Review Summary: Inter-planetary good vibe zone
There are certain albums, which are able to completely change your perception of music in general and make you venture into new genres in order to capture the very same feeling they have just given you. Off top of my head, I would say that in my case such records are ‘’To Pimp A Butterfly’’, ‘’Older’’ by George Michael as well as Herbie Hancock’s ‘’Head Hunters”. The most crucial one, though, may be Jamiroquai’s 1994 acid jazz masterpiece- ‘’The Return Of The Space Cowboy’’.
Sophomore albums are always a challenge, especially if you are as ambitious individual as Jay Kay, the band’s frontman and main figure. Pressure, not only from your side but also the fans as well as recording company makes it much more demanding than a debut, as you need to prove, that you are to stay in the business. Therefore, the sessions were chaotic, Kay was never satisfied with the outcome, he would scrap whole songs and start from scratch time after time. He was aiming for more structuraly complex tracks than on ‘’Emergency on Planet Earth’’, however, his drug overdose at that time made the whole situation look like a prelude to a tragedy.
Thankfully, music has the healing power and that’s exactly, what some of these recordings were about. Therapeutic influence can be heard mostly in two tracks- ‘Stilness in Time’ and ‘Space Cowboy’. The first one Jay wrote at his very lowest, which explains so sweet, paradise-like taste- it is an escape from dark reality into the world of happiness. Lovely backing vocals and Kay’s message of hope resemble birds singing their happy tales, fabulous flute solo and beautiful percussion instruments, played by Sola Akingbola complement the idyllic feel. The latter one, although it apears to be a fairly light-hearted anthem concerned with smoking pot has much deeper meaning to it. It is a tale of searching for return to normal life from addiction, as Kay felt very lost while writing this song. Jazzy drums, groovy bass line and space-like synths create an extaterrestrial atmosphere, so characteristic for large part of Jamiroquai’s music.
Nonetheless, not only is this album concerned with its frontman’s personal struggles, but also social issues. ‘Manifest Destiny’ is a heart-breaking story of genocide of Native Americans, justified by the title doctrine- white people will always be supreme and indigines will always be their slaves. It starts with tender bass, piano and subtle drums join in soon. Fragile, beautiful vocals accompanied by soulful instrumental form a truly unfrogettable experience. The finale, with Kay’s crooning, delicate backing vocals and a conversation between trumpets and saxophone is a memorial to the people, who weren’t treated like other human beings. Right after this comes much more aggressive track- ‘The Kids’. Tempo picks up immediatly, distorted electric guitar leads the way as lyrics talk about the misunderstood youth, who are villainized by adults. They don’t understand their needs and emotions and teens, sooner or later, are going to rebel.
On top of meaningful lyrics, musicianship of each member of the band is truly remarkable. Stuart Zender delivers impeccable bass lines throughout the record, however, ‘Mr Moon’ is the place where he truly shines. Every slap of that guitar feels like a magic spell, the groove is out of this world. Toby Smith(Rest In Peace…) delivers as well, his solo on keys could easily belong to some of the finest jazz-funk records of the 70s. Moreover, he co-wrote all the tracks on the album, apart from Space Cowboy, where the only credits belong to Kay. Derrick McKenzie, who filled in for Nick Van Gelder is the star on drums, especially on ‘Just Another Story’, which was not only the first piece of music he recorded with the band, but also he did it in one take. The whole 9-minute jam-session-like epicness gradually grows in intensity, we are surprised with newer and newer sounds, trumpets and electric guitar are screaming and suddenly the only instruments left are subtle drums and another bird-like flute solo. Then everything begins to rise again, bass is working a treat once more. Each time you listen to this track, you will discover something new. In fact, the album is arguably on its very best during those moments, where the band lets themselves loose and they are simply vibing. The ending of ‘Scam’ is a perfect example, Smith’s theme on keys is a base, on which bass, drums and trumpet can shine bright. ‘Journey To Arnhemland’ and ‘Morning Glory’ are another chill tracks, the first one’s main focus is didgeridoo, which originates from mentioned part of Australia. It does feel like spiritual experience, sitting around the fire and looking for your future in the stars. The latter is a travel to a cosmic garden, where Jay’s voice is our guide through its secrets, every sound is on point here and serves a purpose.
‘’The Return Of The Space Cowboy’’ was a life-changing experience for me. I believe the main reason behind its greatness is Jay Kay’s passion and ambition to polish every single detail, which frustrated him immensly during the recording process. It did pay off, though, as never again did the band achieve such level of complexity, although it does seem like a conscious decision to move towards radio-friendly singles. Don’t get me wrong, their next albums are fabulous as well, nonetheless, this album appears to me to be their greatest achivement. Through sweat and darkness of his mind, Kay was able to express his artistic vison, which wouldn’t be possible without musical virtuosos around him.
