J-Man
Like so many great jazz rock musicians from the seventies, George Duke has successfully made the transition from a terrific jazz fusion musician into a mediocre commercial soul/funk cookie cut-out. From the horrendous artwork to the weak music that's contained inside, Dukey Treats is a very disappointing release. Within this album are banal and cheesy ballads, mediocre soul/funk songs, and a few decent jazz rock tunes that save the album from the depths of oblivion. However, a few decent jazz rock songs can't completely salvage this album. Unless you're interested in hearing an over-produced and highly commercial soul/funk album, there is no reason that you should shell out any money on Dukey Treats.
As I mentioned earlier, this album is a combination soul/funk, jazz rock, and R&B. Unfortunately, the jazz rock portions are the only parts that I really enjoy, and they don't appear all too often. The rest of the album is mediocre at best, frequently bordering on tedium and snooze-inducing boredom. There are a few exceptions, and I kind of enjoy the soul feeling of "Are You Ready", but most of the R&B sections are extremely uninteresting. It's really a shame that a lot of the album is so poor, because a great jazz rock song like "Images of Us" shows me how great this album could have been. At least there are a few songs like this that save the album from the trash. As you should know, the musicianship is really great. Of course, George Duke is a terrific keyboard player, and his cast is pretty great as well. It's hard to see their talent on the majority of the album, but when it comes through it really shines. Even though I've complained about the soul and R&B sections on Dukey Treats, it is worth noting that the vocalists still do a pretty good job throughout the album. The production is also really good. It fits the smooth jazz feel of the album and provides a relaxing atmosphere.
Dukey Treats is not an album that I enjoy very much. There are a couple of songs that save the album for me, but they are few and far between. I was tempted to give a 1 star rating, but since the musicianship is great and the production is professional, I'll have to go with a generous second star. Keep in mind, however, that unless you like generic soul music, Dukey Treats is not an album that you will enjoy.