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RAD.
Tracks 1. Intro |
Life is like a box of chocolates. This is probably one of the movie world's most philosophical statements. Records can be just like that - a parable for life. If you like your chocolates dark, stripped down, organic and hand made, rad.'s latest offering will be a treat to savor. As the cover artwork suggests this record is a somewhat more artistic approach than previous albums. Getting Down Is Free, is a funkified memo to scale back consumerism and still pump up the party: "Musicians always have had to hustle to keep a roof over our heads -- so in a way, we're recession proof. But seriously, you CAN do a lot with a little, it just takes persistence and creativity." Everything we ever needed we already had. This bit of savoir vivre could be the subtitle to this album. And so an off beat, intro- and extroverted rad. explores the possibilities of the unusual, the classic and the unconventional. "I want the listeners to treat this record like an album was treated in the good old days: lock the door and be alone with the music. It's not a collection of singles." And indeed - If you let it - this record will take you on a musical journey to the heart and mind of this artist. Long time collaborator and co-writer Michael Kirsch keeps the production tight and on point. He and rad. invited a set of musical friends, as eclectic as prominent, to pen their unmistakable signatures under the statement of their record: Less is more. And a little becomes a lot when rad. kicks off the album with the title track Getting Down Is Free. The pulse from rad. alumni drummer David Garibaldi (Tower of Power) is injected with a heavy dose of chicken scratchy funk rhythm guitar from Maceo Parker's Bruno Speight. This is a chock loaded dance number with lots of Fender P bass and horns, Fred Wesley on trombone and a roaring keyboard solo from rad. Honeybees, inspired by the storyofstuff.com, is an intimate piece de resistance. rad. just arms herself with a Fender rhodes, drum and bass (Billy Johnson & Kai Eckhardt) to make her case for the minimalist -- materialistically and musically. In this spirit, Kai Eckhardt sticks to a 4 string bass throughout the entire album. His bass arpeggios lead us into to the hypnotically unusual U.F.A. (Unidentified Funk Atoms), which highlights Santana percussionist Karl Perazzo's contribution to the album. U.F.A. meanders its way organically, all the while telling a tale of an extra terrestial take over. Powerful P-Funk trombonist Greg Boyer contributes a screaming trombone solo testifying that the Mothership has landed and the White House has been taken over. The upbeat If It's Love That You're Giving is a duet with rad.'s long time idol Patrice Rushen. The ladies keep it light and lift us up with a positive message, yet allow no doubt that they bring a serious package of female funk expertise to the studio. With air tight horns and an untouchable groove, this tune would have worn out millions of radio station's record players when those were still used on the airwaves! These two grand ladies of Funk have so much in common, it's hard to tell them apart! Listen for Patrice on the Fender Rhodes and rad. on the Grand Piano. Le Groove est bon! Longtime friends Fred Wesley (Trombone) and Eric Leeds (Tenor Saxophone) solo over rad.'s Hammond Organ, Wurlitzer and Moog licks while Karl Perazzo and Billy Johnson hold down the rhythm on Ain't No Fool, another spring loaded signature Funky Cha Cha - a staple appearance on each of rad.'s studio records. rad. dives into new territory in a Trio setting on the introverted love song No One, while melancholic Crusader-esque ballad Packed My Bags stands as another example of her open declaration of love to a period of time when song writers like Carly Simon or Burt Bacharach penned timeless classics. Dukey Road is a purely fun filled stroll down a Caribbean flavored path dominated by rad.'s various keyboards and the soothing vocal harmonies of rad. & Patrice Rushen, who also makes another cameo appearance with a Moog solo over the outro. Under the Radar is a recession time romantic crime tale set to an unconventional groove. Saxophonist Eric Leeds' lyrical soloing mirrors the intensity and drama of the story, equaled by the relentlessly pumping Billy Johnson and Kai Eckhardt on drums and bass. This intentionally edgy piece completes the artistic statement of the album. Leave the disc in the tray and you will be treated to a 'hidden' instrumental track, A Day In Wayzata, a reflection on an afternoon stroll by the lake near Prince's Paisley Park. Silently contributing to the record is the city of Berkeley, California, rad. & husband/producer Michael Kirsch's long time home base. Entirely written, crafted and packaged in this ultra liberal center of quirky intelligentsia, this location definitely put its stamp on the production - allowing uncompromising individuality to flourish. This is embodied by David Lance Goines' cover artwork. For over 40 years this Berkeley artist has been responsible for the graphical look and esthetic of the many creative outfits that represent this innovative hub. To find out more about David Lance Goines visit www.goines.net And so we are presented with a beautiful and heavyweight piece to counterbalance what we have become used to hearing on our radios. To those who take their time and dig deeper, this record offers a wealth of musical gems and the discovery of an untold piece of Americana. Life is a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get. |
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