Back about a thousand years ago Talking Heads took a ‘sabbatical’ to enable David Byrne to explore his other interests and the two other originals – bassist Tina Weymouth and drummer Chris Frantz – put together Tom Tom Club to explore the funkier side of life. I was lucky enough to see Talking Heads in their prime and I can happily attest to the talents of Weymouth and Frantz.
I never had the opportunity to see Tom Tom Club live but this album suggests that it was my loss – 68 minutes of hard funk, reggae, afrobeat and rap and ass defying beats all the way.
Their best numbers are all here including ‘Genius Of Love’ and ‘Wordy Rappinghood’ and the playing is just amazing all the way through. Of course the bass and drums are compleytely ‘on it’ but the other members of the club all show their talents with some great playing from Steve Scales, Abdou M’Boup and Victoria Clamp – all on percussives; did I mention hard funk? – and especially some brilliant keyboard work from Bruce Martin. Mix that all in with some spaced out vocals from the likes of Victoria Clamp and Mystic Bowie and you have a mesmerising and completely freaky mix.
The standout tracks are probably ‘The Man With The 4-Way Hips’ which has a really dark groove to it and ‘As Above So Below’ which has more of a hard-bop feel to it.
The main album comes packaged with another CD of different mixes of ‘Genius Of Love 2001’ but the main attraction is the sheer funk and fun of the live set.
I never had the opportunity to see Tom Tom Club live but this album suggests that it was my loss – 68 minutes of hard funk, reggae, afrobeat and rap and ass defying beats all the way.
Their best numbers are all here including ‘Genius Of Love’ and ‘Wordy Rappinghood’ and the playing is just amazing all the way through. Of course the bass and drums are compleytely ‘on it’ but the other members of the club all show their talents with some great playing from Steve Scales, Abdou M’Boup and Victoria Clamp – all on percussives; did I mention hard funk? – and especially some brilliant keyboard work from Bruce Martin. Mix that all in with some spaced out vocals from the likes of Victoria Clamp and Mystic Bowie and you have a mesmerising and completely freaky mix.
The standout tracks are probably ‘The Man With The 4-Way Hips’ which has a really dark groove to it and ‘As Above So Below’ which has more of a hard-bop feel to it.
The main album comes packaged with another CD of different mixes of ‘Genius Of Love 2001’ but the main attraction is the sheer funk and fun of the live set.
