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Dye
Correspondent & Expert
Joined: 16 Nov 2003
Posts: 5146
Location: Planet Home; Buenos Aires, Argentina
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 Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2005 18:39 |
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Jamiroquai's (Don't) Give Hate A Chance
Jamiroquai's first-ever animated music video is an old-school tribute to Osvaldo Cavandoli's LA LINEA mixed up with mo-cap CGI. The video was directed by Partizan Lab UK's Alex and Martin. Nothing revolutionary here, but the animation has nice snappy timing, and I like the fact that the CG characters are designed to have both eyes on one side of the head.
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Jamiroquai - (Don’t) Give Hate A Chance (SonyBMG)
Richard Cheetham
2005 has witnessed the return of the funk-rock outfit Jamiroquai.
2 stars out of 5
Complete with a hit album and sell-out arena tour, this new disco-light offering begs the question, who still buys Jamiroquai records?
The group missed Saturday Night Fever by some time, as this third single from their latest album Dynamite shows a distinct lack of imagination.
The band haven’t progressed at all over their career span, and still aim to sparkle up the office Christmas party rather than ignite a new generation of followers.
Lead-man Jay Kay must take some of the blame, as his lyrics consistently deal with his playboy image rather than the singalong choruses provided by Robbie Williams. |
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Jamiroquai are set to release Don’t Give Hate A Chance , the third single from their Dynamite album on November 7th on Sony BMG. Following on from previous singles from Dynamite - Feels Just Like It Should and 7 Days In Sunny June, Don’t Give Hate A Chance is a rousing and thought provoking disco-edged track, destined to be a guaranteed floor filler. ‘An anthemic, DJ ready, sign of our times’ as singer Jay Kay describes it himself.
The single is also backed with killer remixes by Steve Mac and The Freemasons and an electrifying live version of Don’t Give Hate A Chance , recorded on the bands huge summer tour.
The band’s sixth Top 3 album Dynamite has been certified platinum in the UK and his hit high in the charts around the world. It has proved to be a huge hit with fans and critics alike since it’s summer release, garnering the band their best reviews in years.
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Review: Jamiroquai - Dynamite Thursday, 10 November at 22:57Connections
It's always puzzled me why Fidgital is always being compared to Jamiroquai, but when they put out albums this good, I really can't complain about the comparison! I picked up the Dual Disc version of Jamiroquai - Dynamite earlier this week and have given it a few listens before reviewing. It's really good!
Jamiroquai has always seemed like a saviour for those who missed the mind-boggling funk and pop of '70's era Stevie Wonder. And Jamiroquai wasn't just a copycat - their sound evolved with the electronics of the day, incorporating old school influences with brand new production.
Dynamite is no exception - the sound is great, the songs are groovy, the performances tight and soulful. It's consistently good but of course has its high and low points, though these will vary from person to person.
I've heard a lot of criticism of this album saying that it doesn't have the hits of earlier albums. I can't agree - what I hear here is plenty poppy and catchy, though still with that same underground cred Jamiroquai has managed to hold onto all these years.
My primary criticism of this record is its backwards-looking focus on '70's disco, funk and soul. But the band does reach for something new here and there, such as the Scissor Sisters-flavoured Jamiroquai - Electric Mistress, or the rock-electro-hip-hop-dance-pop hybrid of Jamiroquai - Love Blind.
But, c'mon, it's Jamiroquai! I knew what I was getting into, and indeed the disco tracks are my favourites. The terrific orchestral arrangement on Jamiroquai - Starchild builds and builds with a great breakdown bridge. Electric Light Orchestra shows up as an influence on Jamiroquai - (Don't) Give Hate a Chance, which boasts some fantastic disco bass playing. The final track, Jamiroquai - Time Won't Wait, is also a great funk disco barn-burner with hot horns, silky strings and blazing bongos!
Four stars. Glad to be in such distinguished company! |
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Dy-no-mite!
Jamiroquai (Dynamite)
Sunday, September 11 byBen De Leon
Much has happened in the four years since “space cowboy” Jay Kay and co. – better known as Jamiroquai – have graced us with a new album. For frontman/activist/partier Kay, a life of club-kid excess, his notorious headbutting incident with UK paparazzi, the (amicable) departure of co-writer/keyboard player Toby Smith, and kicking a destructive coke habit seem to have put things in to perspective for the 35-year-old artist seemingly having suffered from (or more accurately, enjoyed) a split personality. This newfound focus shines through on the band’s sixth studio album, the hard hitting and disco-drenched Dynamite.
Unlike prior Jamiroquai records, Dynamite lends itself more towards straight-ahead dance anthems. True, Jamiroquai has always been known for their trademark dance/funk/disco fusions (e.g. “Cosmic Girl,” “Canned Heat”), but nowhere does such a fondness lie more so than on this release. Except for a few tracks, most songs on Dynamite keep up with heavy guitars, solid bass lines, and a quickened pace that screams “Saturday Night Fever” – and with titles such as “Dynamite,” “Electric Mistress,” and “Starchild,” how could they not?
Standout songs include the disco-driven title track, the exuberant and electric guitar-heavy “Love Blind,” and the soft, heartfelt “World That He Wants” – a jab at America’s commander-in-chief. Other tracks are fun and more than fit for the dance floor. Backed by a chorus of soulful divas chanting, “We’ve been giving hate a chance / We’ve got all this love to give,” “(Don’t) Give Hate a Chance” was made for the Love Parade… or for Cher’s comeback tour. While the absence of another “Virtual Insanity” may hinder a large American response, expect Dynamite to be a hit with solid Jamiroquai fans. |
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Jamiroquai - Dynamite - 2/5
In 1993, Jason Kay burst onto the scene with a massive debut album and unprecedented eight-album deal with Sony. While even skeptics acknowledge his impressive musical talent, Kay is often characterized as a one-trick, early-seventies Stevie Wonder copyist (not that its ever done his sales any harm). Thirteen years and twenty million albums later, Dynamite is still heavily derivative of Stevie, but Kay has expanded his horizons a little - he also rips off Basement Jaxx ('Electric Mistress', '(Don't) Give Hate A Chance'). With nods elsewhere to filter house, acid jazz, and other schmaltzy genres, this would be the perfect soundtrack to the yuppie dinner party from hell. |
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Jamiroquai
Dynamite
[Epic]
At the risk of damning them with faint praise, Jamiroquai - a.k.a. Jason Kay and his buddies - have been, and remain, the best circa-'70s Stevie Wonder tribute band in the business. Granted, it's not a huge field; nonetheless, no one else can touch them. Dynamite, the band's sixth album, may well be greeted with the same general yawn of disinterest from the American public that their last few discs have received. Back home in the UK, J.K. and the boys continue to rack up significant sales, and there's no reason to believe that they won't maintain the trend with this record. The blend of fuzz and funk on opener "Feels Just Like It Should" does the trick to draw in the listener. The title cut feels like it goes on a bit long, but is followed by the piano-led "Seven Days," the smoothest of several single-worthy tracks scattered throughout the disc. "Electric Mistress" feels like a Fischerspooner collaboration and disco throwback "Give Hate A Chance" sounds like an outtake from Kylie Minogue's Light Years. Though nothing tremendously adventurous goes down during the course of the album's eleven songs, Jamiroquai still remains a solid source for music to keep your feet happy.
-Will Harris |
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Jamiroquai’s ‘Dynamite’
Jamiroquai lead singer Jason Kay is widely regarded as a Stevie Wonder soundalike. Yes, the vocal similarities are uncanny, but I find it sad when artists become pigeonholed, unable to be seen as talented in their own right because they happen to sound like someone else. On Dynamite, Kay proves he is a talented funk master who is very at home in the dance domain. “Feels Just Like it Should” could actually double as a Lenny Kravitz tune from the ’90s, yet Kay makes it his own. The title track, “Dynamite,” crackles once its fuse is properly lit, and showcases the blending of a semi-disco style with the funk beat that Jamiroquai is known for.
“Seven Days” could easily be confused with the kind of track that made its presence abundantly known on AM radio in the ’70s, and is actually a nice throwback. “Electric Mistress” has an Anita Ward “Ring My Bell” meets Blondie “Rapture” opening. It then glides into the disco/funk hooks that set toes to tappin’, with its soul sister backup vocals. “Starchild” is a little piece of self plagiarism, as it is very similar to 1997’s “Cosmic Girl.” The big difference for this 2005 revisit is the downsized disco beats; this one is heavy on the funk.
“Love Blind” can be categorized as a ballad that meets dressed-down dance; a little awkward, like a junior high school slow dance. “Tallulah” is a breezy break-up song that’s evocative of a track that would be included on a Time-Life compilation of slow jams. “Give Hate a Chance” makes me wonder if Xanaduy is a word, because the first opening notes conjure up roller-skating muses with rainbow effects. The song gets back to business as usual with Jamiroquai’s familiar sound – with Kay sailing among a sea of backup oohs! The ballad “World That He Wants” is well suited for Kay’s vocal chops, which are set against haunting strings and a lone piano.
The final two tracks, “Black Devil Car” and “Hot Tequila Brown,” are two vastly different sounds. “Black Devil Car” is a little more hard-edged than any of the other tracks, which makes you want to simultaneously bang your head and shake your groove thang. Closing out the disc, “Hot Tequila Brown” has a medium-grooved tempo.
There is comfort in the familiar, and Jamiroquai succeeds in that effort. Although this is not the strongest gun powder in their keg, Dynamite is still worth a listen. |
D! (dyego) |
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Dye
Correspondent & Expert
Joined: 16 Nov 2003
Posts: 5146
Location: Planet Home; Buenos Aires, Argentina
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| Posted: Sun Nov 27, 2005 17:21 |
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Funk-rock jester loses his sparkle
Martin Jones
November 28, 2005
Jamiroquai
Forum Theatre, Melbourne, November 24. Australian Institute of Sport Arena, Canberra, tonight. Bookings: 132849. Newcastle Entertainment Centre, Wednesday. Bookings: 132849. Centennial Park, Sydney, Saturday. Bookings: 136100. The Riverstage, Brisbane, December 6. Bookings: 132849. Memorial Drive, Adelaide, December 9. Bookings: (08)82258888. Supreme Court Gardens, Perth, December 11. Bookings: 136 100.
JAMIROQUAI'S Jay Kay is not the carefree jester he once was. One would only need to have read some of his recent interviews -- in which his jadedness and disillusionment with his recording label have been expressed in no uncertain terms -- to forecast the notable change of temperament with which he delivered the opening show of his Australian tour.
Dressed in his trademark uniform of stylised Native American headdress and tracksuit, Kay couldn't restrain his bitterness for long, complaining about his months on tour in the US, where he'd order spaghetti bolognese to the reply, "Awesome choice! Enjoy!"
Thankfully, none of the bitterness was aimed at us, his adoring Australian audience. Kay spoke of his appreciation of our country so many times, it was impossible to doubt his sincerity.
But it's little wonder he is jaded. His no-frills live rock show stuck to the set list he has used since the tour began six months ago.
Which isn't to say it wasn't an enjoyable experience for the audience. Beginning with a hyperactive Canned Heat, the almost two-hour set delivered a greatest hits package that had the throng of Jamiroquai fans squealing and shaking.
Kay is not as prolific with his legendary dance moves these days -- "I'm not as sprightly as I used to be," he conceded -- but still managed a few flurries where he accelerated across the stage with the implausible velocity and elasticity of a Jim Henson puppet.
Nevertheless, the necessary bond between performers and audience brought the experience to life, taking only moments to ignite as Kay floated around the stage chirping cheerful inanities about canned heat in his heels.
Cosmic Girl, Revolution 1993, Seven Days in Sunny June, Dynamite, Use the Force and Black Capricorn Day were all extended into jams before Alright and the thumping Deeper Underground, from the Godzilla soundtrack, brought the evening to a climactic finale.
Kay may love being in Australia but he's clearly sick of touring. This may be the last chance fans get to see him for some time. |
D! (dyego) |
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mr.az
Joined: 01 Sep 2005
Posts: 2421
Location: rallying
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| Posted: Sun Nov 27, 2005 20:00 |
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i love that video
remember me when i was child
and is a anti-war song 
_________________
Only a fool can walk away from me this time
TWM=RDLS
AFO=AUTOMATON |
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Dye
Correspondent & Expert
Joined: 16 Nov 2003
Posts: 5146
Location: Planet Home; Buenos Aires, Argentina
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| Posted: Sat Dec 10, 2005 18:09 |
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DYNAMITE! JAMIROQUAI BLASTS BACK
Words by Brian Getz
Jamiroquai :: 10.24.05 :: Times Square :: New York, NY
The journey of Jamiroquai is one of many twists and turns, one born on the streets of London during the epic acid jazz/house years of the early '90s. The club scene that later bore the rave scene, a community regenerating hippie ideals, club culture itself was one of Peace, Love, Unity, and Respect, expanding sounds and psychedelia, and today is looked back upon fondly and with reverence.
The skinny skate kid whose beats and rhymes were supersonic melodies and entrancing rhythms assembled an organically groovy ensemble and named it Jamiroquai. Then he put on the Buffalo hat. Jay Kay is today a bandleader in the James Brown sense, the singer, the dance freak, and the pimpslap B-Boy; although in their earliest incarnation, Jamiroquai was much more on an Earth trip, heady styles and boho-concerns were woven into epic lengthy rare groovy workouts. The music tried to dig deeper into the consciousness of their throngs of funkateers; the music eschewed the globalization and modernization of society, and the band tailored their songs to champion greener causes, whether it be rainforests or the mother herb. He walked with a swagger; Kay was immersed in culture, a British B-Boy with a penchant for the funk and R&B of '70s groove and decidedly dope dance moves, along with a Stevie Wonder-esque voice that propelled him to a new, young, hip audience. His style and fashions impeccable, Jay aligned himself with musicians that could unearth dreamy new grooves, casually dipped in the retro style that bore acid jazz.
Beginning in 1992, with the refreshing and innovative 12" When You Gonna Learn and the following debut album Emergency on Planet Earth, with the help of countless studio musicians of all trades, Jay Kay brought a world-conscious sonic brew to a scene known for constantly breaking new ground. Jamiroquai further cemented their significance with 1994's The Return of the Space Cowboy, an album filled with otherworldly grooves and politically charged lyrics, beautiful melodies and successful chances taken. Jamiroquai's finest lineup emerged with Derrick Carter on drums, Stuart Zender on bass, founding member/keyboardist Toby Smith, and percussionist Sola Akimbola. Incorporating pulsating house rhythms with seductive R&B anthems, augmented by a didgeridoo, a DJ, and a JB's funky horn section, their live shows in this incarnation were expansive vehicles that broke backs out proper.
The release of 1997's Traveling Without Moving was a more modern, synthesized, less organic-feeling record with a nod towards the clubs that had made the scene in which Jamiroquai was birthed. This record would put the band on the map worldwide, with the success of the anthemic "Virtual Insanity" and its ubiquitous music video featuring Kay dancing. The Buffalo hat took on various forms, and the signature logo became recognizable in all corners of the globe. During this time, Jamiroquai sewed their oats all over the world, bringing an enormous band and sound to deliver their DJ D-Zire-enhanced organic clubland concoction. The 97-98 incarnation, sound, and attack is considered both the best era of the band and the beginning of the changes that would alienate much of its grassroots, break up the Zender/Kay connection, and send Jamiroquai soul-searching for much of the next few years. Bassist Stuart Zender, long holding resentment towards the credit and recognition Jay Kay had received for the entire band, left the fold. It was to be a precursor to change that many longtime Jamiroquai funkateers would grow to dislike.
Zender's absence was more than noticeable on subsequent albums like 1999's Synkronized and 2001's A Funk Odyssey. The band changed their sound, direction, and content dramatically during this period. They phased out the hippie trappings, ditching the didgeridoo and later the horns. Their new sound brought string-filled dramatic disco energy gone digitized. It was lapped up in clubland quarters and remixed by many electronic artists. Late nights were kept globe-trotting and then retreating to Kay's royal home, Buckinghamshire Manor. Jay Kay had made a transformation.
The band made many more changes during this period and toured the world in different incarnations, keeping the vibe alive but no longer breaking the new ground their first three records had. Jay Kay, a celebrity on a Justin Timberlake level in France, South America, Italy, Australia, and Japan, struggled with the limelight, drugs, relationships, and the absence of Zender and later, longtime collaborator and founding member keyboardist Toby Smith, who left the night before 2001's U.S. tour was to begin. The band's sound has since traversed an odd house/disco terrain, foregoing many of its jazzier, R&B sensibilities and organic grooves in search of a digitized pulsating dance thump. It worked to re-energize the band but failed as the band began to wane creatively in terms of stepping into new realms.
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This often forward-looking sixth album reaffirms Jay Kay’s affinity with another car-collecting graduate of the rave era, the Prodigy’s Liam Howlett: both take the sounds that excited them as youngsters and alchemically extract something golden and new.
This may not be the record to win over the doubters, but it contains enough musical invention to undermine any reflexive criticism. Take the opening track and the first single, Feels Just Like it Should: its bassline is built from a treated, vocoder-played vocal hum, which underpins a muscular hip-hop track that is devoid of gimmickry. If an acknowledged production visionary such as Timbaland had created it, it would be hailed as the coolest thing since, like, ever.
When the album does look back for its inspiration, however, it moves the Jamiroquai sound forward. Seven Days sounds like the song that the Neptunes have been searching for but have never quite found in their N*E*R*D guise, while Electric Mistress gives 1970s disco the sort of crisp and crunchy veneer that Daft Punk’s Thomas Bangalter did with Stardust’s Music Sounds Better with You. Starchild is an unapologetic homage to George Clinton, Love Blind is a scarcely credible collision of Billy Joel and the Chemical Brothers, while Black Devil Car is the sort of rock song that Prince stopped writing a decade ago. Throughout, Dynamite remains exciting, accessible and entertaining. 8/10 |
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Jamiroquai
Album: Dynamite
Dynamite
Since 1993, starting with Emergency On Planet Earth, Jamiroquai has been peddling its mix of house rhythms and '70s funk to largely receptive public. Long a favorite of discerning Europeans, Jamiroquai's U.S. popularity peaked in 1996 with Travelling Without Moving and the MTV-made hit, "Virtual Insanity". Since then, the States have proved elusive to the band's charms and Dynamite, its first release since 2001's A Funk Odyssey, probably won't change things.
Which is too bad because Jay Kay, Jamiroquai mastermind, knows his public and gives them what they want, which is what he does best: slick retro-funk ("Feels Just Like it Should", "Dynamite", "Starchild"), gorgeous ballads ("Seven Days in Sunny June", "World That He Wants"), and his stylish version of '70s disco ("[Don't] Give Hate a Chance", "Time Won't Wait"). In fact, "Time Won't Wait" is so good that, with a little remixing, it could be a dance club hit waiting to happen.
Recent reviews of Dynamite have been unflattering; it seems Jay Kay is being knocked for doing what comes naturally. These hipper-than-thou snobs miss the point: Jamiroqui's Stevie Wonder-influenced funk/dance/pop melange is like a fine wine that gets better with age.
4.0 STARS
Reviewed By
Gina |
I think I posted this one, but it's updated:
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Jamiroquai's Dynamite: Boomtastic Neo-Funk/Disco That Feels Just Like It Should
Sep 20 '05 (Updated Sep 23 '05)
Author's Product Rating
Pros
A stylish, upbeat, beautifully paced and infectious assortment of modernized soul, funk, jazz and R&B.
Cons
Nothing, other than the fact that some may not get past the borrowing from influences.
The Bottom Line
It's on, baby...seriously, the groove is back on and it's hot!
Full Review
His name is Jason Kay, otherwise known as the British singer who has held the name Jamiroquai to his credit since the early 90's. Now you can call him Jay, or you can call him Jay K, or you can call him Jay Kay, or you can call him JK, or perhaps just Mr. Jay "Funny-Hat-Boy-With-The-Stevie-Wonder-Voice-And-Retro-Sneakers" Kay. Really, call the chap anything you so desire. But I'm sure that he wouldn't want you to call 2005's Dynamite a comeback.
In a way, though, this dazzling seventh album is something significant: a welcome return to improved songwriting and a musical structure with more depth and less fluff than his two prior LP's combined. The charismatic Mr. Kay had become less of a musician and more of a cartoonish parody of himself as the 00's marched on. I first became acquainted with Jamiroquai as a welcome throwback to 70's funk, soul and the more thoughtful side of disco, and as an entertaining live act. Sure, they wore their influences as flamboyantly as Kay's tall hats, but they did so with accomplished musicianship and some soulful inspiration to their credit.
But as the band's personnel began to rotate and most original members vacated, so did the focus and creative spark that defined their first three albums. Both 1999's Synkronized and 2001's A Funk Odyssey were dominated by a more superficial and less memorable set of uber-slick disco-tronica and synthesized retro rock. It seems that the mere status of top-level celebrity took its toll on Kay's creativity and dynamism, and with little regret, I wrote off Jamiroquai as an unworthy musical diversion.
Four years have passed since the last Jamiroquai release, and it seems that Kay has miraculously honed his songcrafting skills, smartly sidestepping his usual tired topics of fast cars, supermodel encounters and discotheques in space. Dynamite exceeds every possible expectation one could have and then some. It draws from a familiar kaleidoscope of unabashed retro pop that's been heard before, but what Kay and band push here is immediate, sharp and certainly not short on charm and exuberance.
Many from a younger generation who were unfamiliar with Jamiroquai's nu-disco sound got a taste via the use of Canned Heat from the memorable dance contest sequence in Napoleon Dynamite. Other acts like Maroon 5, Scissor Sisters and Jason Mraz have utilized the same hybrid that defined Jamiroquai's fusion of vintage pop and soul sounds. But anyone who found the modernized 70's dance grooves of their earliest work worthy of attention will be exposed to one sick, tasty groove after another on this disc. And most importantly, Kay's singing is as grand as ever, and the backing musicians that grace the album's dozen tracks are all truly world-class.
Dynamite relies on modern technology to augment the unmistakably 70's throwbacks to rock, disco, R&B and soul that form the basis of these wonderfully melodic and funk-charged originals. But what I like is that the use of synths, programmers and effects are not excessive to where the organic elements are overshadowed. Kay utilizes a unique way of generating a buzzing electro-funk bassline on Feels Just Like It Should by pushing his voice through a low-octave vocoder. On top of heavy guitars, punchy synth stabs and some fierce drumming from remaining original member Derrick MeKenzie, Kay drops some rockin' acid-funk that outdoes the better moments on a Lenny Kravitz record.
Though that slight diversion in style is a welcome one, what truly keeps me in Dynamite's grip are the dancefloor invitations that vary in intensity, yet which are all full of soulful, feel-good vibes. Starchild and Don't Give Hate A Chance have the kind of lush, uplifting Studio 54 arrangement that can entice even the most stubborn rump to freak uncontrollably in all directions. The clavinet fills and electric bass on Starchild intertwine with the tune's hot rhythm and the shimmering melodies are inescapably gorgeous. Kay trumps those excellent tracks in a momentous way with Time Won't Wait, a glittery and effusive romp that's driven by fierce disco and funk riffs, but maintaining a level of sophistication rarely heard on a retro-flavored record.
It's with the luminescence and breezy folk-soul vibes of Seven Days In Sunny June that I hear and feel the magic of when a serpentine love song weaves its spell. The jazzy passages of piano and earthy acoustic guitars meld flawlessly with Kay's bright, bittersweet vocal, with a mix that's pure, engaging and elegant. I also find favor with the psychedelic glam-funk on Loveblind, which is as decadent as a fifty-foot tower of chocolate almond torte. It's one thing to hear a present-day artist dabble superficially in old-school sounds, but Kay captures the essence of it here so well that I have to remind myself that this is 2005 and not 1975.
But not all that glistens on Dynamite is from a spinning mirror ball. Kay lays down some ferocious Gap Band funk on the suggestive Electric Mistress, and on the percolating title track, Kay's whispered vocal shuffles along with clipped funk guitars and a light electro-disco thump that oozes with sensuality. Even a mellow R&B slow jam like Tallulah is alluring to the ear, even though Kay's pleas to a departed lover fall victim to cheese-laden love cliches. Though it's smooth and passionate in tone, it's probably not quite enough to convert those who are non-believers in quiet-storm ballads.
Some startling diversions come about when Kay tackles an abstract 60's rock sound on Black Devil Car, where versatile guitarist Rob Harris (who co-wrote the song) shifts from a complex descending melody to a kinetic, power-chord driven chorus. It's certainly different from anything else on the record, but it works. Likewise, I also find an unexpectedly astute Kay taking a political stance on World That He Wants. Bold, cinematic and sparse in sound, a piano and string arrangement sets the tragic tone that intensifies Kay's pointed rhetoric:
Why does this man
Defy the storm and burn us all
Each time his hand waves
The sun it sets on lonely graves
Haven't we read this page before
We're gonna lose this war
Put down the glory flag
Nothing will be the same
Dynamite is many things: a fantastic dance album, a great modern soul album, and a lot like what a classy night on the town must have been like back in 1978. Heck, Dynamite is just a good, consistent and entertaining album in every way. It's also the album that I've been eagerly waiting about six years for Kay to make. Honestly, if you're inclined to satisfy even the slightest curiosity toward Jamiroquai, then I must urge you to grab and spin this sumptuous disc while the lit fuse is still crackling.
Track Listing:
Feels Just Like It Should
Dynamite
Seven Days In Sunny June
Electric Mistress
Starchild
Love Blind
Talullah
(Don’t) Give Hate A Chance
World That He Wants
Black Devil Car
Hot Tequila Brown
Time Won’t Wait
Rating: 4½ out of 5 stars (rounded up) |
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Jamiroquai take a De-Funked Odyssey to Planet Nowhere
Apr 14 '03 (Updated Sep 20 '05)
Author's Product Rating
Pros
Little L and Main Vein
Cons
The rest is watered-down, mechanical techno/disco or crap-ola balladry.
The Bottom Line
At this point in Jamiroquai's career, it's just Jay Kay going through the motions. Most of his music is now dull and uninspired formula funk.
Full Review
First off, let me say that I was a massive Jamiroquai fan, up until the lackluster album Synkronized was released in June 1999. For the six-year period of the band's existence up until then, I had seen them play live four times, owned the import versions of their first three albums (since they usually have remixes & bonus tracks), and also owned a couple dozen of their CD singles, plus a few live bootlegs that cost me a pretty penny on E-Bay. I was a proud wearer of that cool "Buffalo Man" logo on various items of clothing in my wardrobe. To me, what turned me on to them was that they were a tight, talented, organic funk/soul band, with an emphasis on the word band. Every single member of Jamiroquai, not just charismatic front-man Jason Kay, had the opportunity to show off chops and skill, and they were most likely the only band that prominently featured the droning, horn-shaped Aborigine instrument known as the didgeridoo on their albums, and live onstage with the large-lunged Wallis Buchanan.
Jamiroquai had a spotty yet refreshing debut with Emergency on Planet Earth in 1993, making them a huge hit in the UK, Europe and Japan, and leading to an eight album deal with Sony. Ultimately, it was a record deal for Kay and not the band, since he owned the name and all legal rights under the Jamiroquai moniker. The debut was followed up with the excellent sophomore disc The Return of the Space Cowboy in 1995. Their third effort, Travelling Without Moving, was a bit more commercial sounding, but that was a good thing, since it exposed them to a much wider audience, including here in the U.S.
Unfortunately, all of this success, including a Grammy and an MTV Video of the Year Award for the hit single Virtual Insanity, had a balloon effect on Kay's sizable ego, which may have turned off a few of his key players. Once he moved into a castle in the English countryside (just like fellow mega-rich peers Sting & Robbie Williams), it seemed like his desire to maintain the band's stride as a collective of talent sped away faster than one of his dozen or so Ferarris. Since Synkronized, Kay has been spinning his wheels (hence, "travelling without moving"?) for the most part, with more of an eye on pleasing his label and marketability rather than the soul or inspiration of the early days.
When I saw Jamiroquai live for the fifth time on the Synkronized tour, I saw a much different band than the one I had seen before. It was a stiff, flat performance, and by this point, the focus was more on the goofy, indulgent antics of the flamboyant Kay, prancing about in his feathered hats, than the quality of the music. They even butchered the Stones with a dreadful cover of Miss You. After an appearance at Woodstock 2000 later in the year (before the mud-flinging and rioting broke out), Jamiroquai's relevance to U.S. listeners went from minimal to nonexistent. Even MTV turned their backs on them. This is most likely why they didn't even bother to set foot on American soil for the tour supporting 2001's A Funk Odyssey, since it was a major dud sales-wise.
As far as the once-faithful departed, the massively talented bassist Stuart Zender left the band during the recording of Synkronized, reportedly due to family-related issues, which resulted in Kay scrapping most of the recorded tracks on the album and re-doing them from scratch, due to songwriting and playing credits for Zender. Later, guitarist Simon Clarke split, and keyboardist/co-founder Toby Smith departed the group after the release of A Funk Odyssey. Plus, the didgeridoo, and its player Buchanan, were absent from the mix and was no longer featured at their live shows. Whether some of these members left voluntarily or were fired seems to depend on the source.
On A Funk Odyssey, Kay, co-producer The Pope and the current incarnation of Jamiroquai have shed most of the live instrumentation that was a highlight of the first few albums in favor of the electro-funk trappings of Zapp, Cameo and the Gap Band. On most of the ten tracks, any evidence of something other than a synth, programmer or drum machine is virtually unidentifiable, and if you can hear it, it sounds more like a sample than an actual musician. The problem here is that if you subtract Kay's vocals, some of which have a grating layered and distorted effect, all you have is programmed beats and synth loops that sounds just like the pseudo-R&B/funk on most pop records. Not only that, I thought that layering and vocal effects was proper studio trickery for bad singers, so I fail to see the need for Kay's capable vocalizing to be electronically mutated.
A Funk Odyssey is not the first time that Jamiroquai has experimented with electro-funk. They did so on one of the few good tracks on Sykronized, which was the euphoric, rave-minded Supersonic. Also, the two songs Jamiroquai wrote and produced exclusively for film sountracks (Deeper Underground from Godzilla and Everybody's Going to the Moon from Titan A.E.) were passable techno-funk workouts that didn't completely deviate from the band's signature sound.
On Feels So Good, the shuttle liftoff synth sounds blast into the mix while Kay does an intergalactic shout out to all those funky planets in the disco solar system. It's got a tight bassline and some funky rhythm guitar, until the 80's electro effects and that overused vocoder overtake the song and hold it hostage. What's bad about this? It no longer sounds like a actual band. It's just Kay's manipulated vocal backed by tons of technology, sounding about as natural as the ingredients on the back of a box of frozen pizza.
Little L is a much-needed improvement. Why? There's what sounds like live guitar and bass on the track, and it's not inaudibly buried in the mix. The flourishing string section on top of the four-on-the-floor disco beat makes it sound like modern-day Chic, and the lyrics about abbreviated love ("you make me love you with a Little L") are nicely interplayed into the song's rhythm.
Another well-done track is Main Vein (an interesting title utilizing a phallic euphemism), where Jamiroquai zip through some fast-paced Isaac Hayes-type funk that would fit perfectly into the chase scene of a Shaft flick. The driving rhythm is coupled with a wah-wah guitar line, and some impressive backing vocals by Beverly Knight. Once again, Kay goes outside the norm with some clever one-liners ("I'm flying higher than a pig in space."), and the overall theme appears to be a scathing diatribe against the British tabloid press, where he's featured as a topic of gossip just about as often as Michael Jackson is here in America.
The upbeat, dance floor ready song Love Foolosophy could have been a decent tune, but it's way too frickin' Village People-sounding to be an appropriate addition to a modern funk album. Plus the cheesy lyrics about ill-advised choices in significant others must have been inspired by which supermodel Kay happened to be dating at the time, as opposed to a meaningful relationship (hence the Heidi Klum cameo in the song's video). This pointless, aerobics class backing track shows that there's a quantum difference between retro-tinged funk and a bad disco redux, as this song indicates.
Other than that, the tunes on A Funk Odyssey range from cutesy, bouncy pop fluff (You Give Me Something), a failed attempt at hard-edged Prodigy-flavored techno (Twenty Zero One) and a plastic bossa nova-ish ballad (Corner of the Earth). Even worse are Kay's existential questions posed to nature on the elevator music-sounding Black Crow. This is world philosophy from the eyes of a bird, with lyrics that are halfway decent, but here it's a thematically unwelcome element. Sociopolitical commentary was something that Kay did convincingly on past efforts, but here it sounds forced and contrived. In fact, a lot of the music on the disc sounds like a lower-grade version of what Daft Punk pulled off so well on their album Discovery. It's pretty pathetic that two French DJ's were able to cultivate music with more imagination and soul than one guy with countless musicians at his every whim.
Jamiroquai have sadly evolved from a promising band to a commercial brand name that continues to produce shiny, metallic packages of mass-marketed pop/funk that's slick, overproduced and yawnably uninvigorating. Whether it's Kay disintegration from musical visionary to inflated pop star or the record label's need for strings of hit singles is hard to decide. If this is a "funk odyssey" to a particular planet, it's one that's boring, flat and one-dimensional. If you plan to get on board, make sure that you don't have a one-way ticket. It ain't worth the bad ride.
Track Listing:
Feels So Good
Little L
You Give Me Something
Corner Of The Earth
Love Foolosophy
Stop Don’t Panic
Black Crow
Main Vein
Twenty Zero One
Picture Of My Life
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars |
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Emergency On Planet Earth: Jamiroquai's Young, Cocky & Full O' Funk DebutOct 19 '04 (Updated Sep 20 '05)
Author's Product Rating
Pros
Updated slices of soul, disco, jazz & funk, filtered lightly through modern club aesthetics
Cons
A few production flaws and lengthy, meandering songs, borrows way too heavily from its influences
The Bottom Line
The British band's organic debut album holds American soul and R&B circa 1975-78 in a higher regard than anything done since then.
Full Review
Brit retro-funksters Jamiroquai are a common name to many by now, but were you aware of their existence way back in...1993? Hmmm, well you weren't the only one, despite a minor cult following here in the States when their debut album was released. And back then, it was hard for anything outside of the grunge rock or boy band genres to get airplay on most radio stations. Ultimately, it would take four solid years of horn-heavy mirrorball moments, oversized hats and worldwide 70's soul revivals on small club stages to get people past the "Ja-miro-what?" phase. And of course, the band would later find higher recognition with the ubiquitous moving floor video for Virtual Insanity that won accolades for both the band's music and its flamboyant leader Jason Kay (a.k.a. Jay K).
But Jamiroquai were a different act back then than they are now. Nobody outside of Lenny Kravitz or the Brand New Heavies (a band that Kay was a potential singer for at one time) would dare touch retro soul with a ten-foot pole back in the early Nineties. Thus, Emergency On Planet Earth was the newly formed band having a serious makeout session with the supposed Kiss of Death, taking the listener back in time to Innervisions-style urban R&B and jazzy funk/soul. Jumping from a modest stint on the small (and now defunct) Acid Jazz label to a lucrative deal with Sony/Columbia was not too common for new acts. Maybe it was the fact that they were daring enough to take on an unfashionable sound that impressed the record execs. Maybe it was skinny white boy Kay channeling some serious black soul power through his young lungs that floored people and initiated a bidding war. Or maybe I've been sniffing too much paint thinner and don't know what the hell I'm talking about.
At any rate, I was slightly more impressed with the pointed sociopolitical rhetoric that dominates Kay's lyrics on Emergency On Planet Earth than with the music itself. When You Gonna Learn? is a great single, fueled by the same kind of activism as Curtis Mayfield, and with enough pro-environmentalist sentiment to initiate a crowded Greenpeace rally. Hand-clapping soul maneuvers with violin melodies and a skin-tight bassline (courtesy of Brand New Heavies bassist Andrew Levy on this track) are the standout elements, with a mid-song break that showcases the resonating tribal hum of the digeridoo. Kay's words present warning signs that Mother Nature will wreak her revenge against the wasteful tendencies of mankind someday. Not bad for a 24-year-old kid who used to skateboard his way through London begging for spare change and committing petty theft:
Yeah yeah, have you heard the news today?
Money's on the menu in my favorite restaurant
Well don't talk about quantity
Cause there's no fish left in the sea
Greedy man been killin' all the life there ever was
And you better play it Nature's way
Or she will take it all away
And don't try to tell me
You know more than her 'bout right from wrong
Oh, you've upset the balance, man
Done the only thing you can
Now my life is in your hands
The title track captures the same "save the planet" vibe as When You Gonna Learn?, with a faster tempo and more of a disco template as a foundation. What ruins it all is a surprisingly flat bassline, where the capable talent of Stuart Zender is misrepresented due to a poorly mixed track. He plays disco hooks via plucky slap bass licks, but it's pumped through what sounds like an amp with a blown speaker. The 70's cop show strings are a nice touch, but reinterpreting the same theme more than once showed that Jamiroquai would need time to get past their simple-minded soapbox grandiloquence.
The powerhouse 8-track flashback Hooked Up has Kay's lyrics comparing the addictive nature of funk and soul music to narcotics ("I'm so glad I got ya hooked up on my drug/Everybody dance to the music/Are you feeling well now you caught this bug/Everybody dance to the music"). The song is pure drainpipe-trousered 70's dance music, with stop-start horn blasts, chugging rhythm guitar and busy Latin percussion. Everything down to the smallest detail has analog production values written all over it, and Kay's pointed wails and shout-outs easily evoke the image of stage dancing a la James Brown and high kicks in tall platforms.
The band hits some brief soulful strides on the liquid funk-meets-jazz lite tune Blow Your Mind, where Kay's voice goes from a breathy verse to rhythmic scat vocal lines. Even though the lyrics amount to severely hollow Barry White-esque romanticism, its sensual groove is truly captivating, at least for first half of the eight-minute plus track. It ends at one point after a cosmic brass breakdown before starting up again in instrumental form with barely any variation. It's appropriate perhaps for jam-band fanatics, but will easily cause the casual listener to lose interest in favor of the skip button.
A buzzing space-age keyboard riff and marching band snare drum rolls comprise the urgent intro to Revolution 1993, a Sly Stone-inspired psychedelic horn funk jam. Kay sings, raps and chants his way through the same social consciousness and mildly radical overtones that are the primary thematic focus on the entire album. But this is not only the album's ninth track, it's also the album's lengthiest, at over ten minutes. It's at this point that the album's appeal withers, mainly due to excessiveness in theme and the redundant riffing and noodling that waters down some tracks.
Jamiroquai's debut proves to be a mildly intriguing listen overall, primarily to witness the early musical visions of both the band and Kay himself. It's interesting to note that only one member of this album's lineup (drummer Derrick McKenzie) is still a member of the band today, which illustrates Kay's reported ego trips and volatile personality in the studio and on tour. It's clear on this and every other release in the band's discography that Jamiroquai is essentially Kay with a revolving lineup, not a stable ensemble of musicians, which has proven to weaken their appeal over the years. Perhaps if they regained the same focused songwriting skills and tight funkmanship shown on 1995's immensely excellent The Return of the Space Cowboy, people might notice that there's more to the band than just slick video artifice and retro throwbacks. But if that's all you ever saw from the band when they made their brief flash on MTV, then Emergency On Planet Earth is definitely not for you.
Track Listing:
When You Gonna Learn? (Digeridoo)
Too Young to Die
Hooked Up
If I Like It, I Do It
Music of the Mind
Emergency on Planet Earth
Whatever It Is, I Just Can't Stop
Blow Your Mind
Revolution 1993
Didgin' Out
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars |
D! (dyego) |
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Catalonia is not Spain
Joined: 12 Jun 2005
Posts: 566
Location: Edinburgh
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| Posted: Sat Dec 10, 2005 20:53 |
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Uooo. Thanks Diego!!! Very complete |
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Dye
Correspondent & Expert
Joined: 16 Nov 2003
Posts: 5146
Location: Planet Home; Buenos Aires, Argentina
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| Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2005 18:19 |
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Thanks 'Cata' 
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Jamiroquai - Dynamite
We may snigger in amusement as Jay Kay's elaborate headgear, stifle a yawn at his car obsession and regard his laddish bar room brawling as pathetic, but in album sales Jamiroquai have notched up twenty million. Their live shows are always a dazzling spectacle and as a band are vastly underrated. It's been three years since Jamiroquai's last album "Funk Odyssey" and in that time he's parted company with bass player Stuart Zander and been hard at work co-producing new album "Dynamite" with Mike Spencer. This meeting of minds has certainly got the creative juices flowing resulting in a fresh, pulsating kaleidoscope of sound.
"Seven Days" has acoustic guitar, piano, drum machine and laid back swirly synths. It's the soundtrack to the summer. Jay Kay's distinctive, unmistakable vocal is as expressive, rich and charismatic as it's always been, but with a new found maturity he's sounding stronger and even more determined. He's still got da funk and a skinny white boy consumed with the love of soul music can only be applauded and admired in equal measures. It may be even more American sounding than Uncle Sam's recipe for Momma's sweet apple pie, but it's so damn contagiously catchy that you can only submit to it's sublime, astonishing beauty.
"Talulah" is much more jazzy with welcome bursts of saxophone, flutes, strings and the familiar sound of funky bass. This is a love song, a Jamiroquai style ballad with an almighty arrangement. It just stops being mushy and sentimental though. Lyrically it's autobiographical with Jay Kay begging his lover to "stop that plane, turn it around". His lyrics are weak and cliché ridden, but the female backing vocals and passionate feeling more than compensate.
"Black Devil Care" is funkier than ever with a boundless supply of lyrics crammed into this live sounding track with heavy guitars and a Lenny Kravitz type rock chorus. It fits in a lot of varying styles rooted in the 70s, but with modern technological advances made in the studio. The line "she's just a love machine" is a little predictable and Kay's Stevie Wonder influence is hard to ignore, but at least he gets to sing about his two favourite subjects: sex and cars.
"Time Won't Wait" has that Earth Wind and Fire energy to it with old school synths, great percussion and some brilliantly talented musicians wonderfully realized in the final track of the album.
Lyrically he will not give Chris Martin any sleepless nights, but his grasp of arranging, performing, producing and his passion for music is genuinely uplifting |
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Dynamite
Eclectic music tastes will satiate their starving ears this month with the much anticipated release of Dynamite by Sony Music recording artist, Jamiroquai.
According to some fans, this release is long overdue, following Jay Kay’s four-year hiatus from the entertainment scene. Jay Kay has definitely felt the insurmountable pressure to surpass the same success of his past five albums, which helped fuel his two-year spree of writing and refining newly recorded songs. “I’ve still got so much to prove,” he says. “But the bottom line is I still love it.”
His love for music has definitely proved to be an enduring force in this industry, where several artists buckle before the fruition of the dreaded sophomore album. Twenty million albums and four world tours later, Dynamite is a dynamic testament of his versatility as an artist and creative license to explore new forms of music.
His unpredictable musical journey begins with a full-speed-ahead first single, “Feels Just Like It Should.” Jamiroquai’s familiar breed of funk is evident, but when pressed through a digital grinder, it releases a rawer sound. This innovative form of composition is like a fantastic filet mignon – slightly undercooked to guarantee a savory tenderness.
“You hear it and think, what the fuck’s this?” says Kay. “If you haven’t had an album out in four years you want to have an impact, and this says it, I’m back with a vengeance.”
Charged with the ambition to make such an impact, Jamiroquai pours an array of metrosexual-at-midnight party jams (“Black Devil Car”) and socially conscious commentaries (“(Don’t) Give Hate a Chance”) into Dynamite. The divergent musical content, seemingly at different ends of the mood spectrum, creates an interestingly comprehensive album. This Grammy recipient and five-time MTV Award winner takes “thorough” to a completely different level, after writing and recording his new album in Spain, Costa Rica, Italy, Scotland, New York, Los Angeles, and his own Buckinghamshire studio.
“We recorded the whole album live,” Kay says. “Then digitally edged it, tightened it up, gave it a harder sound.”
The infectious energy of digital technology is unparalleled on the album’s title track. While it is a tad over-synthesized, the freshly pressed vocals churning phrases like, “you’ve got that dynamite baby,” have enough funk to keep any listener be-bopping on even the most miserable day.
Jamiroquai unexpectedly follows “Dynamite” with the melancholy acoustics and piano accompaniment of “Seven Days in Sunny June.” The song, about the conclusion of a seven-day tryst, is easily relatable with its “drinking wine and killing time” lyrics. Luckily, its upbeat nature prevents the song from crossing over to whininess.
The second half of the album seems to make a departure from the first with more dramatic, emotional overtures. While “Talulah” is another tune about sweetness turned sour, Jamiroquai jazzes up his hook, leaving the impression that he’s singing directly to the owner of his album in a smoky, red-lit lounge.
Jay Kay transitions from love to hate with “(Don’t) Give Hate a Chance,” laying out the pieces to the proverbial enigma “why can’t we live together?” The more questions he asks – “Who’s right? Who’s wrong? We’re not so different” – the more power the chorus projects. Steadfastness resounds from each note and earnest optimism drips from each bar which, paired together, forms a magnetic anthem by the end of the song: “This dream of ours will survive until no more people have to fight.”
The state of global politics also appears to be on the radar for Jamiroquai, masterfully addressed in both “World that He Wants” and “Hot Tequila Brown.”
While all three minutes and twelve seconds of the former track mark it as the shortest song on the CD, its distant vocals and haunting violin melodies, that tell the story of dictatorial control over the “free world,” secure the track as a skillful enterprise.
In contrast, the latter track is more up tempo and direct in its relay of content. Lines like, “How many lives will I lose on the battle lines? Inside my mind, I think I’ve had enough” and “Don’t shoot me down, sunshine shine down” interposed with the sounds of bombs and other ammunition, act as an unfortunate reminder of war around the world.
Jamiroquai’s astounding conclusion of Dynamite with “Hot Tequila Brown” is just another way in which he has consistently dropped “bombs” on the music industry. After breaking into American pop music from the UK’s “acid jazz revolution” of the ’90s, Jay Kay has finally squelched critics’ claims of career brevity. His vintage sound, courageous convictions and innovative style have transformed a once unknown, “scrawny white kid” with a musical ear into an international sensation. Jay Kay has spoon-fed hungry ears once again with a dose of much desired encouragement in what he describes as “a really funked-up time for the world.” In turn, Jamiroquai’s new release is destined to be everything that JJ Evans might have said it would be: “Dy-no-mmiitttee!” |
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| Jamiroquai, aka British-born Jay Kay, emerged from London’s acid jazz scene in the mid-'90s with an arrogant swagger, a ridiculous floppy hat, and the best Stevie Wonder impression you ever heard. Set against the grunge explosion of the time, Jamiroquai’s slick, danceable grooves were refreshing, if derivative. And for Jamiroquai, not much since has changed. Kay is still supernaturally obsessed with '70s soul music and can recreate it down to the last flared bellbottom. Of course, that means everything on Dynamite sounds like someone else: “Feel Like it Should” boasts an intergalactic funk stew that’d do George Clinton proud; the super-smooth soul shuffle “Seven Days in June” conjures a strong Earth, Wind & Fire vibe; sultry woodwinds and saxophones make “Talullah” sound like something that George Benson or Al Jarreau could’ve called their own. So maybe it fails as original, creative art. But as a warm, seductive slice of nostalgia, Dynamite works better than a pair of fishbowl platform shoes. |
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Cat attacks Bush! - Jamiroquai
by Megan Kates
One of the world’s funkiest combos, UK outfit Jamiroquai never fail to deliver when they take the stage. Previous Brisbane engagements have turned the Riverstage into a sea of writhing bodies, and the band promise to up the ante when they return next week.
Sure to feature heavily in the set is material from the new Jamiroquai album, Dynamite, which takes a harder, edgier approach to their funktastic stylings. Frontman Jay Kay says the album’s rawer sound emerged when much of the writing was done on guitar, something which translates into a more electric live experience.
“I wanted to bring that rock-funk feel to some of it because it’s a great thing to perform live,” Jay Kay says. “I think we wanted to do something different, that we hadn’t touched on much before and it seemed like a natural progression.”
Jamiroquai have been on the road since Dynamite was released in May, taking in the UK, US, Japan and all parts of Europe, from France and Spain to Bosnia and Slovenia. Jay Kay says it’s been a joy to be playing new material from Dynamite.
“You know, it can get dull playing all the old favourites, as it were. It’s nice to have a new roster to choose from and pep-up the set. We didn’t do ‘Virtual Insanity’ on the last tour because we’d done it for so long, but I think it’s been long enough now to bring it back again... it’s kinda cool to bring back the ones people know.”
One Dynamite track sure to be on the live wish-list of politically minded Jamiroquai fans will be ‘World That He Wants’, a barbed attack on the squatter currently residing at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, Washington DC. advertisement
“It’s loosely aimed at any dictator, but in this instance it’s aimed at George Bush,” he says. “George Bush is just making money out of war. He’s got shares in weapons companies. You know, he’s opened up a corridor – Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq... it won’t take him long to start dealing with Iran.
“I mean, this guy has got to realise we don’t all want to live like America. We don’t all want a town that’s got a Taco Bell, a McDonald’s, a Burger King stuck in every town. You know, I’ve just driven across the desert and it’s exactly the same. Every town you hit, the same thing. And some people don’t really want that.
“The whole [Bush] administration is slippery and it’s something I wanted to write about. It’s something I felt strongly about. I feel strongly about that guy. I mean, we’ve got to get rid of him because he’s trouble for all of us. The shit we’re all in now, it’s all been caused by him.
“It’s all done for America’s purposes and solely for their purposes. The bottom line is he’s sending away young men to war and like the line says in the song, he knows they’re not coming home – you’re talking about a Vietnam style thing. I thought you’d ‘won’ this war? You’re not gonna do it. I mean, Saddam Hussein was a tyrant, I’m not suggesting he wasn’t, but that’s not the reason they’ve gone in there.” |
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Dynamite
Artist: JAMIROQUAI
(Sony BMG)
Reviewer: EDWARD GOMEZ
DESPITE what you may think of his bizarre hats, string of celebrity lady friends and flashy sports cars, Jason Kay is a songwriter/frontman/musician with few equals. He defies labels and classification, trends and styles, and makes music that’s out of sync with the times yet funnily, shifts in great volumes.
Even stranger than the sales figures is the fact that Jamiroquai is more popular now than when Cosmic Girl was played to death on radio and Virtual Insanity picked up a Grammy. Jay Kay may have been attempting to channel Stevie Wonder, Funkadelic, The Isleys and Earth, Wind & Fire through his music these past 12 years; however, a hip personality (aided in no small part by very “in” sweat-suits and old-skool Adidas trainers), killer smile and open affection for techno bleeps and beats have allowed him to be accepted by kids who wouldn’t be able to tell Sly Stone from Sly Stallone. Kay realises this, of course. And this is perhaps the motivation behind Dynamite’s “new” feel and sound.
I can appreciate Kay attempting to connect with raver urban youths. I can even understand his decision to gloss over a few tracks with a hipper, cooler, electronic veneer. But I don’t like it. To me, Jamiroquai’s greatest moments have been courtesy of minimal production fuss.
Dynamite isn’t like that at all. It’s over-produced, jarring and often hard to stomach. Lead single Feels Like It Should, for example, is so blanketed with synthesised distortion that the melody is practically indiscernible. Ditto Love Blind and the way-too-rocky Black Devil Car.
Layer upon layer upon layer. Programmed effects over snaking synth lines over fuzz-toned guitars over Vocoder-ed vocals over more effects. Was there a plan in all this madness? Well, you have to believe so because, although the mix and choice of instruments can frequently annoy, when things do work, they work very, very well.
The bossa nova-tinged Talullah, with its nice saxophone flourishes and Electric Mistress’ Mike Garson-esque piano pattern (think Bowie’s Aladdin Sane) are prime examples. And then there’s the classic electro funk of Starchild and exquisite neo soul of Hot Tequila Brown.
But more worrying than the glistening sheen and new production approaches is the realisation that Kay no longer seems capable of holding your attention for the duration of an album. Once upon a time, the man conceived whole albums (sometimes ones with brilliant, original concepts) to be played from start to finish.
That the new record doesn’t come close to matching The Return of the Space Cowboy, Traveling without Moving or Synkronized is perhaps not surprising. Kay was at his peak when he wrote those records and time as well as the departure of keyboardist/collaborator Toby Smith seems to have dulled some of his sharpness.
Of course, the man still has good tunes left in him and for that reason alone Dynamite is worth the effort. But I was hoping for something more. |
 http://www.coppel.com.au/flash/jam_05.swf
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Jamiroquai @ Centennial Park, Sydney (03/12/05)
Reported on Thursday, Dec 08, 2005. 11:28 by i_have_ADD
Sydney in the summertime and life really doesn’t get much better. On the first weekend in December what better way to celebrate the start of the silly season than with an open air concert in Centennial Park with the funkiest cat in a hat, Jay Kay and his funk travelling band Jamiroquai? Having sold out the first scheduled show for Saturday December 3rd rather swiftly, a second show was announced to take place the day prior. Close to the event date it was announced that the two shows would combine and move to a larger area within the Centennial Park grounds. For most I’m sure this didn’t prove to be a problem, and in hindsight when the heavens opened and torrential rain bucketed down around 8pm on Friday night I’d say that each and every ticket holder for the show originally scheduled for that day breathed a collective sigh of relief.
Kicking off at 4pm gave the early arrivers a chance to revel in the sun, with Melbourne live act Mr Jigga, local Sydney favourites Sneaky Sound System, the Avalanches DJ team and Goodwill providing the soundtrack to the afternoon. The crowd, as to be expected, was incredibly diverse. Wveryone from your club kids through to mums and dads coming out to see the band. At one point prior to Jamiroquai taking the stage the music was interrupted as a message was sent out over the PA notifying someone their lost child was waiting at the cloak room, rather bizarre, but an indication of the crowd’s varied nature. Having sold well over 20 million albums it’s not surprising that Jamiroquai would attract such a varied crowd, and as odd as I thought it would be to share a dance space with people as old as my parents, it really didn’t seem that strange in retrospect. Everyone was there to have a good time, and it showed in their rapturous response to Jay Kay’s stage antics.
The bulk of the crowd generally didn’t seem too interested in what support acts had to offer. I kick myself for arriving too late to see Mr Jigga (I seem to miss them for one reason or another every time they’re in Sydney), but I did get inside the venue with enough time to have a boogie to the Avalanches. The trio were obviously having fun onstage and the tracks they dropped reflected the disparate ages of the crowd, playing everything from Bobbie Brown through
to Beck, and even a little bit of Chicks on Speed. The setup was impressive, a huge stage erected in the Parade Grounds. I’m ridiculously awful at estimate crowd numbers, but I’d put it at around 20,000, which made for a right spectacle when the sun went down and lights went on.
Taking to the stage just after 8pm the band opened with a trio of their most notable hits, starting with Canned Heat, before moving into Space Cowboy and then Cosmic Girl, the latter receiving a great response presumably thanks (in part) to it having featured in the 2004 movie Napoleon Dynamite. Try as I might to imitate said dance moves I just couldn’t seem to mirror the convulsive regularity of Napoleon, so I gave up and decided to concentrate on what was going on up onstage. Looking smashing in one of his signature headpieces and Adidas tracksuit Jay Kay moved with fluid ease from one end of the stage to the next, ably backed by the band who were about as tight as could be.
Tracks from the band’s 2001 album A Funk Odyssey proved to garner the greatest crowd response, with Little L, You Give Me Something and Love Foolosophy all sending the punters into a frenzy, but it was the encore of Traveling Without Moving from the 1996 album of the same name that really topped off the night. The set was surprisingly void of new material, Dynamite’s lead single Feels Just Like it Should not featuring in tonight’s show (that I’m aware of anyway... I’m sure I did well paid close attention while waiting in the beer queue!) Having not warmed to his newest material so much that didn’t really bother me, but the laidback funk of Seven Days in Sunny June proved to be another of the set’s many highlights and has me digging the latest album out for another listen.
It was great to head along to a concert like this in the outdoors. Over the summer months it really does make you appreciate good old Sydney Towne, and provided you could secure the right headliners and touring artists it would be wonderful for similar events to take place in future. I can’t count how many times Jay Kay told the crowd he loved Australia, and looking at the smiling faces as the concert finished and everyone made their way out of the park it’s plainly obvious that the love is returned in equal amounts. |
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Jamiroquai - Dynamite
Jay Kay & co. have returned once again after four long funk-less years. Jamiroquai's sixth album, Dynamite, is the group's first studio album since 2001's A Funk Odyssey. This time they've broadened their horizons, exhibiting a slight rock influence, but overall they have kept their funk/pop roots. Although not entirely falling into the same realm as their past material, the disc is solid, catchy, and overall, excellent. The album's title brings thoughts of John Heder as the title character in Napoleon Dynamite, who danced to Jamiroquai's "Canned Heat" in the film's penultimate scene. It would be safe to assume that the epithet is a reference to just that.
The group channels Lenny Kravitz on "Feels Just Like It Should," a rocking romp with a funky beat. But it works. It's a great disc opener and sets the table for the funk extravaganza that follows. "Dynamite," returns to the classic sound of the band and is smooth, funk-laced disco. Other highlights include "Seven Sunny Days in June," light and airy with acoustic guitars, wispy vocals, and some great work on the keys; and "Talulah" which is more on the smooth jazz/R&B side with hints of their Travelling Without Moving days. "Don't Give Hate A Chance" and "Time Won't Wait" are the epitome of the disco era and are instant Jamiroquai classics.
All in all, this offering from the keepers of the flame of neo-funk-pop totally delivers on every level. As with their past catalogue, it's another great disc from beginning to end, taking rock, funk, R&B, retro-disco and acid jazz, mixing up its parts and taking little bits of each to spread throughout. "Dynamite" is also an evolution in sound that retains the band's inclination while working even more genres into the fold. Now the element of rock has been added, but as is consistent with their ways, it has not been overdone. In 12 years they've released six albums, and not one has failed to please. This one is another that should be easy to wear out quickly. A. Reviewed for Starpulse.com by Victor Smith. |
D! (dyego) |
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Dye
Correspondent & Expert
Joined: 16 Nov 2003
Posts: 5146
Location: Planet Home; Buenos Aires, Argentina
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| Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2005 18:05 |
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Jamiroquai
Mr Dynamite
by Sasha Perera
If you’ve ever experienced Jamiroquai live, you’ll know it’s a sweaty, goodtime, funky affair that brings to life the outfit’s joyous music, whilst at the same time heightening Jay Kay’s appeal as that of a truly entertaining and mesmerizing performer. With new music on the agenda, and an eagerly-awaited upcoming tour of Australia ahead, I recently sat down with the mischievous and charismatic singer at his house in the English countryside to get the lowdown on what he’s been up to of late.
Feels Just Like It Should, the first single from 2005’s Dynamite, may not have been the big single that he had hoped for, but it certainly set the pace for the tunes on the new album.
“I just think that after four years away… I wanted to be dirty, if you know what I mean,” he says with a glint in his eyes. Feels Just Like It Should was a rock funk kind of sound; in fact we went forward in the overall production of the track by stuffing all the live instruments though Pro-Tools to tighten it up, but at the same time it’s a return to the funky drumming style of our earlier records. It was something different, and at the end of the day I didn’t want people slating me for releasing a first single from the new project that they thought was like some of our earlier records.”
The Jamiroquai brand can sometimes be a little confusing, with Jay Kay being the obvious constant in what often appears to be a band of session musicians.
“It is a band, but it isn’t,” Jay offers evasively. “In terms of making the music, it’s between me and the guys - or me and one of them. In the way in which we work, it’s the melodies that control the direction of a track for us, but also chords and lyrical ideas may spark off a new direction. It’s really about playing around and latching onto what works, and taking it from there – it can be both collaborative, or I can lead the way with my ideas.”
Any clearer? No, neither am I… and I’m not sure Jay Kay is either, but if it works that way, so be it!
Talking about the title track Dynamite, Jay Kay’s mind starts to wander, before returning to the explanation for deciding on the album’s title.
“I had some ideas for that song at home, but a lot of that track was done in Los Angeles,” he recalls. “I ended up buying a stolen Cadillac DeVille some time throughout that session which I can’t believe, but anyway….
“We were thinking about calling the album Give Hate A Chance - which is the title of one of the album’s songs - but that created a bit of a controversy and there was a bit of a kerfuffle about all that, so we decided to go with Dynamite.
“We thought that title was short and snappy and in way I do feel like I’m exploding back on the scene,” he says with a cheesy grin.
A different outlook to recording for Dynamite lead to Jay feeling invigorated about the process.
“There’s been more writing on the guitar for this album and I wanted to bring the rock funk feel to some of it,” Jay outlines. “I’ve been writing more on the guitar and keyboard with Rob [Harris, Jamiroquai member] this time and we wanted to something different that we hadn’t touched on before. We felt we had to give it more of a sonic edge to tighten everything up.”
Hopping across continents also added a fresh element to Dynamite.
“A lot of it has been done at my studio but it can get boring in the same environment, so we wrote all around the world,” Jay states. “We went to Costa Rica, Italy and my little shed in Scotland where the phones don’t work and you’re not distracted. The important thing was to get the song structure right - sort the wheat from the chaff - before we attempted to record them. If you don’t put an album out for three and a half years you’ve gotta focus on it to make it good - it’s gotta be considerably better than the last one. Hopefully people don’t turn around and say, well it sounds just like what you did last time, you know?”
It’s very apparent that Jay Kay is excited by the music on Dynamite and the prospect of taking the show live on the road. Despite all his success – 20 million albums sold, thank you very much - he’s almost like a debut-artist brimming with enthusiasm, talking about reactions to the album over the last few months.
“There’s nothing like it – I love it, and it’s still really exciting for me,” the star admits. “The other day they played our latest single on the radio and we all gathered around to hear it. It’s exactly the same as it was when we first started out, everyone was still really nervous in regards to what people will think of the track. There’s a side of me that can get really pissed off with the business side of things and marketing plans etcetera, but the ‘buzz’ surrounding the music still really gets me off.
“The other thing is that I’ve got a new head on me over the last year and half, and that really makes a difference,” he winks. “I’m sure you can work out what that’s all about. So anyway, it’s a different buzz that we really feed off now, and it’s just a case of getting out there and playing the new tracks live to audiences.”
Jamiroquai now plays Adelaide Entertainment Centre (not Memorial Drive as previously announced) on Fri Dec 9. Dynamite is out now through Sony/BMG. |
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Artist: Jamiroquai
Title: Dynamite
Label: Sony
Year: 2005
4.5 / 5
Not only did Jamiroquai survive the mauling they received in the movie Napoleon Dynamite, they even named their sixth album after the eponymous dance floor nerd. And “dynamite” isn’t a bad description of this pumped-up electronic funk soup. Frontman Jay Kay may no longer be the acid-tripping skateboard punk of Space Cowboy days, but evidently he’s still in the groove. His opening shot, “Feels Just Like It Should,” is Jamiroquai as you’ve never heard them before — more Lenny Kravitz than Stevie Wonder, awash in a rich mélange of pounding bass and electronic tweaks.
Kay’s lyrics could never be described as deep, nor his romantic notions Shakespearian, but “Seven Days in Sunny June” is a surprisingly tender tale of unrequited love. The album comes off the boil a bit towards the end, with a tiresomely earnest piece about that beastly George Bush (yawn). But it soon regains its poise with “Time Won’t Wait.” Think Sister Sledge on amphetamines. And if you’re still hungry for more, you can flip the CD to watch a couple of splendid videos. Jay Kay’s psychotic performance as the “Candy Man” makes Jim Carrey look like a librarian.
If Jamiroquai’s unique formula of tachycardic acid funk is your thing, then Dynamite won’t disappoint. It may even be their best yet. |
Damn I don't remember if I posted this one already!
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Jamiroquai Blows Up the SceneFour years in the making, an “Dynamite” is an instant classic
By WINNIE MCCROY
In 1994, a pack of cigarette papers emblazoned with the silhouette of a man in a horned Viking hat offered the coolest of all marketing swag––as a promotion for the new group Jamiroquai. More than a decade later, this band, fronted by funky singer Jay Kay, is still smoking. With the new release, “Dynamite,” Kay has proven that time has only made his jam sweeter.
Without exception, every song on this LP sizzles. The opening track, “Feels Just like It Should,” cranks out an industrial, almost ominous grinding groove. Like an old pickup truck turning over, the tune springs into life, rumbling with electronic soul. The effect becomes something like Kool and the Gang hyped up on krump dancing, all overlaying Kay’s earthy, organic groove. By the time Kay hits his break, singing, “You said it would feel this good—and it does,” you can believe those words.
The tune feels like the perfect anthem of our times, an amalgam of ‘70s funk and the best that modern electronica has to offer. You may not know what Kay is singing about, what kind of experience he hopes to get from seeing “the Candyman,” but halfway through this tune, you’ll be dancing too hard to care.
The equally hot title track “Dynamite” follows, also heavy with a Kool and the Gang vibe, mixed with a little Steely Dan, circa “Gaslight Abbey.” The distorted vocal stylings paint the scene of a carefree woman, head thrown back, taking the upper hand in her dealings with men. The rapid-fire exclamations of “dynamite” would make even the “Good Times’” JJ proud.
This same mood is found in “Star Child,” which mixes “Funkytown” with Donna Summer, electric funk guitar and bass punctuated by an Afro-Cuban drum break.
“(Don’t) Give Hate a Chance” has an electronica intro, painting a chaotic scene, with a “Bad Girls” urgency to it. The chorus backing Kay on vocals is positively slick, and the song comes to a haunting close with an a cappella ending. This merges nicely into the following track, “World That He Wants,” which starts out sounding like an old record player crooning out of a single tinny speaker. The far-away sound grows into a lush arrangement, crescendos with piano and strings, then slows down and peters out.
In “Black Devil Car,” Kay turns out a sinister, guitar-heavy track with a playful beat. “Why don’t you let me take a little ride with you?” he asks, in a sing-songy, lullabyish break. Just as you think he’s backed down, the tune busts back out with drums and guitars and a more urgent, “Let me drive your dream till your tank is dry.” Kay calls his sound “filthy,” and the way he draws you in with sweetness only to send you flying off your feet with wicked drums, guitars, and keyboards makes this an apt description.
“Dynamite” vacillates between tight, funky, dark tunes and sweet, irresistible funk ballads like “Seven Days in Sunny June.” This tune rings out with the sound that made Jamiroquai hot, that groovy beat, with a tinge of late ‘70s radio hits by Chicago and REO Speedwagon. In “Seven Days,” Kay tells the bittersweet tale of finally actualizing a long-held crush on a good friend, only to be told a week later that they have been friends too long to be lovers. “His regret is mixed with irony, but it is positively heartbreaking when he sings, “for seven days in June, I wasn’t lonely.”
Other softer songs include “Love Blind” and “Talulah.” The melancholy love tune “Love Blind” starts slow, then merges with a fast, bouncy tune like a classic by The Jackson 5 and finishes with a gospel sound. And “Talulah” begins like Sade’s “Smooth Operator,” with horns and snares. It is propelled along by Kay’s vocals, “She’s gone away, flying out on a jet plane,” which get faster as the song evolves, until he is pleading, “stop that plane, turn it around, I still love you babe/ tell the captain that I’m to blame….”
Jamiroquai spent four years working on making “Dynamite” as tight as possible and every last track shines with their efforts. “If you haven’t had an album out in four years,” says Kay in his press notes, “you want to have an impact, and this says it––I’m back with a vengeance.” |
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| Jamiroquai, the group most famous for a conveyor-belt video sequence, returns with the danceable Dynamite. File it between rump-shakin' R&B and the smooth jazz of dentist-office waiting rooms. This is guilty-pleasure dance pop for rock purists. Check out the lyrics on "Seven Days in Sunny June": "Drinkin' wine and killin' time, sitting in the summer sun." Who's against that? |
D! (dyego) |
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Dye
Correspondent & Expert
Joined: 16 Nov 2003
Posts: 5146
Location: Planet Home; Buenos Aires, Argentina
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| Posted: Sat Dec 17, 2005 18:02 |
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Jamiroquai should know all about being unique. At a time during the 90s when grunge was sweeping the globe with its angst-filled tones, the band carved a niche for themselves by playing the retro wildcard. Their eclectic yet danceable sound and space-age disco themes were popular with both dance-floor bandits and guitar worshippers, giving them a universal appeal that a lot of acts lacked then. And in Jay Kay, the band had the eccentric frontman that every tabloid wanted to dig dirt on and every pop star wanted to sleep with.
Alas, a decade on, the band is struggling to find a decent new footing without sounding like they sold out to the persuasive powers of mediocre record sales. Enter Dynamite, their latest offering, a workmanlike album filled with the usual quota of funky bop tunes and summery ballads. And Jamiroquai’s failure to evolve gradually is starting to show on this glaringly tiring effort.
But Dynamite is not all white flags and hands up, as songs like the surprisingly rocking ‘Black Devil Car’ provide a rare detour from the band’s staple sound. The sacrilegious use of dirty, distorted guitars could be a desperate attempt to win back a following of sorts, but it’s hard to resist the track’s sleazy marriage of a psychedelic rock riff with Kay’s distinct ramblings, creating a union that at times sounds decidedly curious. Furthermore, the sexy slow burning groove on ‘Talullah’ and the frenetic funkadelia on opener ‘Feels Just Like It Should’ are so natural that you momentarily forget that Kay has written these songs hundreds of times over in past albums.
It is a compliment overshadowed by the boring tunes that dominate the rest of this effort. After nearly a decade of trying to find a pedestal to speak from, Jamiroquai have become embarrassing parodies of themselves. The combustible spontaneity that was so evident in the band’s early years certainly looks spent and dry, together with the sci-fi themes that were once a pivotal part of the overall experience. Instead, it is replaced by a frantic search for artistic importance.
Jamiroquai fans did not take to the band because they wanted to think; they wanted their records to blast just before a weekend of gallivanting or to liven up boring house parties. On the surface, the band retains enough dance-pop sensibilities to brighten up a dour room. Scratch deeper however, and you’ll discover a group struggling to find the right foot to move forward from. For a band led by a frontman that could once bop in large uncomfortable hats and still look cool, that notion is just plain sad. |
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Dy-no-mite!
Jamiroquai (Dynamite)
Sunday, September 11 byBen De Leon
Much has happened in the four years since “space cowboy” Jay Kay and co. – better known as Jamiroquai – have graced us with a new album. For frontman/activist/partier Kay, a life of club-kid excess, his notorious headbutting incident with UK paparazzi, the (amicable) departure of co-writer/keyboard player Toby Smith, and kicking a destructive coke habit seem to have put things in to perspective for the 35-year-old artist seemingly having suffered from (or more accurately, enjoyed) a split personality. This newfound focus shines through on the band’s sixth studio album, the hard hitting and disco-drenched Dynamite.
Unlike prior Jamiroquai records, Dynamite lends itself more towards straight-ahead dance anthems. True, Jamiroquai has always been known for their trademark dance/funk/disco fusions (e.g. “Cosmic Girl,” “Canned Heat”), but nowhere does such a fondness lie more so than on this release. Except for a few tracks, most songs on Dynamite keep up with heavy guitars, solid bass lines, and a quickened pace that screams “Saturday Night Fever” – and with titles such as “Dynamite,” “Electric Mistress,” and “Starchild,” how could they not?
Standout songs include the disco-driven title track, the exuberant and electric guitar-heavy “Love Blind,” and the soft, heartfelt “World That He Wants” – a jab at America’s commander-in-chief. Other tracks are fun and more than fit for the dance floor. Backed by a chorus of soulful divas chanting, “We’ve been giving hate a chance / We’ve got all this love to give,” “(Don’t) Give Hate a Chance” was made for the Love Parade… or for Cher’s comeback tour. While the absence of another “Virtual Insanity” may hinder a large American response, expect Dynamite to be a hit with solid Jamiroquai fans. |
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Dynamite by Dominique Stewart
Jamiroquai
Jesus Christ! He’s finally done it! Finally, he’s followed up Space Cowboy with a thoroughly good record that is in no way distilled with Jay Kay’s fascination with Stevie Wonder and early 80’s disco. This is smooth 70’s guitar funk and soul with no messing around. “Feels Just Like It Should,” is Black Heat and mid 70’s Earth Wind and Fire to the extreme. As is “Don’t Give Hate a Chance” and “Electric Mistress” reminisces of what The Gap Band might have done with modern technology. The crowning glory however is “Seven Days in Sunny June,” which is down right ridiculously fantastic! This is smooth, smooth, smooth! Jay Kay you have reinvented yourself! “Starchild” is super funky in a Commodores kind of way…except better! “Talullah” is silky smooth and sexy! “Hot Tequila Brown” gives me images of George McRae at his funkiest! The best album since “Space Cowboy,” heaven sent in a way that young kids today will never know! Funky, funky, funky…to tha bone! |
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Jamiroquai - Dynamite
And between the many escapes of this year the sixth album of Jason Kay, last product of this psichedelico, shining (and matto arrives also to tie) personage, lover of the Ferrari, funky years ' 70, the club cultures, of the excesses, the risse in the premises, the cocaine (to said abandoned its from 6 months), 23 million discs in beyond 10 years of career. We refute endured a follow up identical of To Funk Odissey, in these four Jay years has tried to also change to a Pò the sound remaining in roots funk and POP, heading a lot at the use of the guitars and a melodia less danzereccia manifacturing (fortunately) an incredible disc that will turn to repetition in your reader for much time. Reflexive and little braggart, calmer we could say but always loaded with energy. Strongly use of technology from he never appreciated but poured them and that it has allowed it to carry themselves behind through laptop (protools in primis) just the job turning a Pò ovunque (Majorca, Coast Rica, New York, Los pure Angeles and Marine Milan) collecting many cues, in the disc feels. Already from the first single (and opening track)"Feels just like it should" slow, unstoppable part in the groove bringing back a Pò on the wakes of "Deeper Underground" and a lot to us winning gradually sliding without falls of some type. Benchè to the end the entirety me turns out enough various from the usual, the style remains unmistakable in every sfacettatura where Kay has accustomed to us: relaxing jazz in "Seven Days In Sunny June" or "Talulah", ballatona slow in "World That He Wants", the years ' the 70 and jammate chitarrine of "Time Won' t Wait" and "(Don' t) Give Hate To Chance", funk scale classifiche in "Dynamite", "healthy Starchild" and electropop in "Electric Mistress". It cannot be asked better, although the continuous time not to mistake blows, the return in large of a great artist. |
In spanish:
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Dynamite
Jamiroquai
Este grupo ya va en el sexto disco de su historia, pero nunca estará de más aclararlo: la música acid-jazz no es jazz y de ácido no tiene nada. Es sobre todo funk y soul de vieja guardia puestos al día en Inglaterra a fines de los ‘80, pero Acid Jazz es el nombre del sello que en 1992 lanzó el primer himno mundial del estilo: "When you gonna learn?", una canción de letra conservacionista, estilo funky sensacional y con un movedizo cantante bajo un gorro de búfalo mojado en la cabeza. La primera canción de Jamiroquai.
Hoy ese cantante ya suma doce años al timón del grupo y acid-jazz es un vocablo hace tiempo en desuso, pero Jamiroquai no se ha apartado mucho de esos principios. Y ha pasado por todas. A mediados de los ‘90 era difícil sustraerse a su omnipresencia en MTV, a los éxitos de su álbum Travelling without moving (1996) como "Virtual insanity", "Cosmic girl" y "Alright" y a su Teatro Monumental lleno con más de seis mil personas el 16 de octubre de 1997 en Santiago de Chile, aunque luego vinieran discos menos efectivos como Synkronized (1999) y A funk odyssey (2001).
Tal vez por eso Dynamite tiene un gusto a la era más exitosa de Jamiroquai y es una vuelta de tuerca a su estilo. El cantante Jay Kay escribe una canción titulada "World that he wants", donde se pregunta con sentimiento "¿Por qué este hombre desafìa la tormenta y nos incendia a todos?'', en supuesta alusión a George Bush, y es cierto que ahí se oye más instrospectivo y que la primera canción del disco suena algo electrónica, como cuando el grupo hizo "Deeper underground" para la película Godzilla (1998). Pero esos pianos eléctricos y esas líneas de bajo funky de "Dynamite", esos violines de "Starchild" y el pulso disco de "(Don't) Give hate a chance" podrían haber estado en cualquiera de los hits que el grupo popularizó en los años 90.
Si la sorpresa no viene garantizada en Dynamite, sí lo están cierta distinción y la siempre presente escuela del primer Stevie Wonder. En esos rasgos se nota que Jamiroquai funciona al modo de grupos como The Cure o Simply Red: al mando del cantante. De la formación clásica del conjunto sólo subsiste el baterista Derrick McKenzie, porque el bajista Stuart Zender abandonó en 1996 y tampoco están el tecladista Toby Smith ni el guitarrista Simon Katz, y sin embargo este disco está igualmente bien concebido y ejecutado. La identidad la mantiene Jason Kay, alias Jay Kay, alias JK. Alias Jamiroquai. |
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Jamiroquai
Dynamite (SonyBMG)
This often forward-looking sixth album reaffirms Jay Kay’s affinity with another car-collecting graduate of the rave era, the Prodigy’s Liam Howlett: both take the sounds that excited them as youngsters and alchemically extract something golden and new.
This may not be the record to win over the doubters, but it contains enough musical invention to undermine any reflexive criticism. Take the opening track and the first single, Feels Just Like it Should: its bassline is built from a treated, vocoder-played vocal hum, which underpins a muscular hip-hop track that is devoid of gimmickry. If an acknowledged production visionary such as Timbaland had created it, it would be hailed as the coolest thing since, like, ever.
When the album does look back for its inspiration, however, it moves the Jamiroquai sound forward. Seven Days sounds like the song that the Neptunes have been searching for but have never quite found in their N*E*R*D guise, while Electric Mistress gives 1970s disco the sort of crisp and crunchy veneer that Daft Punk’s Thomas Bangalter did with Stardust’s Music Sounds Better with You. Starchild is an unapologetic homage to George Clinton, Love Blind is a scarcely credible collision of Billy Joel and the Chemical Brothers, while Black Devil Car is the sort of rock song that Prince stopped writing a decade ago. Throughout, Dynamite remains exciting, accessible and entertaining. |
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On 2005's DYNAMITE, Jamiroquai mastermind/vocalist Jay Kay stays deep in a funk/disco groove. While most of the album consists of up-tempo dance-floor-ready tunes, most notably the "Night Fever"-like title track and the bass-driven "Starchild," there are detours into mellower territory, particularly the slow jam "Talulah" and the string-laden "World That He Wants." Kay also takes time to contemplate his favorite subject--expensive automobiles--on the uncharacteristically rocked-out "Black Devil Car." While the British group doesn't cover much new ground here, DYNAMITE's immediate appeal proves that innovation isn't necessarily a key part of the Jamiroquai sound. Kay and company simply want to provide a fun, funky time, and that's exactly what listeners will get.
Industry Reviews
3 stars out of 5 - Jay Kay returns with another blast of super-slick soul... |
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After "A Funk Odyssey," like a lot of other long- time fans of Jay K, I feared the magic was over. It was too polished, too electronic, too "pop" for my liking.
With "Dynamite," the acid jazz is back. The fat grooves and deep pockets are back. Jamiroquai is back!
These guys are both cheered and jeered for wearing their influences on their sleeves, but they obviously can't help it. I'm sure Jay K must get a little tired of the Stevie Wonder comparisons, but if you're going to be compared to someone, you could do worse than it being Stevie.
The great thing about Jamiroquai is that you basically know what you're going to get with each release (Odyssey aside): Much like the motown era soul and funk from artists like Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye, Jamiroquai deliver great soul, funk, and feel- good tracks that stand the test of time. This is a band with a great catalogue of music.
What some might consider redundancy, I view as consistency. Jamiroquai never date themselves with trends or era- specific lyrics. Dynamite, like almost all their albums, is chock-full of contagious grooves and timeless songs.
If you're a fan of any and all of their releases from "Emergency on Planet Earth" up to "Synkronized," I have no hesitation in recommending you give Dynamite it's first of many spins. |
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Jamiroquai
Dynamite
Sony BMG
pop,funk,r&b,soul,
By Del F. Cowie
With Jamiroquai’s sixth studio album, it’s evident that there’s not much change afoot in Jay Kay’s camp since he last released a record four years ago. However, for what it’s worth the change that is present helps Dynamite to sound better than their last couple of records. While the disco is thankfully dialled down a little bit than on recent Jamiroquai releases, it’s still a tad over-represented, and those who have balked at the slick production sheen on Jamiroquai’s past music won’t find anything to change their minds here. Still, “Tallulah” and the excellent “Seven Sunny Days In June” are evidence that Jay Kay still has it and was the same person who recorded Emergency on Planet Earth way back when. But the apparent need to play musical genre chairs on nearly every track ultimately does this record in. |
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Jamiroquai
Synkronized
S2
Soul,disco,
By Prasad Bidaye
August 10, 1999
The horn-headed boy wonder with a big, sweet mouth is back, and after years of slagging off rave culture for its so-called artificially-produced sounds, the pulsating disco tempos of his latest disc suggests that Mr. Jay Kay has been enjoying himself on more than a few hits of E since the band's last release. Soundwise, Synkronized is Jamiroquai's most sophisticated production. Every note on this disc is played with personality. The bass lines are break dancing, the hi-hats are high, and the strings just soar throughout. "Canned Heat," "Planet Home" and "Where Do We Go From Here?" sound more like hi-NRG and house than acid jazz, while slower tempos on "Falling" and "Butterfly" ease the pressure for Jay Kay's more romantic musings. The most inventive track on Synkronized is the dreamy instrumental "Destitute Illusion." Toby Smith's keyboard arrangements are psychedelic and soulful, recalling Tangerine Dream as much as Stevie Wonder. As for Kay, its hard to tell what exactly he's singing about half of the time, except that the inspiration he's feeling is extraordinary. When he testifies "I know I've found a God I can pray to" on "Soul Education," you know the brother's in control. The songs don't come anywhere close to the smooth balance of funk and environmentalism in their earlier material, but their philosophy of pre-millennial escapism makes this one of the most energetic recordings Jamiroquai has released in years. |
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Review Dynamite / Jamiroquai:
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| Review Travelling Without Moving / Jamiroquai:Adding moving congress pop savvy eating to their sidey cure soul-disco mix letter nips, Jamiroquai grabbed choppers tuesday the attention forest modern of MTV create and Top skin 40 radio british school and won admit clintons a Grammy inside with this thinning platinum-selling album subscription chopper, their third bushs. It's a every selection fine record rivers cows, with warm baby star keyboards, sweet from strings, and failed irrepressible grooves says fills grounding Jay doctors Kay's sublime cause diet vocals and days fueling the almost hits ("Virtual whether keep Insanity," "Cosmic topranked animals Girl," the lose title track) stuff nonwoven. That voice-elastic american children, jazzy-is the back fire of population bids the band restore group, but immaculate star tempted guitar sounds picks, snappy backup northern soaring vocals, and prison areas clever old-school protesters tide soul samples states (Eddie Harris sword on "Alright," stress Esther Phillips send on "High cause Times") are post finalsfifa the details response wide that create duke frozen perfection. Balancing here approach the dance-ready allegedly aids, radio-friendly tracks greenhouse are the wide strike ballads "Everyday" class fourth and "Spend jacksonville a Lifetime," healthy the reggae-styled serious "Drifting Along," getting and a wont couple of does didjeridoo instrumentals company. -Suzanne McElfresh ready toxic. |
Translated (badly):
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Jamiroquai: Dynamite
The Acid fusion Spacecowboy arrived after some high-altitude flights on the roads. At least on the Cover of its new disk. JK can be made a blueprint black-and-white in backyards. And tones on "dynamites", which reflect its Disco Streetstyle, are actual. Jamiroquai s stylistic adjustment is on the sixth album in principle the same: perfectly they pack Soul, radio and club by means of extensive equipment, predominantly positively been correct harmonies and electronic reminiscences to the UK Dance scene. There are a few innovations nevertheless. Thus the verse desks single "Feels Just Like It Should" occur the unusually ruede Disco Tuere with its Lo Fi-Funkrock at the beginning. Guitarist Rob Harris unpacks here to grounded Drum Groove, laser cheeping electronics and a short, irritating 80er-Synthie-Intermezzo guitar traces, which cut the Studioluft from rotzig to filigran (Harris let it hum on "A radio Odyssey" now and then properly). Afterwards the plate pushes the common Jamiroquai fan less before the head. And promptly Jay Kay stagnation on high level is accused - as with each release. That lies on the one hand at always branch-pure, from Vollblut Muckern made production. And this time particularly at the fact that the blunt sound of the single does not rumpelt more frequently. To more hard TRACKS the British cannot struggle through themselves simply. Thus only "Black Devils Car" comes along still as straighter UP-speed-Rocker. "Seven Days in Sunny June" surprises against it with sunny Singer Songwriter guitar. In the center the plate sets standards predominantly on Jamiroquai, even if Harris starts the skirt guitar occasionally. The bass machines of the faster numbers "Electric Mistress" and "Love blind" grooven in the UK Dance context, and "dynamites", "Starchild", "(Don't) Give Hate A chance" or "Talullah" supply the well-known mixture from modern Disco and Liebessong. Nevertheless: Who does not appreciate Jamiroquai s fastidious Groove, its exzellentes Songwriting and the supple kind of bringing Live instruments and programming together, does not have probably definitely the radio. |
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JAMIROQUAI
Dynamite
(Sony/BMG)
If you, as well as I, are counting the days so that the Jamiroquai launches its next COMPACT DISC, our wait you finished! Dynamite, the last work of the English group, is magnificent! With an architecture bolder than in the previous works, one of the new features is the stock exchange operator exchange. During one turnê of Annie Lenox, Jay Ray invited Paul Turner to participate of the works of this album. Thus, to break April, you it will hear new serious in the group.
But they are not sad, therefore the extraordinary Stuart Zender still participates of some bands of this COMPACT DISC. The record is opened in Feels Just Like It Should , an energy mixture of soul underground with known elements as electrum fuzz. Dynamite , the band-heading, is simply entrancing! Joining rhythmic elements of the classic rock with a composed line for Alex Meadows in the molds of the record music, is impossible to leave its motionless feet when hearing chorus main. The next one is Seven Days in Sunny June , one pop-ballad with the shining participation of the keyboards of Matt Johnson and the guitar of Rob Harris. Electric Mistress in sends them to the universe of electronic music, contends elements of launge music (small intervals with the insertion
of new contrastantes elements with the presented material previously). If it does not leave to delude for the apparent simplicity of the opening of Love Blind .
The melódica line of the subject, lead for Kay, is only the premessenger of the bold solution found in chorus, with brilliant solutions of thematic modulation carried through by the band. Consecrated the saxofonista and flautista Nathan Haines participates of Talullah . In World that He Wants , the voice of Kay, the piano of Matt Johnson and the beautiful composed orquestração Benjamin F. Wright Jr are enough to choose this subject as one of prettiest of the Jamiroquai in its consecrated career. It likes complicated things? It tries experimental Black Devil Car where misfortunes, displacements of accents and mixture of styles interact absolutely of unknown form in the texture of the group.
E beats Derrick to it McKenzie is, without a doubt, one of the great prominences.
Clearly that it could not lack the subject with grife Jamiroquai. Hot Tequila Brown is the face of the group. Most legal it is that the writing of a DVD during the excursion of the group for diverse parts of the world is programmed.
There we go to initiate our counting of new! |
D! (dyego) |
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JamiroFan2000
Correspondent
Joined: 21 Mar 2002
Posts: 2881
Location: The Jamiroquaized States Of America
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| Posted: Sat Dec 17, 2005 18:16 |
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 Hello,
 Hehe, I could really foresee this topic being saved for future generations of Jamiroquai Fans to resource back too when studying the "Dynamite Era" of Jamiroquai on Mtey's site !  Just a slight japing, keep up the great "cut n pasting" Brother D, still a joy to read with each new addition ! Peace!
Sincerely,
JamiroFan2000
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deesh
Joined: 23 Feb 2002
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Dye
Correspondent & Expert
Joined: 16 Nov 2003
Posts: 5146
Location: Planet Home; Buenos Aires, Argentina
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| Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2005 16:39 |
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Hi there
Yes Vibingirl, I posted that review ("random piano notes interrupting electric mistress", I remember that ), but it's always so much nicer to read it from the actual paper.
Thanks for that
D! (dyego) |
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Dye
Correspondent & Expert
Joined: 16 Nov 2003
Posts: 5146
Location: Planet Home; Buenos Aires, Argentina
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| Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2005 17:47 |
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Here I found a few more:
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Dynamite
C+
In the ’80s I wore neon-pink slouch socks, and in the ’90s I curled my bangs to look like sausages. As trends changed, so did I. Jamiroquai lead singer Jay Kay isn’t ready to part with his signature oversized headgear, and the band’s funkified beats have stayed put also. On the British group’s sixth album, the more soulful jazzy sounds of their earlier releases can be heard on slow tracks such as Tallulah and World That He Wants. A twisted hip shaker is never far away, even if you can’t differentiate between them all. As long as a groovy beat remains, songs about throwing laser beams and rhyming about disco bitches don’t sound all that ridiculous. Well, maybe a little ridiculous. This disc is worth a listen, but it will soon find a home at the bottom of your CD rack. It’s definitely not dynamite.
Shannon Ander |
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Jamiroquai - Dynamite
I honestly don't care if they're labeled a Stevie Wonder ripoff act. I really don't. Why? Because Jay Kay and his crew, while taking 4 years to release this album, still consistently put out good shit. Stevie knocked back the release date of his new album twice now, re-recording half of it. Which is fine and dandy, but I want my funk-dance-acid jazz fix more than every ten years. Period. On with the review.
Feels Just Like It Should
Jay Kay uses his voice for the bassline on the opening track and first single. Definite Pharrel\Neptunes feel to this track with a decidely english spin. A bit of a throwback to his "Deeper Underground" remix, but solid in its own right. Is that a moog I hear? Good shit, simple and funky.
Dynamite
Long, repetitive, and nothing like the title suggests. Skip it unless you want to hear a 4 on tha Flo' disco Bee-Gees b-side.
Seven Days In Sunny June
Pretty. If you're familiar with Jamiroquai, you'll dig this. Just don't listen to the lyrics, as they're a bit of a downer.
Electric Mistress
Rock the bells. Someone's been listening to Neu the last four years and thought adding a plucky bassline would improve their sound. They were right. LCD Soundsystem could learn a thing or two from Jay Kay's minimalist take on the genre.
Starchild
Every time I try and deny the Stevie Wonder comparisons they have to go and release a track like this. Bastards. Still good, still a toe-tapper, still a blatant rip-off. Wackachaka bassline included.
Love Blind
What is this, Wings? Oh, wait, that's just the beginning. The rest is boring in an entirely different way. The rumbling bass is misleading - it really is a boring song.
Edit: I take it back, this track has grown on me as I float in the pool buzzing on a few drinks. So it does what it's supposed to do - kept my buzz going without forcing itself down my throat.
Talulah
Flutes. Acid jazz. This could have come straight off of a Blue Note Records compilation disk. That's a good thing. Slow and peppery, a nice mid-record break.
(Don't) Give Hate a Chance
Things speed up again, with the kind of spice Jay Kay is known for. The lyrics are throw away and unneeded, it's all about the foundation slipping and sliding throughout this one. You can churn butter with this bassline.
World That He Wants
Half the song that "Half The Man" is, but I'm a sucker for intros that evoke a radio playing softly in another room building up slowly as if you are wandering from room to room, going about your day. Self does it better with "Placing The Blame", but you all should know this already since you've all run out and bought Breakfast With Girls, right? RIGHT? This song is a blatant rip on Bush and, as such, should be ignored lyrically unless that's the way your cookies slide off the platter.
Black Devil Car
Ha, Jay Kay's a gearhead and this song is about a car! Ha ha ha. This will be the next single, I guarantee it.
Hot Tequila Brown
Kind of a funky/reggae groove thing. I like it, but honestly cannot say why.
Time Won't Wait
Cosmic Girl redux.
All in all, Jay Kay and the rest of the boys don't bring anything entirely new to the table, but do deliver a solid album that fans will appreciate and possibly garner some new ones. I hope Jay Kay puts together a duet album. Hearing him collaborate with the likes of Joss Stone, Kanye West, and Nils Petter Molvaer would kick so much ass they'd need to ship in extra. |
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Jamiroquai Dynamites back into the groove
CD review: Dynamite (Jamiroquai)
By Brenton Sloane
The sixth album by Jamiroquai, Dynamite, is another strong effort by the British pop/funk act. Their last five albums were renowned among many in Europe and Australia as being full of dance grooves, funky melodies and alternative rhythms, and Dynamite doesn’t disappoint on this front.
As usual, Jamiroquai and enigmatic front man Jay Kay are at their best with more upbeat and funk-laden tunes and do at times struggle with slower, more traditional tones. Luckily, this doesn’t happen often on Dynamite.
The first single and first track from the album, ‘Feels Just Like it Should’, basically says it all – Jamiroquai are back with more of their best. This song is catchy pop and full of beats and gives a good idea of what is to come. ‘Dynamite’, the title song and second track, flows on well from this, but does get a bit repetitive towards the end.
‘Seven Days in Sunny June’, the most recent single, is next and is an example of Jamiroquai at a bit slower pace. Despite this, the song is probably one of the more powerful songs on the album, full of lyrics of reminiscing and love. The beats are largely gone for this song but this is one occasion when that doesn’t matter.
Immediately the album launches back into funky dance beats, with ‘Electric Mistress’ and follows on with ‘Star Child’ which is at times so funky it sounds almost like a 70s porn soundtrack.
From this point, the album enters a small lull. Of the next four songs, ‘Love Blind’, ‘Talulah’, ‘Give Hate A Chance’ and ‘World That He Wants’, only ‘Talulah’ rises above the realm of good, and only then because of its moving lyrics.
But the album finishes on a high, with ‘Black Devil Car’ (one of the best songs on the album), followed by ‘Hot Tequila Brown’, which is as cool as its title is confusing.
This album is a must have for any Jamiroquai fan and definitely a must-listen for any fan of dance, pop, funk or alternative music. |
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Jamiroquai
Dynamite
I have a lot of time for the jazz-inspired, little hatted one, Jay Kay. He is an original and his dazzling music is, at its best, an inventive hybrid. Jamiroquai’s long-awaited sixth studio album was written and recorded over two years. It was worth the effort. All 11 jazz pop melodies simply make the world a better place. The first single Feels Just Like It Should, sounds like Lenny Kravitz popped in for a visit. Second single, Seven Days in Sunny June, is completely different and more like the sunny jazz-fusion we know Jamiroquai for. All the songs are snappy with a cocky strut to them you will love. Star Child is the ‘70s all over again. It needs to be on loud and proud before you go out dancing next. |
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Yahoo Review
On 2005's DYNAMITE, Jamiroquai mastermind/vocalist Jay Kay stays deep in a funk/disco groove. While most of the album consists of up-tempo dance-floor-ready tunes, most notably the "Night Fever"-like title track and the bass-driven "Starchild," there are detours into mellower territory, particularly the slow jam "Talulah" and the string-laden "World That He Wants." Kay also takes time to contemplate his favorite subject--expensive automobiles--on the uncharacteristically rocked-out "Black Devil Car." While the British group doesn't cover much new ground here, DYNAMITE's immediate appeal proves that innovation isn't necessarily a key part of the Jamiroquai sound. Kay and company simply want to provide a fun, funky time, and that's exactly what listeners will get.
This DualDisc presents the CD version of DYNAMITE on one side and a DVD version with surround-sound mix and bonus video material (including a making-of featurette, a music video for "Feels Just Like it Should," and an interview with Kay) on the other. |
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Dynamite
Jamiroquai (Rock)
Release Date: 09/20/2005
Label: EPIC
©(P) 2005 SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT (UK) LIMITED
Not unlike one of its lead singer Jay Kay's much publicized Lamborghinis, the U.K. funk band Jamiroquai is primarily a vehicle for its frontman's various fetishes. Which is another way of saying that Kay loves disco and fancy retro sneakers and he wears both well. He has done so ever since he hippie-danced his way out of the acid jazz ghetto of the early '90s with Jamiroquai's revelatory debut album, Emergency on Planet Earth. That album featured Kay's bright and soulful vocals against '70s-style funk and drew obvious comparisons to Stevie Wonder, Earth, Wind & Fire, and sundry other icons of vintage R&B. Not too much has changed in the years since and 2005's Dynamite finds Kay and Co. delving once again into various '70s- and '80s-inspired dance sounds. Similar to 2001's dazzlingly slick Funk Odyssey, Dynamite reveals Kay as a dancefloor eclectic, inclined to grab as much from Chic and Parliament as Kajagoogoo, the Police, and Terry Callier. Keeping to this grab bag aesthetic, Kay makes the most of his experimentation with some "vocal bass synthetics" on the hard funk title track. Also engaging is the melancholy soul-folk of "Seven Days in Sunny June" and the similarly quiet storm-ready ballad "Talullah." On the funky side of things, "Starchild" finds Kay proclaiming the coming of a disco superman while "Time Won't Wait" is an infectious Off the Wall-era Michael Jackson boogie fest with Kay urging people to make their dreams come true over a bed of pulsating disco beats. The Jamiroquai faithful would accept nothing less. ~ Matt Collar, All Music Guide |
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MUSIC: Return of the cat in the hat
JAY KAY GETS BACK IN THE GROOVE.
MAKING their comeback this summer after an extended hiatus, which saw them absent from the live stage for three years, Jamiroquai could be justified in taking a moment to remind people of their not inconsiderable achievements.
Fronted by idiosyncratic hat fan Jay Kay, ringmaster of Jamiroquai's revolving line-up, they were signed to an unprecedented eight-album deal for Sony in 1992 and went on to repay the label's faith, notching up album sales topping 20million.
Their breakthrough release, Emergency On Planet Earth, rocketed straight to No 1 in 1993 and was followed by Return Of The Space Cowboy in 1994 and Travelling Without Moving in 1997 - which gave Jamiroquai their introduction to the global market. In 1999 Synkronized also took the top spot, followed by multi-platinum release A Funk Odyssey in 2001.
Radio silence ensued. The tales about Jay's wild lifestyle, fast cars, even faster women, his lavish Berkshire manor and his hedonistic partying fizzled out as he retreated to the Continent, New York, LA, the Caribbean paradise of Costa Rica and the studio he has purpose-built in his stately home.
He even came to Scotland to work on his album Dynamite, which came out in June.
In a recent interview he said he went to "his little shed in Scotland" for peace to work on the record.
He said: "The phones don't work and you're not distracted there. It's in the middle of nowhere, so you've just got a keyboard, guitar, a little drum machine and you know if you can hammer out songs that sound good just with those three things and a voice, you're on your way."
The album was preceded by Feels Just Like It Should, a track that evolved from Jay messing about as a human beatbox and resulted in a bass-driven track he describes as "really filthy".
Speaking of the two years he spent crafting his album, Jay said: "I've still got so much to prove. But the bottom line is I still love it. I love the thrill of seeing a track come together."
On this record, Jay was at the controls in the production box working for the first time with co-producer Mike Spencer. And he is pleased with the results.
"It's bigger. We recorded the whole album live, then digitally edged it, tightened it up, gave it a harder sound.
"But I also wanted to maximise the groove, to keep the verses sparse and the choruses big. Dynamite's a groove and I wanted to nail it."
The son of 70s singing star Karen Kay, Jay went off the rails in his early teens.
He was picked up for petty crimes and dossing down in a London squat when his brand of jazzy funk-pop captured the imagination of Sony's A&R moguls.
The brash, outspoken, rowdy upstart rubbed many up the wrong way, but the album sales figures, chart-topping singles, awards and four world tours speak for themselves.
Then there are the trappings of the celebrity lifestyle - his high-profile relationship with showbiz gal Denise Van Outen and their break-up, and his conviction for speeding in Perthshire in 2004 which dampened his passion for flashy cars.
Jay admits he is perplexed by the madness of the world. "As the human race we aim to do nothing but kill and maim each other.
"All we do is hate, hate, hate. And a lot of it seems to be done in the name of religion, which is what Give Hate A Chance and Star Child are about.
"We hate each other for all sorts of reasons: different religion, different colour, different way of thinking.
"It's hate, hate, hate and I just think when is it going to end?"
On album track The World He Wants, Jay reflects on where Bush is "leading" the world, he tackles TV evangelism on Star Child and describes Give Hate A Chance as "an anthemic, DJ ready, sign of our times".
But of course his comments are intertwined with genetically modified grooves for fans to dance to, and Jay insists the politically-aware songwriter and the party boy are compatible.
He says: "They're the two sides of me and that comes out in the music, and it's really that kind of simple.
But also music is escapism for people, it isn't just doom and gloom." |
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Jamiroquai
Dynamite
BMG
"It's been so long/And the groove in my heart is nearly gone." Thankfully, Jay Kay proves that you can't take all the lyrics seriously - it's been four years since his last release and he's still got the groove. The album begins with a series of five hot tracks, highlights being Dynamite and Starchild, both about completely different topics, but delivered in that signature Jamiroquai way. But by track six, Love Blind, the formula starts feeling a bit tiresome, and the following four tracks feel like little more than white noise. The penultimate track, Black Devil Car, gives the album a final boost, mixing the hard edge of a bass with suggestive lyrics - "You got such a tight machine/Now let me drive your dream/Until your tank is dry...High heels, shiny wheels, looking for a tight squeeze/Rocket fuel and jet juice, now she's getting real loose." While Dynamite won't exactly blow your mind, whether you want it in the background as you lounge around or in the forefront while you turn it up on the dance floor, there'll always be a time and place for it. EC |
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POP QUIZ
Aidin Vaziri | Jay Kay tells us about the nasty little habit that nearly derailed his career, life on a big English country estate and love found again behind the wheel. Just don't ask the 35-year-old Jamiroquai front man about that Costa Rican hangover. Or where he buys those ridiculous hats. The British funk outfit releases its latest album, "Dynamite."
Jay Kay
Q: The song "Hot Tequila Brown" is about a three-day cocaine binge that almost killed you.
A: Yeah, it talks about being awake after three days and wondering what the hell I'm doing. I'm watching the sun come up and not realizing the Costa Rican sun comes up pretty quick and gets pretty hot. So the bottle of brown tequila I had on the bed with my eyes lolling about came to my lips and it was like, it was like ... drinking coffee from Starbucks.
Q: That's like drinking diarrhea.
A: This s -- burned my lips off. After that, I thought, I don't want to play this game anymore.
Q: Is the cocaine to blame for the 20-minute didgeridoo solos on your previous albums?
A: No, that's the dope.
Q: Have you given up dope as well?
A: No, you can still smell the sweet scent of sensei around me.
Q: Your last release was a breakup album. Have you gone on any dates lately?
A: No, I haven't. I haven't been thinking about it, to be honest. But if you're asking me if I've been having regular, enjoyable sex, the answer's yes. |
D! (dyego) |
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Dye
Correspondent & Expert
Joined: 16 Nov 2003
Posts: 5146
Location: Planet Home; Buenos Aires, Argentina
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| Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2005 17:00 |
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Quotes from Disco Savvy on 'Dynamite' from different sources:
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DYNAMITE
The disco songs on this very good album are "Dynamite", "Starchild", "Time Won't Wait", and "(Don't) Give Hate a Chance". "Electric Mistress" is electro-dance, while "Feels Just Like It Should" and "Black Devil Car" have a rockish flavor. "Feels Just Like It Should" debuted at number 8 on the U.K. singles chart in June 2005. "(Don't) Give Hate a Chance" reached number 27 on the U.K. singles chart in November 2005. Things mellow out on "Seven Days in Sunny June", "Talullah", and "World That He Wants". This album was recorded in Los Angeles and several locations in Europe and Latin America, and mixed in New York City. It debuted on the U.K. album chart at number 3.
"Dynamite is his sixth album of the same old same old and, while it can never be as fresh to the ears as his debut, it is in no way inferior as a collection of finger-popping songs. Feels Just Like it Should is a good chunky single to lead off with. Its heavy space funk represents only the slightest tweaking of the Jamiroquai sound... The heady title track is so authentically retro it sounds like it was recorded in the mid-1970s, complete with typical disco lyrics about chemistry on the dance floor/in the bedroom. ... Starchild - a very 1970s funk title - is another mirror ball moment, souped up with strings. The lyrics are nonsense but, as with all good disco tracks, it's all about the feel. ... For a moment, it sounds like Give Hate a Chance may be the first ever full-on sparkling disco groover about negative energy but - relax, love and peace divas - they're all singing 'don't give hate a chance'. World that he Wants, a portrait of domestic tribulation, is the only attempt to tackle something weightier than cars and girls and even then it's really just an accurate pastiche of a socially conscious Stevie ballad. ... However, one palpable plus about this whole album is the immaculate production work by Kay himself and Mike Spencer, who have clearly served a bunch of decent but unremarkable songs particularly well."
- Fiona Shepherd, The Scotsman (June 17, 2005)
"He and his Ferraris now generate irritation that won't be quelled by the release of his sixth album. Yet there's an elegant languor to Dynamite's Starbucks-soul that shouldn't be dismissed. The vocals, which may well have been recorded from a chaise longue, mesh beguilingly with sunny melodies that rank with Jamiroquai staples like Cosmic Girl. When Kay rouses himself, he can even funk convincingly, as proved by Electric Mistress... Overlook the hazy underlying politicism - Starchild belatedly fulminates against TV evangelists - to enjoy a smooth, summery cocktail."
- Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian (June 17, 2005)
"The real sound of the UK dancefloor remains exactly where it was five, 10, 15 years ago - with the well-crafted, easy-on-the-ear retro-funk of Jamiroquai... There's something comfortingly familiar about the band's sound, which is as amenable here as it was years ago in the hands of Stevie Wonder and Earth, Wind & Fire, if not quite as brimful of inspiration. ... Recorded live in the studio, then nipped, tucked and toughened up by digital tweaking, Dynamite is as smooth and muscular as a Chippendale's chest, and about as slippery too, the strutting bass and slick rhythm guitar locking together on tracks like 'Starchild' and 'Electric Mistress' (even the titles have been imported from the Seventies). Which is not to say Jay Kay & co have been entirely static. In particular, 'Love Blind' and 'Feels Just Like It Should' have a fatter, dirtier sound than usual - more rock-funk than funk-rock, almost. Lyrically, it's much the same mix of sexual intrigue and political complaint as before, with the sardonic 'Give Hate a Chance' and 'World That He Wants', a heavily orchestrated piano ballad about George Bush..., balanced by the more personal regret of 'Talulah'..."
- Andy Gill, The Independent (June 17, 2005)
"...Jay Kay's mastery of his craft is undeniable, with sterling vocal performances and three or four tunes that could easily find their way onto The Very Best of Earth, Wind & Fire."
- Rhodri Marsden, The London Line (June 16, 2005)
"Dynamite is a surprisingly good return to form from a band who aren't just fans of 80s electro, sci-fi disco and bubblegum soul - they practically wrote the book. First single Feels Just Like it Should feels just like Cosmic Girl should, and Starchild, the album's most funkadelic moment, has a wah-wah guitar lick so fat you can almost forgive Kay's stupid hat collection. ...the solid songwriting carries the album."
- Rebecca Barry, The New Zealand Herald (July 16, 2005)
"...it's a lot of fun to listen to... Kay manages to somehow sound retro and fresh at the same time. ... It's disco mixed with electronica and with a dash of horns mixed in. ... There are a few misses as well on this CD, notably when Kay waxes a tad too political, or tries to rock out a little bit too earnestly. However, all in all this is a solid effort from a band that undeservedly flies under the radar after one big single."
- The Brandon Sun (September 25, 2005) |
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consistent, stripped down, does what JKay does best:
I've got 'em all and wasn't entirely sure about what to make of this album before I bought it--I was really hoping that a mainstay of my CD player wouldn't have put out a stinker. Actually when I first heard it I wasn't too sure what to make of it either, but it really grew on me. The music's pretty much all really good and it's a lot more stripped down than in the past. According to the little "making of" video on the DVD, this was the first album they did with ProTools, but it doesn't really sound like they lost it when they went to digital editing. Some bands really go nutball with ProTools and end up totally killing their sound, either by leaving too much in, making the tracks really repetitive, etc., but JKay and Company managed to resist that and keep things sounding fresh and dynamic.
Faves: Tallulah, Hot Tequila Brown, Feels Just Like It Should
The only songs I guess I don't really get are Electric Mistress and Black Devil Car. They're not bad, but they just doesn't seem to fit with the rest and break up the mood of the album.
No dij, though.
Jamiroquai back to form:
After "A Funk Odyssey," like a lot of other long- time fans of Jay K, I feared the magic was over. It was too polished, too electronic, too "pop" for my liking.
With "Dynamite," the acid jazz is back. The fat grooves and deep pockets are back. Jamiroquai is back!
These guys are both cheered and jeered for wearing their influences on their sleeves, but they obviously can't help it. I'm sure Jay K must get a little tired of the Stevie Wonder comparisons, but if you're going to be compared to someone, you could do worse than it being Stevie.
The great thing about Jamiroquai is that you basically know what you're going to get with each release (Odyssey aside): Much like the motown era soul and funk from artists like Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye, Jamiroquai deliver great soul, funk, and feel- good tracks that stand the test of time. This is a band with a great catalogue of music.
What some might consider redundancy, I view as consistency. Jamiroquai never date themselves with trends or era- specific lyrics. Dynamite, like almost all their albums, is chock-full of contagious grooves and timeless songs.
If you're a fan of any and all of their releases from "Emergency on Planet Earth" up to "Synkronized," I have no hesitation in recommending you give Dynamite it's first of many spins. |
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Feels just like it should... sooo good!:
I am a loyal Jamiroquai follower... when they have a new album I don't listen beforehand...I just buy. I have yet to be disappointed and that includes dynamite. Each album has its own feel and this one is just sooo good. I wish Jamiroquai had more of a following in the States because people are often bewildered when I tell them that they are my favorite band. To those that get it... this album will not disappoint. I am constantly becoming obsessed with different tracks the more I listen... Enjoy! |
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A VERY good Album:
I have read a few of the other reviews and like some of them I did not much care for the last album or the direction it seemed JK was going. When I first got this CD I put it in and thought it is still has that club/ house sound instead of the earlier sound, but after about 20 listens the album is GOOD. Damn Good!!
The sound is getting back to the original and JK is right on.If you are a fan you should love this one. |
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Jamiroquai - Dynamite
I picked up the new Jamiroquai and I have to say it is not as strong a recording as I would like. I guess my expectations that Jay will put out another Emergency are wasted but that’s not to say that Dynamite isn’t without its charms. It starts off strong with “Feels Just like it should” which lays down a nice groove with solid drumming and really makes for good listening. Through out the album and on past albums I have to say that I have a tendency to disagree with the obviousness of house and dancehall influence but it works well on “Feels Just Like it should”. Another win in my mind is “Seven Days with Sunny June”. It lets Jay seduce the listener with his vocal ability which is nicely supported by an admittedly sexy Disco-funk ballad instrumental. The acoustic guitar licks are a nice touch giving it a more laid back “summer” chill out feel and I dug it even if it was a bit “pop-y”.
Electric Mistress on the other side of the coin struck me as a total failure. The opening sounded like it was sampled from the Futurama theme song and it’s a bit too heavy on the house for my tastes. If it was on in a club I’d go bananas but I’ll pretty much go nuts if anything I recognize drops when I’m drinking. One element that I did love about it is this reoccurring piano line. Very nice. It has the sound of something I would expect to hear in a Trip Hop or Acid Jazz track, it’s just a shame it was wasted on this cut. Star Child also didn’t really do it for me. It’s certainly not a bad track but it’s nothing new. On “Love Blind” there’s a nice jazzy break down in the middle which works well in between heavy electronic keys and guitar with nice cutting by the DJ but that’s about the only aspect of the song I really got into.
Telulah is excellent. I really enjoyed it. Very soulful, nice sax and flute lines and it flows very comfortably. What can I say; it’s baby-making music. Black Devil Car is another track I enjoyed. The layered guitar lines are funky and fun and the cow bell helps drive the song. I’ve got a fever and the only cure is more cow bell. The verses are stronger than the choruses which get a bit too rock and not enough funk but they work well together. The thing with Black Devil Car is that it’s very formulaic. Don’t get me wrong it just means that it’s eerily catchy and you may feel guilty for liking it.
Well that about sums it up. Obviously I didn’t touch on every song but I think you get a good idea of my feelings. If I had to give my definitive feelings on the album it would be this;
Dynamite makes for good background music but if you want a party or are looking for some really good listening than older Jamiroquai installments will keep you discernibly happier.
4 and a half out of 10 |
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MTV Asia
Jamiroquai
Dynamite (Sony BMG)
Our rating: 7/10 User rating: 8.8/10 9 votes
Choice Cut : "Dynamite", "Talullah", "Hot Tequila Brown"
Four years after the multi-platinum A Funk Odyssey, Britain's most respected export Jamiroquai has finally released their 6th full-length studio album. Dynamite follows up on the same signature funky groove tunes that frontman Jay Kay has always been famous for besides his outrageously stylish headgears.
This time round though, I must insist that the comparisons with Stevie Wonder by critics stop. It's not Stevie but The Bee Gees that Jamiroquai borrows material from. The disco beats in "Starchild", "Dynamite" nearly had me doing a Tony Manero impersonation from Saturday Night Fever.
Slower laid back tracks like "Talullah", "Seven Days In Sunny June", and "Hot Tequila Brown" showcase Jay Kay's soul pipes, while "(Don't) Give Hate A Chance" returns to Jay Kay's Acid Jazz roots.
The album doesn't disappoint, but it doesn't exactly exceed expectations either. Considering it was four years in the making, I half expected the album to spawn a huge worldwide hit as popular as 1996's "Virtual Insanity", but I guess that's unlikely to happen.
-- Gabriel Leong |
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Title - 'Dynamite' (Epic)
Artist - Jamiroquai
I bought all six of Jamiroquai's albums a couple of weeks after the Dynamite import version was released. I listened to them in order giving each CD about a 2 week listen in isolation. My favorite disc was Return of the Space Cowboy which is clearly Jamiroquai at their best and is the best album by far. My second favorite? Dynamite. Yep. Travelling is my 3rd favorite (they played it a little safe on that album). I hate Funk Oddessy with a passion! I am very much a fan of the "old" acid jazz/ funk Jamiroquai. Dynamite is the perfectly blended combination of the acid jazz/ funk of Jamiroquai's first 3 albums and the more uptempo disco/ funk/ rock sound of the last 2. It has that avant garde, original feel that Return Of The Space Cowboy does combined with the commercial elements that made Travelling without moving such a good album. Jamiroquai cut back on the commercial techno sound that fans have complained about recently. Here are the best songs on the album as I see them. Seven days in Sunny June - best cut on the album. They could have put this song on Travelling and fans would have not been able to imagine the CD without it. The piano playing on this song reminds me of some of the Brand New Heavies best work. This is very good acid jazz/ funk. Starchild - excellent I listen to this song over and over. Black Devil Car - The rock edge to this song is awesome. I skipped through it the first time I heard it, but once I gave it a chance that was all she wrote. Dynamite - One of the best title tracks Jamiroquai has ever done. It's not as good as Travelling, and Return Of The Space Cowboy's title tracks but what is? My other favorites are Electric Mistress, World That He Wants, Feels Just Like It Should, and (Don't) Give Hate A Chance. But I like the entire album and the only other Jamiroquai album I can say that about is, of course, Return Of The Space Cowboy! |
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'Dynamite' gives sensations of warmth, relaxationI
Well Iʼve found the perfect summer CD, too bad itʼs fall and looking more and more like winter every day. Jamiroquaiʼs newest CD, “Dynamite,” seems like the perfect sunny day soundtrack made for hanging out around the pool or cruising around with the top down. I have never in my life described something as “funky-fresh,” but I really believe that these are the only words that do this disk justice.Jamiroquai mixes a fun, funky, disco sound with a sexier techno edge. The disk is not afraid of its blatant electronic basis, actually relishes it, but manages to also use some “real” instruments over all the computers. Some of my favorite cuts on the disk, “Seven Days In Sunny June,” “Electric Mistress” and “Starchild”, are all very different in there sounds, showing Jamiroquaiʼs talent at not just sticking with one continuous style . “Dynamite” is full of surprises. “Seven Days in Sunny June,” for example, is a light, relaxed song about falling in and out of love, while, directly following it, “Electric Mistress” is harder techno confession of a love for the dance floor. The songs all have one thing in common though; they make me think of a nice L.A. summer, sitting around and doing nothing, thinking about love and what to wear, and definitely not the SATʼs, college applications, or getting a 4.0.All the tracks are slightly catchy, but, all in all, they just take way too long for just listening to; the disk is ideal background music. While reviewing it, I have cleaned my room, washed my car and done my math homework, and Iʼm even listening to it as I am writing this. It blends nicly with manual labor and thinking while subconciously lifting you up a little bit.Overall, itʼs a great CD as long as you have something else to do while your listening to it and itʼs a nice reminder of summer bliss. So if you need some good background music or a nice spot of sunshine and warmth this winter, definitely look into it - and relax. ‘ |
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Jamiroquai @ Cardiff International Arena
When most people think of acid-jazz, they conjure up thoughts of the portly character John Thompson plays in The Fast Show, Louis Balfour, emitting buzzwords such as ‘nice!’ and ‘mmm… admirable’. Essentially, acid-jazz has never been considered a genre due to its laughable overtones. Its prominent vanguard, Jamiroquai, have been churning out the hits for over a decade despite cheap criticism from the music press.
Their main figure of loathing is front-man Jay Kay; initially touted as a poor mans Stevie Wonder, he has only moved sideways for some, producing lightweight funk jams and struggling for credibility as a white soul artist. Thirteen years on and with six albums under their belt, Jamiroquai have continued to hold mass commercial appeal and Kay’s hunger for performing is still formidable.
Tonights 'Canned Heat' displays watertight funk at its best. Wah-Wah pedals interweaved with slick guitar hooks drive the insatiable melodies as Kay bolts on stage full of gusto . Kay’s vocals remain pitch perfect, at their essence signalling fun but still exhibiting a range a sweet harmonics.The indispensable salvo of ebullient tunes progressed with cult favourite 'Return Of The Space Cowboy', a hypnotic jaunt into Kay’s narcotic world interpreted through mellow keys that built into a collective jam between all band members. Recent single 'Seven Days In Sunny June' has Kay at his breeziest. The infectious strumming coupled with beatific ivories encompasses the soundtrack of the now sorrowfully distant summer.
One justified criticism towards Kay and his accomplished band is the tendency to act on a conditioned reflex, something that has functioned itself into the writing process on recent albums. Though 'Dynamite' and 'Love Foolosophy' are fine cuts separately, their combined efficacy is unnecessary and clocks in at nearly half-hour...thats asking a lot of an audience full of stoners who are having trouble focusing.
Once the extended acid-jazz noodlings are complete, it's time to revue the hit singles list and Jamiroquai’s signature tune 'Virtual Insanity' still sounds unwilted and poignant nine years on. The humanitarian subject matter is even more prominent in today’s political climate and allows Kay an obvious diatribe at George W Bush. After a rapturous finale, Kay returns to the stage for a one-song encore. The bruising 'Deeper Underground', coincidently Jamiroquai’s solitary number one, is a lavish way to conclude an exceptional night of music, whatever genre it’s filed under. In the words of Louis Balfour, ‘Grrrreat!’ |
D! (dyego) |
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Dye
Correspondent & Expert
Joined: 16 Nov 2003
Posts: 5146
Location: Planet Home; Buenos Aires, Argentina
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| Posted: Sat Jan 21, 2006 17:03 |
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Look! My site in the google search list appeared!!
http://www.google.com/search?q=jamiroquai+%2B+dynamite+%2B+4th+single&hl=en&lr=&start=20&sa=N
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Jamiroquai
Dynamite (Epic, 2005)
Listen to "Talullah."
As has-been pop stars go, the terminally behatted Jamiroquai front man Jay Kay does an appealing job of not letting go. That might be because he simply doesn't know how: Since 1993, when he made a brief splash with an impossibly corny (yet legitimately funky) brand of ecologically minded disco-pop, Kay has turned up every few years with a new batch of tunes that only a scientist (or Stevie Wonder) could distinguish from the one that preceded it. Dynamite closes an especially long gap for Jamiroquai; it follows A Funk Odyssey, which received a lukewarm welcome when it was released on Sept. 11, 2001. Has the widespread geopolitical tumult of the intervening four years made an impact on Kay's music? Not a bit: The cotton-candy flutes and taut Studio 54 strings that buoy "Talullah" provide a clear-cut path to musical escapism. Kay may be as out of touch as the surviving members of Queen, but at least his delusion is beautifully appointed. |
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Jamiroquai - Dynamite
At the moment I am writing this, I think Dynamite is the second best Jamiroquai album. This is a surprising statement while I thought it would never happen. In the 1990s, Jamiroquai already had three excellent albums - The Return of the Space Cowboy, Travelling Without Moving and Synkronized. The first album, Emergency on Planet Earth included a few superb gems but as a whole it was not that brilliant yet. And A Funk Odyssey, released in 2001, turned out to be clearly worse than the three previous albums.
However, Dynamite is, well, dynamite, even though the expression is overused. The single hit "Feels Just Like It Should" sounds too much like Lenny Kravitz to be a Jamiroquai classic, but even that song is somehow quite fresh. Then something strange happens. Track by track, the album just gets better. The title track shows J has still 'got it' when it comes to disco-funk. "Seven Days in Sunny June" grooves very nicely, and "Electric Mistress" maintains the level. "Starchild", then, is an instant classic I confess I didn't believe I would ever hear again on a Jamiroquai album. Pure gold! Probably one of the three best Jamiroquai tracks ever, beside "Do You Know Where You're Coming from" (featuring M-Beat), and "King for a Day." Better than "Virtual Insanity"?? You bet.
Well, let us see what comes after the climax... Of course, "Talullah" isn't that great, but yet it is pleasing to hear; this kind of J tracks were totally missing on A Funk Odyssey so we hadn't hear this kind of J tracks since 1999. Fine. Also "Love Blind" is fine - especially the waltzing 'doo-doo-doo-doo' part. And then, ladies and gentlemen, "(Don't) Give Hate a Chance." A brilliant song title, but even a better song. If something on this album is almost about to equal "Starchild" then it is this one. Fresh like J once used to be. Grrreat!
The fact that this isn't worth more than four stars is unfortunately sure after hearing the songs that close the album. "World That He Wants" criticises Dubya Bush and that is totally OK, though the music isn't very memorable. But though "Black Devil Car" is something new for Jamiroquai - a hard-rocking track - it turns out to be a dull moment. "Hot Tequila Brown" is simply quite boring.
But despite the couple of dull tracks at the end, Dynamite brings back the faith in Jamiroquai. J and the gang are still sort of kings in what they do best, be it disco-funk, soft funky soul, or just something groovy that can't be exactly defined. Welcome back! |
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DYNAMITE
After the platinum success of 2001’s A Funk Odyssey, and Jay Kay’s increasing dissatisfaction with the music industry, popular funk act Jamiroquai were put on hold,Four years later Jay Kay returns with Dynamite.From first I found Dynamite to be a solid,likeable album, but regarding the music and production,something was missing.The album credits revealed alot of new names,and whilst Jamiroquai's lineup had seen changes in the past,this was like a complete overhaul. Essentially, Dynamite is still very Jamiroquai but with a cleaner production as opposed to the grand,exotic production of my favourite Jamiroquai album, Return of the space cowboy.Hardly a disappointment,but initially underwhelming.It took many listens before I got beyond merely liking Dynamite but it never felt a chore,and like some divine sweet, Dynamite became juicier and tastier as I consumed these 12 new tracks.
Something I noticed quickly is the number of potential hit singles/Greatest Hits candidates.Including the existing single “Feels just like it should”(which sounds much better away from its annoying music video).There are several tracks that glow, groove and thump along with the band’s best songs,theyre really that good! Especially the title track, the brilliant “Don’t give hate a chance” and “Time wont wait”,three disco anthems recalling The Jacksons' Triumph,Earth Wind & Fire and Grace Jones in her wonderfully camp disco phase.The remaining tracks cant match up to those,Still they all have their good moments.The downtempo “Hot tequila brown” and “Tallulah” show off Jay Kay’s still remarkable singing abilities(not to mention those of the excellent female backing)“World that he wants” misses the exotic flourish of old Jamiroquai ballads, yet is passionately sung over a piano/strings backing that blossoms with each listen. “Electric mistress” is perfect for under the glitterball and “Starchild” is catchy with cool wah-wah guitars and more excellent singing.
It's the production side i.e Jay Kay’s voice beng too low in the mix at times, that has me longing for the 1990s Jamiroquai on occasion, but a good thing about the production here,is the stricter track running times as previous albums could become quite exhaustive.
While I prefer A Funk Odyssey's concept, Travelling without moving's wider variety and the busier sound that makes Return of so great, despite these perhaps unfair (but inevitable) comparisons, Dynamite is more than satisfying, more than just a good come back, being a wonderful album for fans and newcomers alike, that despite the big lineup change, can sit proudly among the group’s impressive back catalogue. |
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Jamiroquai
Travelling Without Moving
When did the didjeridoo become a vital part of the jazz/funk fusion scene, enough to be allowed lead parts in two songs by England's silliest wearer of hats, Jamiroquai's aptly named album, Travelling Without Moving? Both "Didjerama" and "Didjital Vibrations" feature the big long, single-undulating-note-capability stick, fairly heavily to incredibly tedious effect.
But hell, let's not just concentrate on the old didjeridoo for slowing this record right down and pushing it to levels of tedium never attempted before by what is essentially dance music. It would still have met with success in the dragging stakes without it. The only people who would feel comfortable dancing to this would be Dads at weddings. They would be totally at home with the left step right step click your fingers dance, and that is the only dance moves that anybody would be bothered to pull off. Even Pans People (non-UK residents, look it up) were drained of inspiration for their TOTP performance to the point where their routine consisted of them wearing sensible clothes costumes and standing in a line nodding their head in unison.
It will be a cold day in hell before I pull this out again, and it was with reluctance that I pulled it out the other night, but I did in the interests of unbiased music journalism. I did it for you, fair reader, now what are you going to do for me?
Sadly, I have one more Jamiroquai album to review before I can be shot of him for good, but that will have to wait. Right now I need something that makes me want to dance.........where did I put that Yo La Tengo record? |
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A FUNK ODYSSEY
Return To Form!
by God_of_Death SLC
Reviewed on September 25th, 2001
A few years ago Jay Kay and Jamiroquai seemed to have the world at their feet.Travelling Without Moving had seen him gain worldwide success,high profile relationship theme tune to a summer blockbuster-everything seemed perfect.Then they went and released the very patchy album Sykronised and it seemed to set them back a great deal.Well thankfully this new album sees them returning to form in a big way.The sound maybe very distinctly Jamiroquai,but it's as good a collection of songs since that 3rd album.There are a few changes to previous efforts-notably less ballads,more funk and no didgeridoo instrumentals.
The best intergalactic funk band emerge with the song "Feel So Good"-it's Cosmic Girl but more spacey and a lot more funky.The intergalactic list of planets make this song almost sound like the Rah Bands 'Clouds Across The Moon'-without all the cheesy sentiment.The first single "Little L" sees them mixing funky rhythms with disco violins and a chorus to die for.The daft Punk,Herbie Hancock influence is running right across this c.d.Nowhere is this more obvious then on song 3-gentle vocoded background vocals mixed with a certain acid-jazz feel- oh and this song also has an amazing string section attatched to it also.
Three songs in and each one is a potential single-oh and this song also has an amazing string section attatched to it also.The 4th song is the closest this gets too being a slow and tender number.A massively orchestrated grandiose opening is soon taken over by the lilt of Spanish guitar and backing female vocals you'd associate with a 60's Andy Williams song from the French Riviera.Funk returns big time with glorious guitars and more Chic violins on song 5-it's the first real 'album' track.The next song has the harshest sounds on this album-it's actually a really stonking dance song-deep bass synths and an overall sound that is quite similar to their song 'Deeper Underground'.I have to say it's one of my favourite songs on the c.d.-maybe cos it just sounds so different to all the other songs."Black Crow" is another slow song.Once again he uses Spanish guitar,Riviera backing vocals and the usual amount of the environments in deep trouble lyrical references.Again it's a song that's very catchy,very mellow and another nice change in sound and pace.Song 8-"Main Vein" is almost mid 70's disco you'd associate with Ross Royce.The guitar is total Huggy Bear and it's got those strings again.
The next song sounds like he may have got assistance from Bassment Jaxx-full of techno effects.This song sounds like Jamiroquai have gone for hard house.This is one of the aspects on this Jamiroquai album I really have enjoyed-the variety of sounds and songs are incredible-quite unlike many of their previous albums.The final song is the longest on the c.d. and unfortunately for me it's also the weakest song on the album.This c.d. sees Jay Kay back with a bang-I hope his time and opportunity to be really big has not passed.This album deserves great success. |
D! (dyego) |
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Dye
Correspondent & Expert
Joined: 16 Nov 2003
Posts: 5146
Location: Planet Home; Buenos Aires, Argentina
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| Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 18:05 |
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Ok, let's face it: Jamiroquai's strength have never been his lyrics, and this album is no exception. They are flat, ridiculous and pure non - sense. But were we really expecting a literary diamond? NO !! We just want more of the DELICIOUS FUNKINESS, SUPERB voices and chorals, FANTASTIC basses and WILD arrangements. And that is EXACTLY what you get ! ...and if you have a CD or DVD player that will play it, buy the Dual Disc version to get better sound quality (you won't regret spending the extra dollars).
1.- Feels Just Like it Should is the first single of this album. A strange pick, for I think it's the weakest track. It's choppy, boring, so non-Jamoriquai.
2.- Dynamite is one of the strongest tracks in the album. Full of incredible effects, superb chorals, and an incredible arrangement. So near to your typical Jamiroquai song.
3.- Seven Days in Sunny June is THE BEST track in the disc. A ballad of some sort, this incredible song reminds us of the style introduced in the album A Funk Odyssey in the track Corner of the Earth. So full of great guitar playing and yet funky and fun.
4.-Electric Mistress is strange indeed, with some weird bass lines...yet it works ! It's simple but addictive.
5.- Starchild is a delicious slow groove. Exactly the funkiness you expect in a disc like this. It will not dissapoint you.
6.- Love Blind reminds me of most pop music out there mixed with the characteristic bass lines of Jamiroquai, yet after so many times hearing it, you get used to it and like it. Its a very strange mixture.
7.- Tallulah is just jazzy lounge music. Ear pleasing, no more.
8.- (Don't) Give Hate a Chance competes with Seven Days in Sunny June as the best track. It's funky, dance, groovy, smooth. It's SO ADDICTIVE. I must have heard it so many times and can't have enough of it ! The music video is awesome too.
9.- World that He Wants is also a weak track, ballad-like. I think it is missplaced in a disc like this. Yet, there is something for everyone. If you like soft music this is for you.
10.- Black Devil Car is a heavy piece, reminds me of other groups (Blink 182, strangely comes to mind). Not one of my favorites.
11.- Hot Tequila Brown sounds a lot like Electric Mistress, it's simply addictive in the long term.
12.- Time Won't Wait is a great way to finish the album off. It's just what you expect of this album. It invites you to dance and to wait for the next album ! |
D! (dyego) |
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