The two-album 40th Anniversary project of KOOL & THE GANG covers, fronted by contemporary stars and backed up by the funk-jazz machine of KOOL & THE GANG itself is scorched down to eleven tracks for this very tasty CD issue.
With forty plus years of founder Robert Bell and brother Khalis Bayyan, KOOL & THE GANG defy puny reviewer comment. "Celebration" brought US hostages back from Iran and made a tramp of your Aunty. "Ladies Night", "Cherish" "Get Down On It" and a string of albums funded a building full of lawyers, managers, international project co-ordinators, publishers and publicists whose credits challenge the musical listings for booklet space.
Sadly, this single CD version (mainly aimed at the US market) doesn’t have the monster tunes "Celebration" and "Get Down On It". But it does have ANGIE STONE, ASHANTI, BLACKSTRET, BLU CANTRELL, JAMIROQUAI, JIMMY CLIFF AND BOUNTY KILLER, LISA STANSFIELD, REDMAN, SEAN PAUL, AND YOUSSOU N'DOUR.
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The great thing is that each track has been tackled fresh for 2005, with serious contenders like ANGI STONE, LISA STANSFIELD and JAY KAY being given plenty of scope. JAMIROQUAI's UK funk does a good job on "Hollywood Swinging" and STANSFIELD's fizzing version of "Too Hot" is damn good. We end up with a contemporary r&b album that stands up on its own considerable merits, with a bit of old-style bottom end that knows where it all starts and finishes.
Personal favourites have got to be the Jazziacs at the Kool Jazz Café – a belting finale recalling Kool and the Gang's 1964 origins as the JAZZIACS – and "Summer Madness" with YOUSSOU N'DOUR whose sublime voice transcends any genre
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