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AUTOMATON REVIEW (70's and 80's stuff I can hear)

 
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70's Jazzfunkateer



Joined: 15 Dec 2016
Posts: 35
Location: London


PostPosted: Mon Jan 15, 2018 23:01    Reply with quote

AUTOMATON REVIEW (70's and 80's stuff I can hear)
Happy new year!

I thought I would leave it until “next year” to return for a fleeting visit and review Automaton. I wanted to listen to it properly before i drew any conclusions. First impressions are often wrong. Certainly it's the most consistent album since Funk odyssey but it's consistent for a completely different reason. Jmq Soul albums and all the music on them is basically a summary of the Funk time line of the 70's and 80's. The cut off point is about 1987/88.
Funk odyssey is consistent because it mimics a post disco album. (1980 to 1983). To generalize slightly, albums leading up to that period between 77 and say 80 at the very height of the Disco-era, were hell for leather roller-coaster rides with many different styles of Jazz, Funk, Soul, Latin and Disco all crammed into one album. Stevie Wonders Songs in the Key of Life earlier on in the 70's was probably the album that started that trend. Some Mandrill fans in the US will disagree, and Osibisa and Cymande fans in the UK will too. They were amongst the first to start mixing Latin, Soul, Funk Afrobeat and the rest together in the early 70's. Santana and Chick were there too. Stevie's sound however, as Berry Gordy, Herbie and music writers at the time said, was unique and It's probably THE album that kick started the second half of the 70's.

Synkronised to me equates to albums like MJ's Off the Wall or The Brothers Johnson's light up the night. Right at the end of the disco era 79/80. A Funk Odyssey which overlaps and would have followed Synkronised perhaps around 82/83 equates to the Next Brothers Johnson Album (Winners), Stevie and Jermaine Jackson's (Lets get serious) or even Ladies Night by (Kool and the Gang). Calmer, softer, melodic, all on one level.

Some albums in this period left you feeling like you were back in the early 70's listening to an old Marvin Gaye album or the calm softness of the Open Sesame Album (Kool and the Gang. I'm not including the viscous hardcore bass slap Funk bands like Cameo and Ozone or the emerging Eletro-funk bands obviously. They were a law unto themselves. But for many It was a brief period of calm before the storm in late 82 into 83.
It's always quiet before the storm, the storm in this case was Electro-Funk.


Automaton on the other hand is consistent because as others have observed its basically the same groove stretched over an entire album. It's something they have done in the past but not across a whole album. So Deeper Underground for example takes the groove of Black Britain (Ain't no rocking in a police state), stretches it back to the original drumbeat and synth of early 80's Prince's (Lady cab driver) then back to the 70's with The Isley Brothers, Stevie Wonder and his old Motown buddies The Jacksons. Johnny Guitar Watson completes the groove with (Funk beyond the call of Duty) as I see it.

Another example is (Hooked up) which as I see it takes the Terrance Trent D'arby's (Dance little sister) and stretches it back to the original sound of ten years previous with Chuck Brown's Go Go beat and Roy's Ubiquity album with Cincinnati, Tongue Power and Brother Green grooving away in the background. Planet Home takes the Punk funk groove of the mid 80's, stretches back and picks up the originator “slick” Rick James, merges the Barkays take on Punk Funk, adds a bit of Shalamar then stretches it back to mid 70's Earth Wind and Fire.


All Jamiroquai Soul tracks are without exception pastiches of pre-existing grooves. Unless you're going to create something completely new, which they have never ever done on any of their albums then there's nowhere left to go in the 80's other than past 87 into the New Jack Swing sound which was pretty bad. Much beyond that and you're back at the other end of the loop. The 70's starts yet again in 1992/93 as the Brit Funk Empire of Loose Ends and Soul to Soul peters out. The first 70's reboot in the UK was the Pasedena's, Soul to Soul and Omar to name a few in the late 80's. Neo Soul and Gansta rap comes after that in the US in the 90's.

In the UK it was Jungle, Drum and Bass, House and the return of 70's Jazz-Funk (Rare groove). And Jamiroquai of the 1990's was a Rare groove band. Thats how original Funksters in the UK view them and not a band playing some non existent genre called "acid jazz". That was just a London Soul movement in the mid 90's. It was our kids. Rare groove is 70's Jazz Funk not acid jazz."acid jazz" doesn't exist,thats why when you ask non-funkters or non-Brits who didn't grow up in the 70's to tell you what an "acid jazz" song is they cant.

Londoners and Brits on the forum should ask their elders. To have been an original Soulhead one would need to be in their early 50's by now. There are thousands of us still about. On telly and on the radio. They are all available on social media. Ask your Funky Parents or Grandparents if they think that 1960's and 1970's Jazz funk from the US is a 1990's English genre called acid jazz. Can you see any "acid jazz" on my deconstruction of the Jamiroquai discography? Take it from me, wherever you see an English band described as an "acid jazz" band, unless they are talking about the movement, then the writer either wasn't born in the 70's or doesn't know or understand Jazz, Funk, Soul and Latin.

I don't acknowledge any genre called acid jazz and neither do any of my contemporaries here in the UK. We created the British Jazzfunk movement in the 70's and no record label formed in 1987 had anything to do with us. Again it was a 1990's movement. Just because you put the words "acid jazz" on Jazz funk and Latin Soul mixes doesn't mean that you have invented a new genre called acid jazz. Put bluntly It's a lie. A Myth that people are trying to create. Regard it as total dis-information. They helped spread the groove to the new generation in the 90's no doubt. But they most certainly didn't invent James Brown, Stevie Wonder or Jazz, Funk and Soul.

Back to Automaton. I would say on this album, they have taken the sound ambiance of 1987/88 and stretched it back to around 1979. Had they continued following the Funk timeline after Odyssey instead of going the Synth Pop/rock route with RDLS then their next album would have moved into the mid to late 1980's. So in a sense its a logical progression. It comes across as a “what have we got left to do” In the 70's and 80's album. The starting point I would say is Loose Ends (So where are you) album and not just because the album cover colors match The (Sands of Time) album by The SOS Band had a similar dark sound. Slave (Make believe),Cameo (Machismo) as well.There were a whole lot of dark sounding albums in 87/88.

At the other end of the time period in the late 70's early 80's there was what people now describe as the Italo disco sound and the Pink Rhythm sound. The Mauve and Blues as I called it. The Dark sound of Roy Ayres was big in 1978/79 and again about 10 years later in 1987/88. So we're in the dark side of the 80's and this album merges both ends. That all being said this is certainly the most British sounding album they have ever done. The American Soul of the first 5 albums has gone but Stevie and Roy Ayres are still with them.

These are my initial impressions so far. Three or four plays is nowhere near enough to make a proper review. Not the way I do them. These are just some notes I wrote down whilst listening to the album.I'm going to be listening to them all again when i manage to find the time,but lets progress for those who are interested...



Nice and Spicy
1980's Synth Funk (Synth pop keyboard's)
Manhattan Rythmn/The Bar-kays/ Fatback

That guitar and groove takes me straight back to Manhattan Rythmn's
(Sweet Lady) which I had already recommended for (So good to feel real)
It's that dreamy late 70's Gamble and Huff sound you can hear on (Boogie Ooogie)
By a taste of Honey also the Little L bassline as I see it.
The Keyboards sound like Fatback (She's a go getter) another track I've already recommended. The chorus is The Bar-kays (She talks to me with her body) They haven't been in Barkays/Commodores territory since Feels just like it should.

Lyrics; “I've been thinking about you” that was the London Beat who did a track by the same name. I call this Funk. Other than some of the keyboard sound which is synth pop.

The Brit-Funk sound of Second Image; (Searching but not finding) and (There she goes),
A Taste Of Honey (Do It good), The Commodores (Brick House), Lukk (On the one),Champaign (Off and on Love), Rene and Angela; (I'll be good) and Vertical Hold (Summer time) might be of interest.


Vitamin
(Late 1980's Synth Funk)
Loose Ends/ Roy Ayres/ Stevie Wonder

The intro's something played backwards obviously, a style you can hear on many 70's and 80's tracks. Marta Acuna (Dance Dance Dance) for example. It comes over a bit like the start of (Party Train) by the Gap Band. Dexter Wansel's (Life on Mars) album is a recommendation. The groove is basically Loose Ends (A New Horizon) If you were in a night Club in 1986/87/88 this is what some of the music sounded like. Roy Ayres style keyboard's and vocal style In this track as well, all that's missing is the vibraphone. The unintelligible lyrics are in the style of another Loose Ends track that I can't remember. The sax sounds like the intro to (Choose me rescue me) also Loose Ends. At the end we go from the late 1980's back to the golden year 1979 and MJ's Off the Wall. It's that (I can't help it) groove again, the one that Stevie left off of the (Songs in a key of life album) another previous recommendation. “You got that magic touch” confirms the Loose Ends connection. (Magic Touch) is a Loose Ends track. There is a Roy Ayres track in there somewhere. So the overall feel for me is what I remember from 1987 to 1988 The Loose Ends (So where are you) Album or The Roy Ayres (You might be surprised) albums are recommendations.

Automaton
(Early 80's Synth pop)
Wayne Henderson/Stevie Wonder/ Blondie/CHIC

Automaton isn't Funk. It's synth pop. I already touched briefly on automaton elsewhere. There is more to Funk than just a beat. For example take (I wont let the sun go down on me) by Nick Kershaw. It's Funky but it's a synth pop track. The intro is pure Funk but the chorus is pop. That's how synth pop songs were composed and many of these synth pop artists were closet Soulboys who grew up with Motown and Funk in the 60's and 70's. Synth pop is funky by default. The reason being is that synth pop was essentially watered down Funk played by pop bands. It's different from normal run of the mill pop music. During interviews all of these bands would mention James Brown and or Stevie alongside their Rock idols as inspiration. They all credited Motown and Soul music. Lots of people listen to Funk but not everyone can feel it. And It is a feeling. Blues and Soul magazine used to refer to it as an energy or an attitude. Its the fever. A phrase that was in existence before the film. It’s what some of you felt when discovering the bands on my list.

The Funk was and is there to lift and guide you. It can help raise you to great heights and when things go wrong it helps Funksters cope with loss, tragedy, breakups or what outsiders would mock as soliloquies of sadness.70's Funk brought people of all races, creeds and colors together, which is exactly why the powers that be want it to die out. They would rather have people listen to meaningless rubbish like rap, create friction amongst different races and religions to get us fighting amongst each other. The excuse they need to impose their order on us. Their game is to divide and rule. Don't play it.

Just look at the videos of my youth in the 70's and 80's. We were all together One Nation under a groove. Black, White, Asian, South American you name the it. All worshiping together at the alter of Funk. We were the first International multiracial musical tribe so wherever you see race baiter's in the Funk know that it's not us, but them stirring hatred as they are trained to do because they believe they are above the laws of the universe. They will find out that they are not. Thats a prediction. The Energy of Funk has no race, religion or color. You either vibrate on it's frequency or you do not.

Anyway enough about World affairs and Politics, The Funk is in no way subjective. You either understand it or you don't. Automaton is funky but it ain't the Funk. You can't fake the Funk and neither can you fake an understanding of it any more than you can fake being of 70's Vintage.

The intro sounds like classic 70's Electronica as people call it nowadays, along the lines of Cerrone, Jarre, Mandre, Morroder or Dexter Wansel. There were loads of others. It's that bubbling synth sound which was around in the mid 70'.

It was much used in early 80's UK synth pop, Yazoo (Only you) for example. An old Brit Funk track (Running with the River) by Dave Roach has a similar intro. And (Magic Man)by Herb Alpert has a similar feel to it. I have mentioned those previously. It's an old Groove which goes back past Stevie's (every time I see you I go wild) and back to Original Jazz.

(Rush over) by bassist Marcus Miller, Who you can hear delivering justice on Tom Browne's (Thighs High) is a recommendation.

Then we launch into a synth bass. Lets split the bassline in two. The first part sounds like a funked up version of Wayne Henderson with Roy Ayres on (No deposit no return) Another previous recommendation of mine, For the horns on (Blow your mind). Strip away the piano intro and the horns and there you have it. Another similar Henderson bassline is (Hot stuff). Wayne Henderson's (Mysterious maiden) was one of my recommendations for (Black crow).

The second part of the bassline has the “stutter” of Johnny the “Hammond” Smith's bassline on (Tell me what to do) My recommendation for the 2nd half of the bassline of (Hooked up). So unless it's based on something else, I see the bassline as Wayne Henderson meets Hammond Smith. The Groove of the bassline in part reminds me of old school UK Soulman Tom Joneses (What's new Pussycat) as well. Again Strip away the the chaff and hear the groove. The Piano/Bassline Intro to (Holiday) by Mandrill (Which I see as the origin of the “Swan Call” on Love Fool) Is similar as well. Automaton skips a few beats but people will recognise the feel of the groove in all the above.

The chorus is Pop and the style is familiar from the first half of the 80's especially the way “Eyes without a face” Is sung. Similar to Neil Tennant of the Petshop boys. Synth pop isn't my specialty but it sounds similar to the way the used to sing. There's Something perhaps of Men at work, an Aussie pop group who made a track called (land down under) or maybe Erasure who made a track called (sometimes).
I recognise the style but I can't say who it might be as I don't have the knowledge of synth pop. Some of the vocal delivery sounds like The Supremes (You keep me hanging' On) “Set me free why don't you babe” and you “keep me hanging on” specifically.

Then groove changes. At first I thought it was Rick James/Stone city bands (All day and all of the night) That would have been the third dip into the Punk Funk as I see it. The first being Tin Soldier, the closest track to (Music of the mind).At the time (1984) we all saw it as a tribute to the Johnny Hammond sound of our youth. And of course Freaky, the track any Rick James fan would have thought of when listening to (Planet Home)for the first time. After a couple of listens I remembered (All day sucker). The ever present Stevie Wonder. Replace “Automaton” with all day sucker and there you have it. The style of singing sounds like Blondie's rap and there's a hint of Nile Rogers somewhere in the background maybe from (Good times). There will be other closer tracks from the synth pop world. It's Funky but it ain't the Funk. No matter what any non-funkster tells you.

Something about you
(1980's Synth pop/Commercialsed Soul)
Junior Giscombe/Michael Mc Donald/CHIC/Barry White

Brit Funk.The four strikes at the intro switched to a piano and the four “knocks” in the background takes me back to to Streatham boy Junior Giscombe and (Too late) The follow up to his transatlantic hit (Mama used to say). This is the very start of the 80's Brit Funk invasion of America. Overlaying the groove I also get the feeling of Michael MC' Donald's (Keep forgetting). The bassline in part also gives me Starpoint (Don't leave me) I recognize the guitar @ 11 from somewhere in the rock or pop world. The next part where the synth comes in I also recognize but I can't remember if it was a Funk or Pop track. So it might be a Funk groove using synth pop keyboard's like Fatback's (Go Getter) on Nice and Spicy, but that's just a guess.

The Chorus. I absolutely know that synth sound. I Recognize the singing style “it's so tragic to loose that magic,” it's possibly from someone like the Pet shop boys again, I can hear the song in my head but cant place it as yet. I suppose I should mention George Michael and Prince as well. And Howard Jones who is of course not Howard Johnson. Maybe it's from a Paul McCartney and Wings Album. The singing style also reminds me of (Let em in). Macca used to mess around with the synth in his post Beatles days (Wonderful Christmas time) which I recommended for the (Runaway) Intro is similar.


A strike of the Violin and we go from the early 80's back to 1978/1979 again with a bit of that chopping guitar in the style of CHIC's M.M F.T.C.F". The familiar 1970's bassline makes a return again this time with violins. I hear the next groove as being that of the original early 1970's violin genius. So its Barry White & Gloria Scott (Just As Long As We're Together) 1974. I think there's another track In there somewhere but I can't remember it. It's similar to the intro of Boney M's disco-tised version of (sonny) one of my recommendations for the end of (Revolution 93) which I see as mostly as being based on Ronnie Laws (Momma). Maybe it's (watching you) by Loose Ends.

Another old Brit-Funk track (Something about you) by Level 42 isn't the same groove or bassline but it kind of gives me the same kind of feel so lets just call it a recommendation. Overall the track sounds like the sort of stuff George Michael would have done. Being a London Soulhead he knew all these 70's sounds and combined them together in the 80's. You can even hear the Gap bands Burning rubber towards the end of one of his tracks. Complex but all familiar grooves from original Funk.

Dr Buzz
(1980's Synth pop)
Cymande/Incognito /Loose Ends//Barry White/Van Mc Coy/ D-Train

A slow burner, one of the reasons I never make snap judgments or do reviews of albums until I've listened to the tracks over and over again. I dismissed it at first but it's quite interesting. A lot of thought has gone into this track. The intro is similar to Shokk (Amazing). The “Ooooh” sounds like Aquarian dream; (You're a star). Another groove which incorporates the bassline of choice. British again. The drum beat sounds like the start of the classic Brit Funk drumbeat from Cymande,(Brothers on the side).
I know that other bassline from somewhere. It's similar to the start of (Super Woman) by Stevie. Or (Don't be Lonely) by Cameo.

“Till it's shining bright”. It's that “dynamite dynamite” tone of CHIC that I couldn’t remember.
It turned out to be Kano's (Can't hold back your lovin) “She's Dynamite, Dynamite”

Again I half recognise the pop chorus part. I can't really say who if anyone it's based on. That guitar “twang” Is familiar. The switch in groove. “ Can't you see the colours”... Okay the next part of the bassline is familiar. It sounds a bit like Part of Incognito's (Parisienne Girl). The part sung in Spanish (I think), just before they go into the George Duke Brazzilian Love Affair type groove. Or the chorus of another old Brit Funk track by Savanna (I can't turn around) The keyboard sounds a bit like Jeff Lorber's (Warm Springs) not the groove but just the sound.

Another switch in groove towards the end “can you feel me...” Okay now were in 1980's London. The Sax we were all obsessed with going on in the background. Very British. Loose Ends meets George Michael. The Female vocals sound like Jane from Loose Ends or Pepsi and Shirley with George Michael. (I think they followed him from Wham but I'm not sure)

Now here come SO19 (Londons armed cops). That's the Loose Ends (Emergency Dial 999) voice in the background. (Gonna Make you mine) by Loose Ends is also recommendation for this part. “Balababa Balababa” Cameo: (Sound Table) or Parliament's (No head no backstage pass), Ultimately Stevie as ever. George Michael did that somewhere I think.

Deep in the background I can just about hear the groove to Van MC Coy (Do the hustle).
I think he got it from Barry White. Which leads us into the most emotionally charged ending since the sound of the universe on Planet Home. “Strains got a hold on me. Can you feel me and it's hands up don't shoot. It's that sad heart wrenching post disco melancholy sound again.

That part sounds like Big Bad James “D Train” Williams, the emotion of songs like (Trying to get over), the start and the end of (Shadow of your smile) or also (There's something on your mind) Designed to arouse emotion Like (Keep on) one of his most popular tracks.

That style wasn't confined to D-Train of course. The Manhattan Rhythm's groove and chorus might fit in sideways somewhere. One version of (Body Music) by the Strikers, a massive hit in the London Soul Underground, has a nice ending with the synth tailing off into the ether. It's not the same groove but the same kind of feel done with the synth. It’s probably the last spectacular ending I remember.

More sad post disco melancholy type track with a similar emotional feel are; Maxx Trax; (Don't touch it), Mystic Merlin; (Rock the World) and Ozone; (Strut my thang) Komiko: (Feel alright) and (Hard Times it's gonna be alright) by Change. I've already recommended on the Soulhead tales.

Not sure about the drum roll at the end. It sounds a bit like the end of an early 80's Cameo Track. The new 3 man Cameo sound that is. Not the Cameo of old. Different sound. Something like (She's strange or Single Life) would have appeared in this particular moment of Funk history.(Step out of my dreams) by the Strangers and Midnight express (The Danger zone) two tracks I've already recommend will take you back to the era the ending of this track reminds me of. Clever song.


Carla
(1980's Synth pop)

Unknown. Mid 80's Synth Pop or Commercialised Soul. I can't say I recognise it. It bobs along like synth line to Denise William's (lets hear it for the boy). Unlimited Touch (In The Middle) as well come to mind. CHIC/Change style vocals in their somewhere again. It's Fairly nondescript and doesn't go anywhere, an album filler. I would say the singing style is George Michael again. “Look what you've done” sounds like George Michael. The mention of Daddy Cool. That was a track by Boney M. There is something vaguely familiar about the guitar licks in the background but it's only very vague. (Feels so good) maybe, which I see as Beverly Johnson's (Can you feel it). If it's based on a particular track you might find it on one of George Michael's albums but that's just a guess. Obviously there were many doing the same pop/funk style during the 80' like culture Club. I don’t know. Can't place it.
Level 42 at the time of (Starchild) or Beggar and co at the time of (Mule Chant2) perhaps. It not their style but it has the same Britfunk type ambiance.


We Can do it
(Early 1980's UK commercialized Reggae/Pop)
James Brown/The Police/ The Specials/ Fun boy 3/ Blondie

This sounds like London and the UK in the very early 1980's.The Specials (Ghost town) and Fun boy three (The lunatics) It's got that eerie keyboard sound of the era. The Funk bassline sounds like James Brown's (Payback) or Mandrill's (fat city strut). The Reggae sounds like UB 40 before they became famous with their cover of (Red Wine) Or maybe Sting and the Police at the time of (Walking on the Moon) When I say reggae I mean British commercialised Reggae. Old school Roots Rockers don't consider this to be true reggae. Blondie's rap/rapture is in there somewhere as well.

(Canned heat) is a musical snap shot of 1980/82 George Duke/Imagination/ Brothers Johnson and the last days of the CHIC empire. (Where do we go from here) is also a pastiche of the same time period with Skyy, Tom Browne, The Whispers, Confunkshun, Gwen Mcrae, The Isleys ect all merged into one track.
This song sounds like another pastiche of the era. Fans of Reggae, Popsters, skinheads or kids who were into bands such as Madness & Bad Manners would maybe have bought this one. Soulboys and Girls around this time would have been celebrating Juniors no1 hit in America, listening to D-train and the new EWF album (Raise). If it's based on a particular track then I don't know it. UB40 or Sting and Police are the most likely.


Shake it on
(1980’s Synth pop)
Morroder/Nile Rogers/Beverly Johnson/Herbie Hancock/Yazoo

An old school synth sound. The bubbling synth sound of Moroder again though, It sounds more like the British version of it (I feel love) by Donna Summer was the first big hit with that sound that I remember but others were doing it in the 70's as well. (Only you) by Yazoo. And (Vienna) by Ultravox spring to mind. Pop band Soft Cell as well.
I would say this is based on (Spacer) a famous track Nile Rogers did with Sheila B Devotion. As the groove heats up the rhythm guitar sounds like Beverly Johnson's (Can you feel it) which I think (Feels so good) was partly based on. There is the ambiance of (Twilight Clone) by Herbie Hancock, another track I previously recommended. I think there is a lead guitar lick from Herbie in there as well from around the time of (Ready or Not) It might be on that album. It's the same lick you can hear on canned heat @ "Hey dj let the music play” (Drop the Bomb) by Trouble Funk one of my recommendations for the underlying groove on (Hooked up) has it. Gayle Adams (Love Fever) is another one. Feels so good. A toned down version of the very start of the 80s, the pumping Electrophonic synth with the early 1970's James Brown style guitar cutting through it like a knife like Mr Brown's (Body Heat) or Randy Muller and Brass Constructions (Changin).

Some of the bassline sounds like the intro to (Go all the way) by The Isley Brothers and an old James Brown song I can't remember. Now we switch to Funk and It's the ever repeating bassline slapped like “Thunder thumbs” Johnson on George Duke's (Funkin for the thrill) then at the three strikes and the flutter of the violins and we've got the Brothers Johnson's intro to Stomp.

Delegation (In the Night) would be a recommendation.


Nights out in the jungle
(1980’s Commercial Soul/Pop)
Blondie/Ray Parker junior/Queen/Herbie Hancock

Intro's a bit like Stevie Wonder's Part time Lover. Again the bassline is split into two. Again a pastiche of 1979/81.
So a Ray Parker Junior/Queen/Herbie song sung in the style of Blondie. Interesting. The first three bars sound like the intro to (You Can't hurry Love) By The Supremes. The 60's Motown era girl band that gave us Diana Ross. Phil Collins did a cover of that track in the 80's when the Motown sound started to return. (And talking about Phil check out the track he did with Earth Wind and Fire's Phenix Horns and the one he did with Philip Bailey (Easy Lover).

The second half sounds like the second part of Ray Parker Junior's (You can't fight what you Feel ) Copied by Queen on (Another one bites the dust) although they give credit to Nile Roger's (Good Times) as being their inspiration. We got the old Pint dodgers “chink” “chink” going on in the background again ie Liston Smith's ever re-appearing (Expansions groove).Thats the "Ding dong" and sound of Blondie (Rapture and Heart of glass) or perhaps Brain Ferry's (Love is a drug)going on in the background. Ultimately CHIC
on (I want your love).

There's Pleasure in there somewhere in there as the horns start to rise (Cant turn you loose) maybe. Pleasure are never far from jmq track. An immediately recognizable synth rift from the 1970's TV program Ironside by Quincy Jones Or (Lucky fellow) by Leroy Hutson. The song gets darker. Something of the Sexy MF groove by Prince or maybe (Dancing now) by The Bee Gees..

..Now we are outside in the night and the title of the song begins to makes sense. That's the Pan pipes from Herbie's (Watermelon man). It makes sense to me at least because songs like this,(Razzia) by Patrice Rushen and (Ife) by Miles Davis and Hornets by Herbie were in the 70's often interpreted as the jungle at night. It's similar to how the Latin sound of the mid 70's like Deodato's Superstrut was associated with the beach's of Brazil. The Herb Albert sound was associated with UK TV game shows, The Manhattan Skyline with the sound of David Shire or the 70's Car chase "Blaxploitation" type movies with early 1970's Jazzfunk. So Pan pipes.. Intro to Herbies (Watermelon man)....(God make me Funky)...Sextant Album Overall feel.Thats Herbie.
So another musical snapshot of1979/81. Blondie and Queen (Another one bites the dust) or Ray Parker Junior
(You can't fight what you feel) Ending in the experimental Jazzfunk of the early 70's.

The same thought process/template as used on previous album tracks I mentioned like Hooked up and Planet home and the bulk of Jamiroquai Soul tracks through out the years. Find something, find something else, find a common denominator if possible, then merge them all together adding a few "bells and whistles" or using different production values!


Summer girl
(1980's commercialized Soul)

The bassline sounds like Harvey Mason (Groovin' you) from the late 70's. The the sound ambiance is that of the 1980's. This sounds British again. The singing style takes me back to Brit Funk band Mirage and (Summer Groove). This track is more like the darker side of Brit Funk. Atmosfear, Freeeze, Shakatak and early Incognito, Stuff I have already recommended for (Mr Moon).The dark Brit Funk Bass pick 'n slap groove like Atmosfear (Xtra Special) or Level 42 (Sandstorm). I say British. Ultimately all funk is American this is just our take on it. They lead the way we followed.

The groove changes. We’re in the 70's again. There's a bit of what sounds like that transcendental bridge and link to the second half of Herbie's (Hang up your Hang ups). The part where the clavinet ends and we go off flying like the second half of (Brazilian Love Affair) by George Duke. You can hear the same groove right at the beginning of Cameo's nod to EWF (Sound Table) which I previously recommended for fans of (Stillness in time). The congas at the start of summer girl are more or less the same so I would say Cameo play a part in the track. The strings sound like the end of (I want your love) CHIC but just for an instant. Overall this is the sound of the mid 80 and once again the singing style here sounds like George Michael especially the Female vocals.

Lyrics? Rick James (Money Talks) “She works the Corner”...


Superfresh
(Early 80's synth pop)

Uknown, The tone is once again is familiar and I recognize the singing style. The rest of It sounds like something out of the mid to late 70's. The track might be aimed at the Daft punk crowd but this sound was around over a decade before they arrived. The Voice box was around in the 70's. Stevie Wonder, Mandre, Cerrone, Moroder, Jarre, Zapp and the rest. Electro is late 70's and early 80's. Stevie Wonder was the first man with the Vocoder in the 1970's. Not Daft Punk in the 90's. The chorus has the classic Electro disco sound associated with moroder a bit like 202 machine (Get up rock your body). I don't know enough about this sound to say who it's specifically based on if anyone. But I do know what the sound is and what production values were available at each given period in the 70's/80's.This isn't a 1990's sound.


Hot property
(1980's Funk/Synth pop)

Lets start with the bassline. It sounds a bit like part of the intro to (Music in the streets) Unlimited Touch looped. They loop a lot of intros in their songs. (Music in the streets) is one of my recommendations on the Soulhead Tales for (You give me something). Also In the mid 80's there was a Funk band who's name escapes me right now. They were on UK Soul Train or Solid Soul. They did a groove with a Cameo style chorus which has a similar bassline. The Keyboard's sound like (Don't you want me baby) by the Human league. They were another on of our synth pop /Funk bands. They were also known in the US and were produced at some stage by Jam and Lewis.

The “wowowowow” sounds like the intro to one version of Heatwave's (Groove Line) but there's lots of that sound all over the 70's. The groove switches to Prince and the second half of (Batdance.) Bee Gees(You should be dancing now) is similar. Soul Sonic Force's (Planet rock) keyboards (towards the end) make an appearance somewhere in there. There is something of (Don't stop the love) by Booker T in the groove as well. There's some foreign language in there which sounds eastern European or Russian. Kleeer sang in German on (Taste the music. Can't say who if anyone it's based on. There's more in there that I recognize but can't place. It has British feel to it.

Cloud 9
(Early 1980's Commercialized Synth pop/Funk)

So we've got the Gap Band (Burning rubber intro again). The next part is a synth pop sound similar to (Only you) by Yazoo.(Don't go) was their most famous track. Laurie Andersons (Oh Superman) which I recommended for (Runaway) fans is also along the same lines. I absolutely remember that synth bass and those sultry keyboards from somewhere in the 80's. I think it was a Funk track possibly an instrumental. It was song which sounded a bit similar to (I'll be a freak for you) by Royalle delight a major hit in the UK.The chorus is synth pop and sounds a bit like George Michael or Elton John but I don't recognise it. Nick Kershaw, Howard Jones, Fun boy 3 etc or someone like that may provide some answers.(Steppin Out) by Joe Jackson isn't the same groove but had a similar warm fuzzy feeling to it. You would have heard this on Radio 1 but not on a soul station at least not in the UK. We were more purist. Americans were a bit more lenient they would play stuff like George Michael and ABC but we didn't consider them part of the Soul movement.

That's the stuff I recognize so far. I will be doing another review. I can't say it's a bad album. It's basically the B side of Funk Odyssey. The production is OK, but It's not a confident album at all. More of the same sadly. Other peoples sounds. Other peoples music. It just Hoovers up what's left of the late 1970's and the 1980's. It's called I'm Automaton. But an Automaton is a being that cannot create. It can only mimic what others do. It has no creative Imagination. I want to hear something new, something unique. I want to hear from a creator and we've heard this all before. This is the third time around for this type of sound. Jamiroquai are certainly not a Daft Punk tribute act as the Guardian journalist describes them in the one review that I read.

But without doubt they most certainly are a 70's/80's tribute act to all Funksters young and old who know their stuff. I understand that there is another album being planned. That for me will be the test and will decide their legacy.

I have just posted a newer version of my list here with extra recommendations.
It's still in rough, but I'm almost satisfied with it, when I am then you'll probably see it elsewhere. Thanks for all the views. I know you're feeling the Funk!

http://www.jamirotalk.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=162059#162059
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Last edited by 70's Jazzfunkateer on Thu Feb 08, 2018 23:19; edited 30 times in total
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70's Jazzfunkateer



Joined: 15 Dec 2016
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 16, 2018 11:43    Reply with quote


Next I'll take a look at Rdls and the rest of their tracks to see what if any other recommendations I can give.
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John Doggett



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PostPosted: Tue Jan 16, 2018 22:42    Reply with quote


Waow ! Very very interesting work ! Thank you for Sharing this !

Am I the only one who heard a Leon Ware BIG wink on Summer Girl ?
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deerosa



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PostPosted: Wed Jan 17, 2018 14:38    Reply with quote

Much Respect....
Awesome breakdown Jazzfunkateer
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70's Jazzfunkateer



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PostPosted: Fri Jan 19, 2018 03:59    Reply with quote


Which tracks? I only know a couple of Leon Ware songs.
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mr.az



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PostPosted: Fri Jan 19, 2018 06:20    Reply with quote


nice ,so thats why many songs of jamiroquai reminds me to old disco songs i've heard when i was a child, and my mom played disco songs all day Very Happy
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70's Jazzfunkateer



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PostPosted: Fri Jan 19, 2018 12:35    Reply with quote


Well then it just goes to show what good taste she had lol. Your Mom probably grew up in the 1970's like we did. Most 70's kids will recognise much of the stuff in their songs. Most of the rare groove 80's kids do too.
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mr.az



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PostPosted: Tue Jan 23, 2018 05:31    Reply with quote


70's Jazzfunkateer wrote:
Well then it just goes to show what good taste she had lol. Your Mom probably grew up in the 1970's like we did. Most 70's kids will recognise much of the stuff in their songs. Most of the rare groove 80's kids do too.
yes, basically i grew up listening disco, so i can recognize many sounds, but i dont remember all the bands, some i know, some i am still searching.
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