Jamiroquai
The Return Of The Space Cowboy

THE REVIEW

...eh eh, we are in the Christmas season, and I'm having fun stirring things up by reviewing a group and an album that, unfortunately, many people find annoying. Jamiroquai is like Saab: you either love them or hate them. I think that if this group has risen to prominence so significantly, if Sony decided to invest a considerable amount of money in this band in '93... well, there must have been a reason for that. I especially commend Jason Kay's band for having the undeniable courage to propose, or rather re-propose, at the beginning of the '90s, a sound that already had seasoned and appreciated performers in the past: who the heck would have bet, in the hedonistic '90s, on the reintroduction of an effective mixture of pop, funk, soul, and jazzy undertones. There were already ample examples, the white funk of Level 42 and companions, the "cool" mid-'80s period (Sade, Style Council, etc)... yet, these young ones, in '93, didn't care about any of it and came out with a mix that, nothing extraordinary, but it worked. Jason Kay, as annoying as he may be, was, however, a valid WHITE alternative to Stevie Wonder (he's been accused many times of "imitating" the great black vocalist, accusations that are, to tell the truth, not too well-founded...), Tobey Smith daringly revived THOSE sounds stolen from Starsky and Hutch films (Rhodes piano, clavinet, sinuous moogs), and especially Stuart Zender, who brought new life to the funk bass. The debut, the now-mythical "Emergency on Planet Earth," was resounding: they were hastily categorized into the new "acid jazz" movement along with Brand New Heavies and others, but they immediately stood out, however, for being more musically dynamic and flexible, thanks in part to immediate and fiery live performances, where many musical styles they possessed shone through that others did not. The eccentric presence and vocal prowess of J Kay, the band's funky/jazz openings, the always precise and driving rhythmic pulses... The acid test came with the second album: maybe the unexpected success, maybe the fabulous contract with Sony, in short, too much pressure perhaps led to the test, or maybe not. In my opinion, no. Actually, there are absolute gems in the second album. And a confirmation of the band's enormous qualities. How can you not be captivated by the magic of "Half the Man," a great vocal performance over a (seemingly) simple keyboard harmonic loop? "Light Years," just to mention the "nasty" funk of Sly & Family Stone. And for those who think these guys are just simple musicians, only good for driving the first big cars bought with Sony money... well, listen to "Mr Moon": it's impossible not to be amazed, a true harmonic jewel on which Jason Kay fluidifies his now-famous soul voice of a white boy. The album concludes with what I believe is one of the group's best songs, "Space Cowboy." Rhodes piano, a little liquid liquid synth, a bass that pulses divinely, and the English sprite weaving extremely jazzy vocal lines: it's practically the manifesto of Jamiroquai, a song that will be performed many times in concerts, often with different arrangements. What to say... much has been written about this album, that it was recorded too quickly, that perhaps the pressure played a dirty trick on the band. Personally, I think the only flaw of this album is the poor recording quality: for everything else, I invite you to listen to it and give me your opinion. Bye