Caught In The Act

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The quickest way to define funk music in the mid-‘70s is to hand someone a copy of <i>Caught In the Act</i>. The Commodores’ sophomore album helped codify a sound that has now become something of a punch line. The wikka-wikka guitar, gutsy singing and virile horn charts are all contained in “The Bump,” “I’m Ready” and “Slippery When Wet.” The songs are cheesy and dated, but that’s part of their appeal. They’re also tightly played and expertly arranged, and the band delivers them with so much gusto that you can’t help but be drawn into the party. The fun and flashy songs are contained in the first half of the record, but the overlooked second half is actually much more interesting. “Better Never Than Forever” is as dark and greasy as something from Sly Stone’s <i>Fresh</i>, while Lionel Richie’s “Let’s Do It Right” is an early indication of his talent for pop hooks. Like barbecue, funk is better when it’s cooked slow, which is what makes “Look What You’ve Done To Me” so tasty. Nevertheless, it’s the cheating ballad “You Don’t Know That I Know” that proved the Commodores had more to offer than dance floor shakedowns.

via Apple Music

The Clerk says

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