Daptone Records, 2013
By Phillip Smith;
March 15, 2014
Give the People What They
Want, by Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings is my
favorite album of the year so far. Produced
by Dap-King bassist, Bosco Mann, the album is an outstanding
collection of energy-infused rhythm and blues music with soulful vocals backed
by a tight rhythm section. It’s very
reminiscent of the music of James Brown,
Sly and the Family Stone, and Motown in its heyday. Music like this seemed to fade away in the
late Seventies. As the times changed,
the musical tastes and trends changed as well, leaving a huge gaping hole in
the music industry. Thank goodness we
have Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings
to fill that void.
Two
of my favorite tracks are written by Mann. The first being ”Retreat!”, is lush and
vibrant, with a cool bass line and a catchy rhythm. Jones’
vocals here are amazing and full of conviction. Second, there is “Stranger to
My Happiness”. I love the saxophone
riffs laid down by Cochemea Gastelum
and Neal Sugarman. They make the
song what it is.
Another
go-to song, “Now I see”, written by Dap-King
drummer Homer Steinweiss, is really
one of the most interesting songs I’ve heard in a while. Kicking off with a trumpet intro and a steady tempo,
the song periodically switches gears, shifting the mood to a feeling of pending
doom, as Jones sings about dealing with a longtime friend turned enemy. It’s fun the way these little snippets segue
from a gloomy and foreboding gear into an up-tempo, ska-like beat.
Back
to back songs, “Making Up and Breaking Up” and “Get Up, Get Out” seem to go
hand in hand with each other, in theme as well as style. Both seemingly inspired by Sixties girl
groups like Martha and the Vandellas
and the Marvelletes, pay a wonderful
homage to the sound with harmonizing vocals provided by the Dapettes, Starr Duncan, Saundra
Williams, and Sheron Lafaye. These two songs sound so nice, and love their
placement next to each other.
So,
if the question still lingers as to whether Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings Give
the People What They Want or not, the answer is “Absolutely, mission
accomplished!”. They are a sheer delight to hear.
