name." -- Francis Davis, Village Voice "Any written description of Odyssey the band is no longer valid by the time the ink dries. This group redefines itself every few moments." -- Thomas Conrad, JazzTimes

Since its original release in November 2005, James "Blood" Ulmer's Back In Time has received rave reviews. Down Beat critics voted Ulmer onto the Blues Artist of the Year chart, and the Village Voice listed the release in its Top 50 of the Year. Of the artists who have risen to prominence on jazz guitar, James "Blood" Ulmer is one of the most notable. From his first days as Ornette Coleman's Harmolodic guitarist in Prime Time, his path to guitar innovator was a fast one. In the ten-year period between 1973, when he began his formal relationship with Harmolodics and Ornette Coleman, and 1983, when he recorded one of the epochal albums of the 1980s (Odyssey), it can be argued that Ulmer's evolution was the logical outgrowth of Hendrix, and just as significant. The band on, including Charles Burnham and Warren Benbrow, has since become known as Odyssey and is recognized today as the quintessential Ulmer band. A return of this group after a seven-year hiatus is a cause for celebration, and a call to those who may have forgotten to take notice. A return as musically engaging and powerful as this one is a reminder of how startlingly original, innovative, and downright forceful James "Blood" Ulmer is as an artist.

Walking with Giants
Average customer rating:

jazz with some progressive flair

EXCELLENT comes with bonus DVD!

Let yourself go!

Fred Does it Acoustic

A monster jazz piano trio comes into its own

Walking with Giants
Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey
Manufacturer: Sin-Drome Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music
Rock Jam Bands | Jam Bands | Rock | Styles | Music
Jazz Funk | Funk | R&B | Styles | Music
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The Sameness of Difference

Welcome Home

All Is One: Live in New York City

Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey

Slow Breath, Silent Mind

ASIN: B0002NY8RG
Release Date: 2004-08-17

Tracks:

Daily Wheatgrass Shots
Nibbles
Skeeball Over The Ocean
The Arrival
Walking With Giants
Lola And Alice
Muppet Babies Get Lost At The State Fair
Sean's Song
Son Of Jah
Calm Before The Storm
As It Will Be
Perfect Wife's Flannel Pj's
Hover

Customer Reviews:

jazz with some progressive flair.......2006-12-13

"Daily Wheatgrass Shots" kicks things off with a short jaunty Bad Plus-esque (The Bad Plus didn't invent Bad Plus-eque, but you get the idea) tune. That song is just a feint, the Jazz Odyssey is interested in a different sound. The CD gets to it's main point with "Nibbles", which has an angular rhythm and melody, and pitch-shifted acoustic bass. The Jazz Odyssey, true to its name, plays jazz, but it does so with a jam-band mentality. There's a fair amount of whimsy, psychedelia & showing off. Sometimes it sounds like they've lost track of what they're trying to do with a particular song. This may bother some more than others. My favorite songs are "Nibbles", "Muppet Babies", "Sean's Song", "Calm Before The Storm", and "Perfect Wife's Flannel PJ's". My CD also came with a DVD showing a few songs, not on the CD, live. I've watched it perhaps twice, it's difficult to devote two senses to a jazz DVD.

EXCELLENT comes with bonus DVD!.......2006-05-04

I just bought "The Sameness of Difference" which is a great collection of songs, some an original take on Classic rock standards, and so I thought, I'll go buy the one that came out before it.

If you're into the Jazz side of Jacob Fred, this is an EXCELLENT place to start. The disc includes a bonus DVD of Jacob Fred playing at Yoshi's, and the CD is excellent quality Jazz. This is where Jazz is going. Jacob Fred have carved out an audience ranging from the Jam-band crowds to old Jazzers searching for a new voice for Jazz. We need more fresh blood in the Jazz arena.

This is an incredible value, if you enjoyed Sameness of Difference or if you want a good example of Jacob Fred, featuring Brian Haas on piano, Jacob Smart on Drums and Reed Mathis on bass and octave (higher) bass, then I suggest Walking With Giants is an excellent place to start, along with Sameness of Difference. This is a band that has continued to operate under the radar for about 10 years, and they have been playing live all this time, and now really have something to say.

Check 'em out!

Let yourself go!.......2005-07-06

JFJO is awesome. I'm a musician and I love the free-exchange of ideas through improvising. I can dig a very dissonant sound. If you find humor in totally over-the-top riffs, and you can dig dissonance, this album and a JFJO live performance will do some magic for you. The included DVD extra puts this disc into a "must-buy-if-I-like-jazz" category.

The best way I can describe it is it's deeply rooted in jazz, it throws modern genres into the mix, and has a supremely heavy emphasis on improvisation, allowing each member the total freedom to change direction and feel of any number at any moment. Don't expect pocket grooves; the music is very frantic and tangential. But it's totally rewarding, watching these guys totally succumb to the moment live is inspiring. They are monsters, changing tempos and bouncing new ideas around with great finesse. Jason Smart is a really nasty drummer. He's great at ghosting ideas on the drumkit from Haas or Mathis, and he plays with great versatility.

I recommend laying down while listening or, if you're feeling saucy and want to press some buttons, driving grandma home from a bridge game with it on. "This is crazy music!"

Fred Does it Acoustic.......2005-02-22

This album is a recipe for disaster. First you have a band that is heavily rooted in improvisation attempting to record a studio album. That in and of itself can be a daunting task. If you don't believe me go ask the Grateful Dead, Phish, or any number of other bands who repeatedly failed to match what they are capable of stage with what they do in the studio. On top of that JFJO is typically an electric band and here they've decided to record an "acoustic" album. Acoustic is in quotes simply because Reed Mathis may be playing acoustic bass, but it would be hard to tell on many of the songs because he continues to use his trademark barrage of effects including an octave pedal to obtain his unique sound.

Thankfully this album is not a disaster at all. That is attributable to the fact that the members of Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey are skilled composers as well as improvisors. Compositions such as the title track Walking With Giants and Calm Before the Storm deserve a place in the pantheon of modern jazz tunes. While a strong set of compositions may be the saving grace here the playing is of course top notch. As any road hardened band will tell you trying things out on stage is the best way to figure out what is going to work in the studio, and JFJO did just that by playing a number of acoustic shows before recording this album. As well as playing acoustic shows on dates between the sessions that made up this album. This is not their first acoustic album, but by recording an acoustic studio album JFJO was more albe to show their jazz roots and solidified their ground in that idiom. For those people new to the band this is a fine place to start, and for long time fred heads this is a wonderful way to see the link between JFJO and the masters of jazz and is yet another aspect to dig of this contiually exciting band. The bonus DVD makes this a bargin and gives those new to the band a chance to see what JFJO does best, and this is play live in front of an audience. Fred heads should get it just for the DVD if nothing else.

A monster jazz piano trio comes into its own.......2004-11-05

There's no Jacob or Fred, but it's jazzy, odd, and we're certainly at sea. Staking their claim as the most extroverted, if not loudest, working jazz piano trio, JFJO has released a remarkable disc. I read somewhere that these guys do over 250 live gigs a year. Well, lemme tell ya something: it's paid off. Big time.

Not only do these risk-taking, demonstrative musicians serve up a tasty gumbo of hard-swinging rockish post-bop, they also seem so absolutely locked into each other as to appear either psychic or demented. Or both. Yet with all the swirling, mind-boggling trick-rhythms, all the weird effects Reed Mathis achieves with his bass octave pedal (sounding like a cross between clarinet, fuzz-tone e-guitar, and electric viola), all Jason Smart's controlled-violence kit bashing, there's a melodic underpinning that situates the proceedings in very listener-friendly, if somewhat alien, territory.

Hipper than MMW, louder than The Bad Plus, wider-ranging than just about any other jazz piano trio, these guys have taken some giant steps to the forefront of modern jazz trio music. Check 'em out.

Average customer rating:

Inconsistent but good overall...
Goodbye Lester
Great range.
The history of 20th Century Music goes to the funhouse
Why don't I hear more about these guys?

The Odyssey Of Funk & Popular Music
Lester Bowie
Manufacturer: Atlantic / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Avant Garde & Free Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

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When the Spirit Returns
The Fire This Time
Pursuance: The Music of John Coltrane
Sound Grammar

ASIN: B00000HZFD
Release Date: 1999-02-02

Tracks:

The Birth Of The Blues
Next
Two Become One
Don't Cry For Me Argentina
Beautiful People
In The Still Of The Night
Notorious Thugs
Nessun Dorma
If You Don't Know Me By Now

Amazon.com

You could've called Lester Bowie a pop-music Odysseus a long time ago, what with his awesome Great Pretender and almost all his other solo albums (and even some of the Art Ensemble of Chicago CDs). But this recording seeks more than the others to get a snapshot of the musical present and filter it through a charged, multihued brass mix that stays amazingly keeled in both the blustery low end, with Bob Stewart's big tuba, Vincent Chancey's French Horn, and a trio of trombones, and also the leaping high end, with Bowie and three other trumpeters. The Spice Girls' "Two Become One" is a sleepy, mournful tune in Bowie & Co.'s hands, just as "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" is a study in extended melodic lines and colorfully blue harmonies. And if the combo of Spice and (Tim) Rice aren't enough, there's also a romping Marilyn Manson that is turned to a low-brass party and even Puccini's "Nessun Dorma." Along the way, you can catch a paean to Notorious B.I.G. and a smoldering take on Cole Porter's "In the Still of the Night." Taken with the Brass Fantasy catalog and Bowie's New York Organ Ensemble CDs, The Organizer and Funky T Cool T, this release deals us a new Odysseus, home, we hope, for a long spell. --Andrew Bartlett

Customer Reviews:

Inconsistent but good overall..........2006-07-06

Bowie's musical exploits were gutsy for a number of reasons, and it makes this album, among his others, a pleasure. Despite some great moments on this album (including a beautiful "Two Becomes One"), it ultimately does not reach the mastery it should.

Part of this is simply overreach -- Nessun Dorma, the superb aria from Puccini's Turandot, is shown to be beyond the reach of Bowie's arranging skills. I'm inclined to think it's beyond the reach of any jazz arranger's skills, so I give Bowie props for trying. Other tracks simply can't overcome the shortcomings of the original composition (Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Don't Cry for Me" is the prime example here).

In the end, "Odyssey of Funk and Popular Music" has its moments, but is probably not your best Bowie pick. Grab "When the Spirit Returns" first, then come back for this.

(By the way, the Amazon reviewer seems to think "In the Still of the Night" is the Cole Porter song. In actuality, it is the song by the Five Satins . I don't know how the reviewer made this mistake; Bowie's version does not sound remotely like Porter.)

Goodbye Lester.......2001-06-29

If this is the last CD put out by this late genius it is a fitting testament to the breadth of musical knowledge, skill and humor he truly possessed. A great CD.

Great range........2000-02-21

Any jazz artist that can appreciate Marilyn Manson has got to be great. Thanks Lester.

The history of 20th Century Music goes to the funhouse.......1999-09-05

Few artists are motivated or well-equipped to interpret the entire scope of 20th century music in the course of one album. Thank heavens for the unfettered spirit of Lester Bowie and his posse, Brass Fantasy. The Spice Girls' tune "Two Become One" is given an utterly captivating reading here. This one song is reason enough to buy this album. Bowie and company also navigate Puccini's aria "Nessun Dorma" (in a Nawlins street-carnival spirit), late rapper Notorious B.I.G.'s "Notorious Thugs" (complete with vocals by Dean Bowman) and oldies radio staples "If You Don't Know Me By Now" and "In The Still of the Night". Little brother Joseph Bowie guest-raps on "Next" and trombonist Josh Roseman shows true potential to become a jazz star of the next decade. The one downer is a bizarre rendition of Marilyn Manson's "Beautiful People" which I still can't bear all the way through. Otherwise Bowie's latest parade of pop music re-assemblages is a keeper.

Why don't I hear more about these guys?.......1999-03-24

It's not Kenny G. It's not "Bitches' Brew". It IS worth buying just for the Spice Girls' song which I've (proudly) never even heard done by the Spice Girls but makes my eyes glaze over on this CD. I don't know jazz but I know what I like.

Average customer rating:

Good Energy perpetuates good energy!
Mind Blowing
Even Better
Great stuff...keep on up Brian et al....
yeah :)

Welcome Home
Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey
Manufacturer: Accurate Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Rock Jam Bands | Jam Bands | Rock | Styles | Music

Jazz Funk | Funk | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Indie Music | Stores | Music
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The Sameness of Difference
Walking with Giants
All Is One: Live in New York City
Slow Breath, Silent Mind
Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey

ASIN: B00000J26L
Release Date: 1999-06-08

Tracks:

Seven Inch Six
Muskogee Smalls
MMW
Mountain Scream
Stomp
Welcome Home
Seventh Greenbelt
Road To Emmaus

Customer Reviews:

Good Energy perpetuates good energy!.......2001-08-18

Dude! these guys can groove for hours and hours. I've never heard anything like it in my life. This is deffinately one of their best albums, but each one is different. This one has some crazy bass and keyboard solo's on it. Seven Inch Six is one of my favorite songs on the album, but all the tracks were tight. They're sound is so original that it breaks a new boundary within the jazz, hiphop, funk, pish-type o' sound.

Mind Blowing.......2000-09-12

I am inspired by the music this band makes. I have listened to Welcome Home probably 200 times since it came out, and I am not tired of it yet. "Mountin Scream" is amazing - the first minute or so is downright Tibetan. I am anxious to hear their next release!

Even Better.......2000-07-13

What can I say about JFJO? I like it! I have listened to these guys since they began and their sound and their music is developing quite well over time. Welcome Home is great a CD that showcases the talents of this young and "on the rise" band. I do make this request however, I want more Dove blazing guitar solos! The reason I give this 4 instead of 5 stars is because I see even better and greater things from this band in the near future!

Great stuff...keep on up Brian et al...........2000-07-13

Yo yo yo Brian, Dove, Matt et al hadn't ever met the rest. Keep on keepin' on. Keep in funny memory Pud, Budda Baby, and Elwood (prob only Brain remembers the true horror eheh) ! Do some good to show good things come from Tulsa (maybe 1 good thing is better than nothing!). Funky freaky stuff.... -jim e. TU Alum 95 - BAHS Alum 91

yeah :).......2000-07-09

i'm not sure what kaela means about 'panhandle'... tulsa isn't pan handle, but otherwise, right on....

JFJO's music moves from feeling to feeling, seemlessly, with an edge that is hard to find...

Tracks:

Feel So Good
Little L
You Give Me Something
Corner Of The Earth
Love Foolosophy
Stop Dont Panic
Black Crow
Main Vein
Twenty Zero One
Picture Of My Life
Everybodys Going To The Moon (Bonus Track)
Do It Like We Used To Do (Bonus Track)
Deeper Underground (Bonus Track)
Little L (Bob Sinclair Remix) (Bonus Track)
You Give Me Something (Full Intention Radio Mix)
Main Vein (Live) (Bonus Track)

Album Description

2001 album plus a 6 track bonus disc featuring non LP cuts, 'Everybody's Going To The Moon', 'Do It Like We Used To Do', 'Deeper Underground', 'Little L' (Bob Sinclar Remix), 'You Give Me Something' (Full Intention Radio Mix) & 'Main Vein (Live). Housed in a slipcase.

Album Details

Asian Version featuring a Bonud CD with Five Additional Tracks: 'everybody's Going to the Moon', 'do it Like We Used To', 'little L (Bob Sinclair Mix)', You Give Me Something (Full Intention Radio Mix)', and 'main Vein (Live)'

Average customer rating:

"Freewheelin" was the first.
oddball ramble (the review, that is)

Odyssey
James Blood Ulmer
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Avant Garde & Free Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

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Tales of Captain Black
Banned In New York
No Escape from the Blues: The Electric Lady Sessions
Birthright
The Sidewinder

ASIN: B000002ADS
Release Date: 1996-08-27

Tracks:

Church
Little Red House
Love Dance
Are You Glad To Be In America?
Election
Odyssey
Please Tell Her
Swing & Things

Amazon.com

"Avant-gutbucket" was one label applied to guitarist James "Blood" Ulmer's nearly unclassifiable mix of harmolodic jazz, blues, and funk. On Odyssey, the 1983 album that is perhaps his greatest, those elements make for an inspired, inspiring disc that alternates between vocals inspired by Muddy Waters ("Little Red House," Ulmer's signature "Are You Glad to Be in America?") and soaring instrumental showcases ("Love Dance"). The latter make particularly good use of the unique guitar-violin-drums lineup. The "experimental" tag might have damaged the commercial chances of this music, but it's never too late for you to catch up with this assured, endlessly appealing sound. --Rickey Wright

Customer Reviews:

"Freewheelin" was the first........2004-11-28

Actually,the major label debut for Blood was a virtually impossible to locate LP by the title of "Freewheelin'".It featured Jamaldeen Tacuma,G.Calvin,and some smokin' girl background singers.
This is completely the last word in avant proto funk,and has to be heard to be believed.Of course,don't expect this from Columbia anytime soon on CD.They are too busy reselling remastered SACD Aerosmith CDs with extra unreleased photos.

oddball ramble (the review, that is).......2001-10-26

Archaelogists recently uncovered the following correspondence while excavating a first generation Pentium computer:

Dear Chris,

You once described all this Wynton spearheaded retro jazz as "Bush jazz". (That's "Bush" as in "George H.W.," not "jungle," "minor league" etc.)

Sony bought Columbia Records and the Japanese are archivists so they have started reissuing on CDs all of this early 70s - early 80s jazz with careful remastering (the acoustic and electric basses no longer blend into low-end mush on Weather Report's Sweetnighter, for example).

I recently picked up two of these reissues: the aforementioned
Sweetnighter (the first jazz record I ever bought, and still one of my favorites) and James Blood Ulmer's Odyssey.

You may not remember Blood. He put out two (possibly three) lps on small independent labels which I purchased for 'SRN. I may have been the only person to play them on the air. (Maybe Dan did, subbing a jazz show. I sometimes wonder what happened to those records -- I've got some great tapes that are beginning to wear out and break.)

Odyssey was his major label debut. It came out when I was a graduate student at Hopkins. I remember seeing it displayed at the record store near the campus. I could not afford to buy it.

I did have the opportunity to see Blood touring to support it, though. For some reason, for about a six month period a suburban disco, bless their souls, booked Blood, Jamaladeen Tacuma, Defunkt, James White/Chance et al. on Wednesday nights for a $2 cover. (Actually, their strategy was pretty transparent -- nobody was gonna show on Wednesday night, so book these guys, start the shows real late and sell beer.) Anyway, saw I Blood. By the time he did "Are you Glad to Be in America?" during the second set around 2am the crowd had fallen from about 300 to 6, making me and two grad student buddies half the audience. It must have been really discouraging. Columbia dropped Blood after one album when its plan to make him the "new Hendrix" didn't pan out.

(Jamaladeen and Cosmetic were great by the way -- they had these
wonderful pastel suits -- Jamaladeen looked like a giant grasshopper playing the bass. Rick Iannacone played guitar in that band. They did a beautiful version of "I Looked for Love". I don't think they ever recorded it. Last I heard Tacuma and Iannacone were playing in a band with a bunch of Korean folk drummers -- seriously -- I bought the CD in a Seoul department store.)

Anyway, listening to Odyssey became a kind of minor obsession for me -- one of those things I had never been able to attain, and given circumstances, probably never would. You missed all this stuff being in Ghana. (Kinda like I missed Willie Horton being in Japan.) It was a momentary (underline momentary) continuation and a merging of the free jazz and punk movements. Contemporaneously, Phil Glass was packin' 'em in and playing Letterman.

So, you can imagine my surprise when I walked into a record store the other night and to my astonishment there were Sweetnighter and Odyssey on display (remember U and W are not far apart
alphabetically).

The mix on Sweetnighter is really an improvement over the record.
Discernable basses (there were two bass players on some cuts) and it no longer sounds like someone changed the equalization setting
roughly 10 minutes into "Boogie Woogie Waltz".

Odyssey is a idiosyncratic, daring record (guitar, violin, drum
line-up). Charles Burnham plays a wah-wah violin - don't worry -- it sounds better than it reads. And whoever at Columbia backed its release was either a) an idiot, b) a visionary, c) had done some serious hallucinogens, or d) was doing us a favor. My guess is that it is all of the above.

What is interesting and saddening about these two releases is that it is inconceivable that they would be issued on a major label with serious distribution or get airplay on commercial stations today. (Despite Columbia's backing, Odyssey probably got little commercial exposure when it was released, but I do remember hearing Sweetnighter and Mysterious Traveler on the more adventuresome rock station in Houston when I was in high school. I also remember Weather Report playing a double bill with the Ohio Players in an arena and selling it out.) Technological change and narrow-casting certainly increases the amount of accessible expression, but the cost is fragmentation --
can't imagine a Weather Report - Ohio Players double bill today
(Lollapalooza comes the closest, I suppose), nor 'HFS even playing something as accessible as TJ Kirk. Despite the Parents Against Bad Words (or whatever they call themselves) we are living in the 1950s, aesthetically at least.

Anyway, what provoked this ramble was the new Odyssey liner notes
which I recalled your earlier remark:

"Odyssey was, and is, a very different and exciting recording from a unique and instantly recognizable guitar voice. It also poignantly captures a period of bold musical experimentation in downtown early 1980s New York City when funk, punk, jazz, and blues were seamlessly co-mingling and young lions in three-piece suits were only beginning to xerox jazz's past...Those jarring sounds, at once tumultuous and beautiful like the city itself...captured a moment in time -- New York City, circa '80-something B.W. (Before Wynton)."

Tracks:

Hope is Here
Afrofuturism
In Pursuit
Woo Awakens, The Wizard Cometh
Re-Enter Black Light
Warriors Off To Woo

Album Details

Six Tracks. Japanese Scheduled for Earlier Release.

Customer Reviews:

More fusion than funk........2007-04-10

This is a very interesting CD from Bernie - not for those who are
looking for his P-Funk side. It is more like funky jazz fusion type
music. All in all I enjoy it but love his mothership side better.

funkatronic masta.......2007-04-06

i'd say this is bernie's third best solo outing,following blacktronic science and pieces of woo.the music varies from slow,uber-chill dub and ambience to full-fledged funk power stompin',and a lil' of everything in-between! you can get it cheaper off bernie's official site [...]

not bernies best work but his best album.......2006-02-21

his best solo album yet.
bernie a usuall laswell crew member inlists laswell & crew for a cosmic funk dub storm.
bernie inlists hamid drake: drums, tabla, percussion/ aiyb dieng: percussion/ buckethead: guitar/ & laswell: bass, bells/ he also brings dominic kanza: guitar & jean pierre sluys: bass, guitar, beats, sound fx, jean is a usual baraka baboon records member but has worked with laswell on several ocassions such as dub meltdown for wordsound.
the first song hope is here is straight out of blacktronic science with out the rappin, straight up electro funk, it does sound a bit 80's. Afrofuturism (Phazed One) is basically the beat & percussion from the song black lotus from the album sacred system nagual site, but with new bass & bernie playing a completelly different lead part than black lotus. in pursuit is a kinda ginger baker inspired #, kinda folky with lots of africanized feel & blues, great for days laying on the back pateo with some drinks. Woo Awakens, The Wizard Cometh is another funkin 80's style song with tons of keyboard, then ends to a cosmic buckethead guitar solo. Re-Enter Black Light (Entersection) is my favorite song from the album & the only 1 that i really think makes scense for the album, produced & pretty much played all by sluys, this is a verry progressive cosmic dub song, can be downloaded from bernies official website for free. Warriors Off To Woo is another song that has great beats & rythm but the keys suck. thats really the only thing i didnt care for about the album, the keys are diffinitelly from an old keyboard, when the album was completted in 1997 not 87. so its really only bernie who is usually my favorite of laswell's organists, but he uses to manny old cheezy sounds here, black light is the only song that i have no complaints about & is absolutelly solid the whole way through. this album will not dissapoint any fan of his other solo works or funkadelic fans, so come goin bernie on this magical dragon ride through the cosmos.

Average customer rating:

2001: A Sex Odyssey
Blowfly
Manufacturer: Hot Productions
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Funk | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

Pop Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

General | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Butterfly
At the Movies
On TV
Fahrenheit 69
Zodiac

ASIN: B000001QZ5
Release Date: 1997-10-08

Tracks:

2001: Sex Odyssey
Cum For Me
Y.M.C. (G.) A.(Y.)
Another One Learns To Fuck
Insomnia
Planet Twat
Fuck Is Love
Please Don't Blow
Blue Monday (How Does It Feel)
When Doves Cum
We Will Fuck You

Average customer rating:

Definitely Worth the Price of Admission

Odyssey
Kool & the Gang
Manufacturer: Edel Germany
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Funk | R&B | Styles | Music

R&B | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B0001AEVCM
Release Date: 2004-07-20

Tracks:

Ladies Night - Atomic Kitten, Kool & the Gang, Kool & the Gang
Get Down on It - Blue, Kool & the Gang, Kool & the Gang, Lil' Kim
Fresh - Kool & the Gang, Kool & the Gang,
Cherish - Ashanti, Kool & the Gang, Kool & the Gang
Celebration - Kool & the Gang, Kool & the Gang, The London Community Gospel Choir, Lulu
Joanna - Blazin' Squad, Kool & the Gang, Kool & the Gang
Too Hot - Kool & the Gang, Kool & the Gang, Lisa Stansfield
Let's Go Dancin' (Ooh, la, la, La) - Bounty Killer, Jimmy Cliff, Kool & the Gang, Kool & the Gang
Straight Ahead - Jamelia, Kool & the Gang, Kool & the Gang
Steppin' Out - Beverley Knight, , Kool & the Gang, Kool & the Gang
Hollywood Swinging - Jamiroquai, Kool & the Gang, Kool & the Gang
Stressin' - Kool & the Gang, Kool & the Gang
Jones vs. Jones - Kool & the Gang, Kool & the Gang, Angie Stone
Summer Madness - Kool & the Gang, Kool & the Gang, , Youssou N'Dour

Tracks:

Jungle Boogie - Kool & the Gang, Kool & the Gang, Redman
Funky Stuff - Big Brovaz, Kool & the Gang, Kool & the Gang
Take My Heart (You Can Have It If You Want It) - Blu Cantrell, Kool & the Gang, Kool & the Gang
Ladies Night - Kool & the Gang, Kool & the Gang, Sean Paul, Spanner Banner
Where da Boogie At? - Kool & the Gang, Kool & the Gang, , R.O.C.
In the Heart - D-Side, Kool & the Gang, Kool & the Gang
No Show - Blackstreet, Kool & the Gang, Kool & the Gang
Bigg Thangs - Kool & the Gang, Kool & the Gang,
Jazziacs at the Kool Jazz Caf Kool & the Gang, Kool & the Gang
Jungle in My House - FM, Kool & the Gang, Kool & the Gang, Rachid
Misled - Tony Hadley, Kool & the Gang, Kool & the Gang
Tonight - Indiana Gregg, Kool & the Gang, Kool & the Gang
Cherish - Kool & the Gang, Kool & the Gang, Natural
Serious - Kool & the Gang

Customer Reviews:

Definitely Worth the Price of Admission.......2004-07-29

For this double CD tribute, Kool & The Gang has re-made most all of their Classic hits featuring and showcasing many of today's up & coming vocalists and artists - Jamiroquai, Beverly Knight, Indy Gregg, Atomic Kitten and Xavier Naidoo along with Mousse T and Natural among many others. Talent deluxe to be heard here. The tracks are fresh and given a sweet 2004 glazing that makes them new yet familiar - certainly will still make your head bob. Best when played LOUD! Kool is back! The only artist missing from the all-star guest line up is perhaps the one fans want to hear the most - J.T. Taylor.

R&B Music:

R&B Music

r&b music

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