Rage!
Velour Recordings - Velour Recordings
Lettuce
Release date: 2008-04-22
Audio CD
Deep Funk Revival, Pop, Rock, Rock/Pop, Soul/R&B
1. Blast Off
2. Sam Huff's Flying Raging Machine
3. Move On Up
4. King Of The Burgs
5. Need To Understand
6. The Last Suppit
7. Dizzer
8. Makin' My Way Back Home
9. Salute
10. Speake E.Z.
11. Express Yourself
12. Relax
13. By Any Shmeeans Necessary
14. Mr. Yancey (Bonus Track)
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Rage!
Date undefinedThe grooves and overall feel of this CD are incredible. Although the material is not the most unique in the world, and does not necessarily highlight the depths of the skills of these musicians, it just plan rocks. Listening to the music, I get the feeling these musicians are capable of making much more intellectually challenging music, but instead they opt for great grooves that make you want to dance. Every track is great.
Rage!
Date undefinedthe quick & dirty:
Slick, tight and funky, "Rage" is a fun step forward for fans of groove.
the lowdown:
The seven-person all-star collective known as Lettuce has been around since 1992, with its members branching off into successful standalone projects (Soulive, Rustic Overtones, et al), but never straying far from the project that started it all. "Rage", the band's third album, sees the collective reaching back to pay homage to the funk gods (EWF, James Brown, Tower of Power, the Meters, P-Funk, etc), while retaining the band's meticulous hip-hop tinged phrasing, melody and progressions. The compositions all follow a similar formula: riffs and breakbeats setting up the solos, bridges and/or hooks, and though there are times when the songs traverse the borders of funk-by-numbers monotony, the band's chemistry shines through time and again as a saving grace. One can tell the boys are having fun and this is proved true every time a glimmer of their monstrous theory knowledge and improv talent surfaces. But, this project is not meant to clone those aspects so strongly established in Lettuce's first two albums. "Rage" was made to groove in the pocket, and it does. Fiercely.
the bottom line:
Though not as theory-heavy and jazz-influenced as their previous work, "Rage" is a worthy album that showcases an ultra-funky side of Lettuce.
Rage!
Date undefinedLettuce is a group of incredibly talented musicians with a deep appreciation for funk music. And they spread the funk thick and dirty on Rage! My introduction to the band was the Live at the Blue Note disc, so this is the first time I've heard them in the studio.
What I like most about Rage! is that the album stands on its own as a solid collection of tunes that'll get your head bobbin' and your booty shakin' to the undeniable groove. However, if you're familiar with their live show, you'll be well aware that they leave plenty of room on the disc to explore the songs further when they hit the stage. I can't wait to catch them on tour, and see how they expand and develop these tunes.
When funk is left in the wrong hands, tragedy can occur. However, when a band like Lettuce comes around to carry the mantle of funk's forefathers, you realize that there is still hope for funk in the world. I can't recommend this disc highly enough...
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