Kool And The Gang Emergency

Ah, bliss. If a casual acquaintance with Kool and the Gang only brings to mind a handful of Top 40 tunes since the 1970s ("Get Down on It," "Celebration," "Joanna," etc.) then Live from House of Blues is here to broaden the record. In a thrilling display of R&B mastery, this army of horn players, vocalists, and captains of rhythm commandeers the Chicago stage, overwhelming everyone with relentless pop-funk, luscious soul, waves of jazz, and a dollop of hip-hop. Short on ballads, the Gang's set nevertheless is a stirring affair, with several instrumental tracks highlighting the group's orchestral majesty. But let there be no mistake. This show is a party, all right, and the many past and present members of the group who turn up to celebrate want to cherish the good times as much the crowd. –Tom Keogh

EMERGENCY continues the trend begun on 1979's LADIES NIGHT and continued on albums like CELEBRATE! and IN THE HEART of pushing Kool & the Gang's sound deeper into the smooth grooves of Adult Contemporary R&B. Though the band had long since relinquished the hardcore funk on which it honed its chops, EMERGENCY proves Kool & the Gang still capable of moving bodies on the dance floor, as the thumping "Misled," the album's lead-off single, attests. The hard-driving vibe of the title track, and the almost Prince-like "Surrender," should be enough to assure old-school Gang fans that they've still got the funk.