BOOTSY'S RUBBER BAND

JUNGLE BASS

  1/  Jungle Bass (Jungle One/Long Form)         (Collins,BL,Worrell,Johnson) 13.10
  2/  Disciples of Funk                          (Collins,Horny Horns)        4.41
      (The Return of the Funkateers)
  3/  Jungle Bass (House of Bass Mix)            (Collins,BL,Worrell,Johnson) 9.03
  4/  Interzone (Silent-Hush-Hush Mix/Cyberfunk) (Collins,BL,Worrell,Johnson) 3.17

          Recorded at Platinum Island and BC Studio
          Engineers: Robert Musso, Oz Fritz, Martin Bisi and Bruce Calder
          Assistant engineers: Paul Berry and Steve McLoughlin
          Mixed at Platinum Island by Jason Corsaro, Oz Fritz and Robert Musso
          Produced and arranged by Bill Laswell and Bootsy
          Coordination and programming: Nicky Skopelitis
          Mastered at Masterdisk by Howie Weinberg
Bernie Worrell: synthesizers; Joel "Razor Sharp" Johnson: synthesizers; Jeff Bova: synthesizers; Gary "Mudbone" Cooper: frontground vocals; Bill Laswell: bass, samples, free jazz; Bootsy *The Megabasstron Magus* Lord of the Riff: space bass, guitar, drums, black noise, unsamples, vocals; Boot-Tron: robot vocals; Nicky Skopelitis: coordination and programming; HORNY HORNS - Fred Wesley: trombone; Maceo Parker: alto sax; Richard "Kush" Griffith: trumpet; Rick Gardner: trumpet.

          1990 - 4th & B'Way/Island (USA), BRLM 550/846-339-1 (12")
          1990 - 4th & B'Way/Island (USA), 444  023-2 (CD)

REVIEWS :

A comeback/return album for outstanding funk bassist Bootsy Collins. He signed with 4th and Broadway in 1990 and issued his first album as a leader in nearly 10 years, although he had played with Trouble Funk, L.J. Reynolds, and a number of other artists. Although it didn't have the inspired comic masterpieces or first-rate funk jams of his past albums, it was at least a decent vehicle for Collins' bass lines and rhythms.

Ron Wynn (courtesy of the All Music Guide via the Get Music website)

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Really enjoyable excursion into "Cyberfunk", with great production by Bill Laswell. Stays true to Rubber Band roots while breaking new ground. Each of the four tunes is basically the same thing, with different bits of old Bootsy songs thrown in, as well as other songs (like Bootsy singing some of "Hound Dog" & "Get Off Of My Cloud", by Big Mama Thornton & The Rolling Stones, respectively). Bootsy gets into some seriously funky soloing, with lots of great slap effects. The Horny Horns are also in full effect. Overton Lloyd contributes some cartoons. The main complaints are that the guitars can't really be heard, and that most of the percussion is electronic. Still, a definite step up in sound and style.

Done at the same time as Maceo's For All The King's Men, it has much the same cast. I would have preferred more than four versions of the same song (which is basically what is on here), but it's still a good listen. A precursor to further experimentation from Bootsy with Bill Laswell.

3 1/2 stars out of 5

Rob Clough (courtesy of the Motherpage website)