TOWER OF POWER
"WHAT IS HIP: THE ANTHOLOGY"
WARNER ARCHIVES/RHINO RECORDS
Boy, these guys could drive you crazy! On the one hand, T of P was a brilliant concept, a horn led rather than horn driven band that, when it was on, with funky tunes, could drive anyone to dancing, no matter who the singer was (and they had a few). On the other hand, their forays into "power pop" just did not cut it, particularly when measured against the funky stuff.
This collection, spanning their 30 year career, points out both the highs and lows of their music. That horn section, which has propelled this group, and been the backup for many others, most notably mid 80s Huey Lewis & the News, stands out, on track after track. When paired with funky, dance numbers such as the title track, ""Down to the Nightclub," and "Squib Cakes," this loose kind of funk doesn’t get much better, pushed by "Doc" Kupka’s bottom-feeding baritone sax. It’s when the group moves away from those tunes and tries to get deep that the MOR, AOR, or whatever you choose to call it, just doesn’t stand up.Buy this collection, put it on a player that allows you to program, grab the funky stuff and dance.
- Mark T. Gould
***1/2