G. Love and Special Sauce has come a long way from their humble roots in the early 90's. Considered pioneers among the modern funk/blues sound typified by the Bonaroo Festivals, G. Love & Special Sauce have carved out a steady cult following and have attracted a good deal of critical acclaim. All three members are very professional and innovative musicians, and musicians of any sort will gobble up all kinds of licks and spices from just about any G. release. Jeffrey Clemens is a huge inspiration to me as a drummer, and you need look no further than the first track of this landmark album to find out exactly why.
Although probably a bit more commercial than the self titled debut, Philadelphonic, to me, is G and the group's finest release. It's masterful blend of rap, soul, r&b, funk, and, as always, the blues, is a sound that has been ridiculously imitated but never emulated.
This record is G's strongest IMO because not only are the grooves as tight and funky as ever, but also because the lyrical themes are both wide and varied and mature and intelligent. That's not to say that this is a somber or depressing album by any means - it's G. Love afterall - but it strikes a fitting balance between humor/good nature and reality.
A forewarning: I don't crank out reviews every day, but when I do I try to put as much work into them as possible, especially when it's an album or artist that I really like and want to promote. I don't believe in the ratings system, because music is music to me, and everything has its place on a good album. I also tend to review albums that I particularly like and am obsessed with, so I rarely see a reason why I would bother rating anything in the first place. Anyways, without further adieu, I'll proceed to the track by track:
01. No Turning Back
This opening track opens with a huge flurry of licks from J. Clemens, smoothly launching into an upbeat and funky groove as the song takes flight. The song is about a girl who runs away from home, and then is stuck trying to decide what to do from there. It is unclear whether this is an optimistic or cautionary song - perhaps this was left intentionally vague in order for the listener to apply it as he/she wills. On the one hand, the girl obviously feels quite liberated, but at the same time, is frightened and unsure of what to do. Great song.
02. Dreamin'
This is a song about, obviously, dreams. Specifically, it's about following one's dreams and overcoming life's hurdles. Although the subject matter has been done to death in a half million indie films, it doesn't feel quaint or cliche on this track, and actually feels somewhat fresh. The groove is very laid back, summer time feeling...very uplifting song, manages to be positive and happy without being cheesy. At the same time, the lyrics are also tinted with a bit of social commentary, trying to show how people are held back or what challenges they have to overcome. Again, a fantastic number.
03. Roaches
This is a short, humorous track that is...well...basically, a message machine, with a chill groove going on in the background and a bit of rapping. This track is incredibly random, and kinda funny.
04. Rodeo Clowns
Following the humorous Roaches track is probably the most serious track on the album. Rodeo Clowns was written by Jack Johnson, an accomplished modern blues player (and professional surfer as well) who is good friends with the band. The song features an awesome vocal harmony between G and Jack, who pretty much follow eachother throughout the entire song. The song starts out with a party vibe, and if you don't follow the lyrics closely, you could almost think it was just designed to be a light hearted dance number, but the lyrics portray a much darker view of the modern day night life.
Three stanzas tell three different but related stories. The first is the more general of the three, talking about how people drink and dance to cover up their problems and to replace their souls, essentially...it talks about greed, how people flock to wealthy people as if those people somehow have all of these answers, and then abandon them as soon as they hit it rough..hence, the title "Rodeo Clowns" is really a kind of ironic jab, the people dancing and selling themselves out on the night floor are like Rodeo Clowns. It's an image that works remarkably well if you've ever partied often, probably something that would be more difficult to grasp if you hadn't, though.
The next stanza is specifically about a "teeny boppin disco queen," sadly reflecting upon the slow destruction of the girl's individuality and personality and she becomes a "part of the herd." A face in the crowd, just another mindless party entity...
The final stanza sounds like it may be based upon a personal experience due to how specific it is. It tells of a partygoer returning late, after the place has shut down, in the pouring rain, when he/she encounters a homeless man on the street. This particular passage is very moving for me, so I'll just go ahead and paste it in:
Lights out shut down
Late night wet ground
You walk by look at him
But he can't look at you
You might feel pity
Because he only feel the ground because
You understand moods
But he only knows let down
By the corner there's another one
Reaching out a hand
Coming from a broken man
Well you try to live
But he's done trying
Not dead but definitely dying
With the rodeo clowns
The line "Not dead but definitely dying" struck me particularly hard..very masterful writing by Mr. Johnson.
05. Numbers
This is a personal favorite of mine, one of the strongest on the album IMO. The lyrical theme is obviously spiritual/religious, but seems to be inspired more by personal gnosis than by organized religions. Some great imagery on this one, and the grooves are fantastic...Clemens actually did a clinic a few years back, and he explained that alot of the beats on this track were inspired by old James Brown grooves (sadly, I wasn't at the clinic or anything, but notes are available from it with transcriptions). Anyways, it's very uplifting and surprisingly mature...the lyrics are chock full of metaphors and vague passages, making room for much interpretation of exactly what spiritual message G is trying to send.
06. Relax
After the energy and excitement of the last two tracks, the band descends into a totally chilled out groovy number. This song is very soulful and romantic, would be great....ah....."mood" music, if you catch my drift....but is still tasteful and musical. Some great vocal harmonies and atmosphere, cool stuff.
07. Do It For Free
This track is just a percussive candy store. Featuring two very busy drum tracks layered on top of each other (one with drumset, the other mostly some sort of bell), the track is obviously geared towards rhythm. Lyrically, it seems to be about an encounter G. had with an...overly enthusiastic female fan, and how he was almost tempted to have a little fun. Apparently, G had a steady girlfriend at the time who he was very much in love with, and so the rest of the song is explaining how much he loves her, how difficult life on the road is away from loved ones, etc.
08. Honor and Harmony
This simple groove is one of the most laid back, good natured grooves I've ever heard...really just makes you feel great. It's not busy and sticks to the same thing for a while, but it's so tight and effective that the repetition just emphasizes the feel. Fantastic song.
09. Kick Drum
This is another short humorous track. Very chilled and relaxing, it's about...well...filatio. If you're 13, don't look up that word.
10. Friday Night (Hundred Dollar Bill)
This song is also pretty funny, but it's a full length song that tells a story of a crazy woman who hits on G. in order to provoke a fight between him and her boyfriend (whom she neglected to mention). It's a long story, and it's pretty **** funny to follow.
11. Rock And Roll (Shouts Back to the Rappers)
This song is basically a tribute to G's rap influences...how he got into rap, how it's a legitimate form of music, etc, basically explaining how/why he incorporates elements of rap, which is generally underappreciated among musicians, into jazz, funk, and blues, which are regularly praised. And, of course, in order to fuel G's ranting tribute, there's a fiery groove.
12. Love
This song is all soul+blues. Slower and more melancholy than the rest of the record, it stands out musically, with some memorable melodies and soulful instrumentation. It's a love song, with an emphasis on solid blues delivery and soul.
13. Around the World (Thank You)
This is a short transition song, and sounds almost like it's recorded live, with mostly improvised jamming amidst a bunch of cheers. *shrug*
14. Gimme Some Lovin'
The title hints at the lyrical themes addressed on the album's closer, but...somehow, it works. It's a funny track, but at the same time, it's very innocent and warm...I don't know how to explain it, really. The track is just G with an acoustic guitar, singing what sounds to be a midly tongue and cheek song he probably wrote for a girlfriend. I suppose there's an intimacy to the number, as it's stripped of the band and just G with a guitar.....almost strikes me as something the Beatles would have done.
*phew* long winded review I know, but it was worth it. This is a fantastic, groundbreaking record, one of my favorite albums of all time. I highly recommend it for anyone who likes a good groove, but fans of intelligent writing and dedicated musicians should find the album surprisingly ripe with good ideas.
