The Most Bumping Albums of All Time (Part 6)

At No. 6 in my "Most Bumping Albums of All Time" was an unexpected album by one of my new favorite bands.

The New Mastersounds "102%" scrapped its way up the chart with funky flavor and feverish intensity. From the opening snare hit, I knew I was about to get swept away to a world of acute funk fusion. Like drinking a 40-oz. Red Bull and vodka, I became intoxicated with energy as I listened to the tracks unfold. One after another, the New Mastersounds dropped intricate, inspired, and yes ... bumping tracks.

The album began with the title track, a groove based nod to the clean R&B style of the 50s, but with the updated flavor of virtuoso Eddie Roberts' ambitious guitar, Joe Tatton's scorching organ, Rob Laver's relentless bass grooves, and Simon Allen's impeccable drumming. Like a subway train that never stopped, the New Mastersounds dove headlong into the speedy rhythms and never looked back.

The second tune was called "Witness" and began with a rapid guitar lick. As the ethereal keyboard sounds surrounded the guitar, the drums hit with a Beastie Boys jazz flavor, and generally reminded me of a track from "The In Sounds From Way Out," the Beastie Boys instrumental album. Allen's snare sounded sharp ... I guessed it was a piccolo snare. Piccolo snares aren't as deep, and are typically used to give the taut, crisp, staccato sound that funk drummers often utilize.

"Carrot Juice" was quintessential New Mastersounds, with six minutes of guitar and organ vibrancy that made it impossible not to move. The tune reminded me of the fast forward clips from Benny Hill's comedy reruns. With the borderline frantic pace, I thought of running to catch a train that was pulling away. Breakneck funk at its best.

"Thirty Three" was driven by a catchy Roberts riff, but really picked up with the addition of a horn-sounding instrument. It may have been keyboards, but definitely had the timbre of a horn, perhaps through effects. For some reason horns have always served to legitimize funk music in a way, and while I am not always a huge fan of horns, I did appreciate the sound in this setting. The organ boomed back to life and made the "horns" an afterthought as Tatton went to work lighting it up. It served a nice contrast as the following tune would lay back a little.

"Colorado Sun (Jesse's Backyard)" was as chill as the name suggested. The smooth jazz style that ushered me into a session of daydreams and smiles was just what I needed ... A short respite from the hectic pace of the other songs. When I lived in Pennsylvania, I vacationed to Colorado often. I was always fond of the casual, breezy lifestyle. This tune was to the album as vacationing to Colorado was for me as a Pennsylvanian: A moment of peace in an otherwise frenzied pace. While I enjoyed the character it gave the album, this was the first time I questioned if any song on "102%" was "bumping."

"Give Me a Minute (Part 2)" jumped out of the speakers as the bassline almost left the band behind. Like Ricky Henderson on the bases, the quick jump left plenty of time to slide in safely with a steal. Fortunately, the rest of the band quickly hopped on board and proceeded to lay down complimentary melodic phrases that could break ankles.

"Rope-a-Dope" had a sluggish feel. As the song progressed, I felt it had an opiated, detached, groove. Heavy and subdued, it helped to develop the diversity, but wasn't my favorite song on the disc.

"Hey Fela!" was a happy tune which highlighted Eddie Roberts concise style. His quick licks were sweeter than sangria, and drove the energetic song. In what I assumed was a reference to Fela Kuti, the lively groove was inspired and danceable. A flute added ornamentation to the chugging guitar work, and the percussion was superb.

"Bus Stop #5" lumbered out of the gates, dragging its groove behind it like a kindergartener's backpack. The emerging guitar work raised the energy a little, and made the tune danceable, but it wasn't one of the tunes with an energy surplus. There was also nice use of syncopation to make the beat interesting. I was a fan, and had to admit that the "bump factor" was a bit higher on this track than the other relaxed songs.

"Return to Gijon" was heavy on "the one," but most funk is. "The One" is the first beat of the measure, and funk music has accented that beat from the beginning. As a guitarist, when I learned that lesson, I used it to write a tune that was very similar to this one. Not that I'd ever claim to write or play remotely close to as well as Eddie. But, "Return to Gijon" reminded me of my own tune, "Sleep Deprivation."

"Forgiveness" rose like a girlfriend to breakfast in bed: I envisioned smiles, sunbeams, comfort, and freedom. The clean, airy, soft sound caressed my ears and transported me away to a mental vacation of lazy mornings, and open schedules. Relaxing. As seemed to be a theme, each mellow tune was followed by amped up, rocking grooves.

"Talk is Cheap" was another example of that as the drums and guitar ripped to life. This tune also featured a full-blown sax solo, a welcome though unnecessary addition. Not that it was unnecessary in a bad way, just that the New Mastersounds are capable of delivering full-out, bonafide funk without any "hornamentation" (see what I did there?) at all.

"L.A. Root Down (Bub side of the Pier)" layed back in the pocket for another mellow portion of the album. While many slow portions detract from the "bumping" aspect, this album did a great job to balance and pace the lulls to create an overall bumping feel.

The album concluded with "Paranoid (Is It Any Wonder?)," a tune that seemed a bit more rock and roll than their typical New Mastersounds work. The vocals seemed to be distorted with a sort of megaphone feel. They also used echoes and psychedelic voicings to create an ethereal, trippy soundscape.

In the end, it provided punctuation to the album and provided an end to the track that relentless train had been driving. Bumping? For sure.