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Album Reviews
Before the Commodores started having major adult contemporary hits like "Three Times a Lady," "Easy," and "Still," they were happy to be a full-time funk/soul band. The Southerners became increasingly pop-minded in the late '70s, but when their debut album, Machine Gun, came out in 1974, their music was unapologetically gritty. This was, without question, a very promising debut -- Lionel Richie and his allies really hit the ground running on sweaty funk items like "Young Girls Are My Weakness," "The Bump," "Gonna Blow Your Mind," and the single "I Feel Sanctified." These songs aren't funk-pop or sophisticated funk -- they're hardcore funk. What you won't find on Machine Gun are a lot of sentimental love ballads. In the late '70s, the Commodores became as famous for their ballads as they were for their funk and dance material, but believe it or not, there are no ballads to be found on this consistently funky, mostly up-tempo debut. As much as this LP has going for it, Machine Gun isn't the Commodores' best or most essential album. Machine Gun is rewarding, but their subsequent albums Caught in the Act (1975), Movin' On (1975), and Hot on the Tracks (1976) are even stronger. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
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Dangerous Kardinal Offishall Feat. Akon |
| Hitmaking machine Akon has always been good at helping others. Both established and new talent have often queued for his helping hand. One of his latest and most successful collaborators has been Canadian rapper Kardinal Offishall, a former producer of emerging bands from Toronto's hip-hop scene, whose own records showed a hearty mix of reggae, rap and dancehall, showcasing the ongoing romance between North American hip-hop and the Caribbean ."Dangerous," a keyboard feast paying tribute to the female anatomy, benefits from Akon's Midas touch; so much that one could argue if Akon should have claimed the song for himself. But no one is complaining. It has been a huge summer hit stateside, reinforced with a powerful alternative version with extra muscle provided by Sean Paul and Twista; and it has paved the way for Offishall's imminent, star-studded breakthough album "Not 4 Sale", featuring all the usual suspects (Rihanna, Estelle, The-Dream, Clipse, etc.) of Today's R&B world. | |
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