KOOL & THE GANG — Kool & the Gang's Greatest Hits (review)

KOOL & THE GANG — Kool & the Gang's Greatest Hits album cover

Boxset / Compilation · 1975 · Funk

4.5/5 · 2011-07-09
js

Although Kool and the Gang has become known as a pop band and producer of many mega-hits, back in the early 70s they were far different. ‘Kool & the Gang’s Greatest Hits’ on De-Lite (released in 1975) is an excellent documentary of what a great funk band they were when they first kicked off. Like many of the leaders in the early years of this genre, Kool and the Gang have their own unique take on what funk is and can be. Eschewing the abstract syncopations of the JBs and The Meters, as well as the circus like creativity of the P-funk mob, Kool sticks to simple riffs and almost static harmonies, but not out of a lack of creativity, quite to the contrary, Kool and the Gang has a strong vision for their music and they pull it off superbly.

One of the highlights of this album is the persistent ‘More Funky Stuff’, somewhat of a re-mix of the previous tune ‘Funky Stuff’. After a short re-introduction of the original tune's basic party chants, the guitar player (no musician credits are provided) launches into a double time sharp 9 chord in a steady eighth note pulse and keeps at it for a couple minutes while a simple three note bass line repeats and not much else other than a drum beat until general party noise and mayhem with an accompanying sax solo slowly begin to fill the sound. This sort of hypnotic repetition was unheard of in pop and places Kool ahead of the whole minimal and ambient beat music that would arrive with The Talking Heads and others. The difference being that Kool and the Gang could play circles around the Heads.

Many of the songs follow similar formulas with basic raw minimal funk riffs on the guitar topped by party chants or 70s style cosmic catch phrases. The sax soloist is outstanding, but other than him, few other musicians take a ride, but instead lock into the beat and play their repeating riff until the music takes on a horizontal movement rather than vertical. Their superbly orchestrated horn section helps push the tunes and adds variety with driving boppish riffs and imaginative modernesque melodies.

Many of the songs on here use real party ambience and noise to combine with the vocal chants to give that true 70s house party vibe where stumbling guests bump the record player and send the needle to the next tune while no one seems to care or notice as the next tune seems to keep up a similar vibe. Meanwhile, some other tunes on here add that cosmic space sound that was popular at the time. ‘Rated X’ is particularly good with its fast paced repeating hypnotic wah-wah guitar topped with echoed mixolydian solos on the Mellotron that sounds like a funky version of early Pink Floyd.

Last but not least is this album’s great sense of campy humor featured in songs like ‘Jungle Boogie’ and ‘Hollywood Swinging’ in which the band takes a light-hearted approach to themes of the times such as Afro-centrism and ‘moving to California syndrome’. This is a great record, Kool and the Gang's minimalist sem-psychedelic approach to funk placed them way ahead of all the trip-hoppers, shoe gazers, new wavers and post rockers who would soon follow.

more than 2 years ago
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js wrote:

more than 2 years ago

Thanks a lot, and you are right, that is a sharp nine chord, I will fix it

flowerbed wrote:

more than 2 years ago

Great review. I've just acquired a copy on vinyl.
Just to say, I believe that guitar player on 'More Funky Stuff' is playing a SHARP 9 chord (not flat 9)....in case anyone wanted to play along! :)

cheers
Dave