Joe Bonamassa is back, but not, as you might have anticipated, as one of the world’s greatest bluesmen. Instead he’s cutting loose with Rock Candy Funk Party, a labour of love featuring mighty sticksman Tal Bergman, six string genius Ron DeJesus, bass beast Mike Merritt, not to mention guest appearances from Renato Neto, Randy Brecker and the legendary Billy Gibbons as Mr Funkadamus. The band’s second album (not including a well-received live set), ‘groove is king’ follows in the footsteps of 2013’s ‘we want groove’ and, like that album, it’s a whole lot of fun although, as the exemplary musicianship goes to show, fun can have its serious side too. In short, ‘groove is king’ is a soulful, funky, sexy, freaky album that, in the words of drummer/producer Tal Bergan, will make you want to do “many things… when you listen to this record. Some of them I can’t mention here. Have fun(k).”
Opening with a short, spoken-word intro that is part classic funk, part Mighty Boosh, we quickly move into Isaac Hayes territory with the bass-heavy title track, a slamming cut of nitrous-powered funk that is given a massive lift by Tal’s rock solid percussion. The production is crystal clear and the groove really is king on this rump-shaking ride as the elastic bass tethers the jazzy guitar stabs neatly to the beat. The band get their rock on with the slinky ‘low tide’ which references Prince with its synth washes and dazzling guitar and the overall feel is so inherently danceable that, listening on a long journey home, we damn near crashed the car thanks to erratic body movements (don’t try this one out of your home kids). ‘Uber station’ keeps that funky underpinning, but introduces some stinging lead work and a horn section, making you wonder if the band didn’t record the whole thing in a studio decked out like a pimp’s palace, all sparkling chrome and leopard skin sheets, so wonderfully salacious is the overall feel. You can only imagine the massive grins these legendary musicians must have been sporting when they laid down these ecstatic grooves. Slipping between the sheets, next up is the devilishly smooth ‘East village’ which gives the Fun Lovin’ Criminals a run for their money in the schmooth stakes. A perfect piece of low-light, love-makin’ music if ever there was any, ‘east village’ is a cracking track that makes good use of its generous run time to allow the various musicians to explore their talents. Next up ‘if six was eight’ proves to be a tribal work out that sounds like a long-lost people attempting to cover Aphex Twin before ‘cube’s brick’ takes the same spirt of adventure that underpins its predecessor and utilises it to good effect on a complex prog-funk beast that threatens to make your head spin.
The album gives the listener a short breather as Mr Funkadamus returns briefly and then we’re into ‘don’t be stingy with the SMPTE’, a disco stomp that come straight out of Saturday Night Fever with its retro synth attack and frisky guitar work. It’s a whole lotta funk, but even so it’s left gasping by the taut beat and dirty bass groove of ‘C you on the flip side’, an album highlight augmented with plenty of sensual brass and an irresistible style that makes you want to walk around town in slow motion (that’s just me, huh? Oh well). Up next is a rather unusual Peter Gabriel cover, which sees the band funking up ‘digging in the dirt’ (a personal favourite of mine when it comes to Peter’s work) and, by taking it miles out of its comfort zone, they do a damn good job of making it work. It’s a shame this didn’t make it onto the ‘Scratch my back’ set, I can only imagine what Peter would have made of one of Rock Candy Funk Party’s tracks! We’re into heavy funk party territory with ‘Don’t funk with me’ which throws in some cool jazz overtones for good measure. ‘The 6 train to the Bronx’ is a richly rewarding track with reverb drenched guitar and soulful trumpet leading the way. ‘Rock Candy’ sees the band cheekily writing their own theme tune, and doing so in pure jazz style, leaving the funk aside for a moment whilst showing they can pull off big band with the best of them. With its snaking bass line and wild brass, you have expect the Pink Panther to wander in at any moment, and it’s a track that is simply a real pleasure to listen to. Mr Funkadamus briefly returns to thank the audience before the band bow out with ‘the fabulous tales of two bands’, a mental mash up that features, of all things, nods to the Prodigy’s ‘firestarter’ (no really!) In all honesty you probably just need to listen to the piece because it defies rational explanation.
Although Rock Candy Funk Party is primarily a labour of love; a fun outlet for some world class musicians; it should not be dismissed as gimmicky despite the relaxed air that hangs over the project. Never self-indulgent, it’s the music, stupid, and the music is second-to-none. With most of the songs kept relatively brief, the music never outstays its welcome, and there’s enough variation to keep things fresh throughout – indeed, over the course of the record the band seem to dip a toe or two into pretty much every facet of funk, messing with the genre in a manner that is playfully irreverent yet deeply respectful. It is a love letter to the genre and one that invites the listener to share in the feel good vibes and celebratory air – it’s hard to imagine ever feeling down listening to Rock Candy Funk Party. Meanwhile the production is exquisite – this really is a beautiful sounding album – and if you’re after a smooth, funky hit, then ‘Groove is king’ is sure to hit the spot – this is one hell of a funky mother.
