 Slave Slave's first album is tight, competent funk that is all well and good, but not really very booty-shakin' or rump-rollin'. With its classic cover image of a nearly-naked black muscleman carrying an enormous globe on his shoulders, it's the kind of album you desperately want to be great … but it just isn't. "Slide," the opening track and the album's big hit, is a funk classic that is available on several good compilations, and since it's the only essential song on the album, that fact renders the album non-essential. "Screw Your Wig on Tite" is a great title, and it does feature the line "Get down/stick around/I'm gonna knock your panties down," but that's about the most distinctive thing about it. "Party Hardy" is typical '77 party funk, featuring some great breaks but nothing particularly imaginitive. "Son of Slide" is pretty much an instrumental track of "Slide," so you know the band was reaching for more material to fill out the album, not to mention reaching for another bag of cocaine. Of the remaining songs, only "The Happiest Days," the sole ballad, really stands out. Nice little slow jam, nothing stellar. Slave is better in theory than in practice, fine for a funk-themed birthday party a new parent might throw for her one-year-old, but otherwise forgettable. By the way, if you're planning one of those parties: remember, cocaine is not recommended for the one-year-olds – stick with Dessinex, and let the parents have the cocaine.
Review by Diane Pee |