Top Ten Most Bumping Albums of All Time (Part 3)

At number 9 of the Top Ten Most Bumping Albums, was Deep Banana Blackout's "Rowdy Duty."

For the unfamiliar, DBB was a funk band formed in the mid-90s that gained popularity within the jam-band touring circuit. While their history has included long periods of dormancy, they have made appearances at various festivals over the last few years.

"Rowdy Duty" was Deep Banana at their best. I've admitted when I was wrong (reluctantly) in the past, and this article required I swallow my pride and admit that I was wrong about Deep Banana Blackout.

Several of my friends tried to get me into them in the late 90s, but my funk appreciation wasn't developed yet. At the time, I wasn't a big fan of funk or soul.

As the years have passed, bands like Soulive, Lettuce, and the New Mastersounds have changed my perspective on funk, and eventually soul. I figured it was about time I gave DBB a listen with new ears.

If I had to eat crow, I was happy it came with a side of funk!

"Bump and Sway" began with a blast of bass and guitar through an envelope filter. The filter gave the sound an almost rubber sound. Like a lunatic bouncing around a rubber room, the funky riff seemed to spring forth with boundless energy. Jen Durkin's voice was strong, appropriate to the music, and full of soul. When the horn section hit, it was smooth, confident, entertaining, and lively.

Guitarist, "Fuzz" played a guitar solo that bled through a musical break before the filtered lick returned and Durkin brought the vocals back. With one tune down, I was beginning to think the album just might be bumping.

"Breakfast at Volo's" sprung to life off the last note of "Bump and Sway" with horn hits that landed like shots of espresso. The vocals had a soulful syncopation that encouraged me to sign on the "funk constitution." Once again the horns provided smooth, buoyant leads that left me floating across a relaxed groove. The energy lifted when sax player Rob Somerville lit a fire under the jam.

"Stiff Picking" had a more jazzy flavor from the gate. The horns gave it a smooth jazz feel, but the drums and bass maintained the groovy flavor enough to keep my attention. One thing they knew how to do very well was write "feel good" hooks. This tune featured layers of catchy rhythms and melodies that overlapped to create a diverse and interesting musical landscape. I'm wasn't sure if it was bumping though ... Cool, in the jazziest sense of the word, but not necessarily bumping.

"Memphis" picked the energy back up with a more traditional soul style. With the energy higher, Durkin sang a song that had shades of Diana Ross. Mid-song, the drums kicked into high gear and injected vitality into the party. Hints of Joplin emerged as the song raged into the next song.

"Tug" maintained the frantic pace and let us know that we had them "working like a dog." It was evident as this song seemed to have steam rising off it. Fuzz's guitar solo had a liquid, echo effect that sounded really psychedelic. The horns reminded me of Lettuce, with their intricate lines and punchy tone. Rob Volo's solo on trombone was also fun.

"Getchall '98" was your typical motivational funk song. The kind of song that was written to "getchall" pumped up. The bass solo in it was excellent... Effortless, thick, and funky as hell. As the first disc ended, the crowd chanted "Deep. Banana. Blackout." The chant lead into the second disc as the loose groove of "Trip" came into being. Durkin's vocals were a little raspier, and though the song was a shorter one, it provided a great vehicle from which an aggressive guitar emerged to introduce the 15 minute "Take the Time."

"Take the Time" began with a distorted rock and roll riff. It wasn't until the horns made their entrance that the funky essence began to appear. The distortion gave the song a slightly muddier, edgier feel. For the solo, Fuzz lost the distortion and returned to the super funk filter. His rapid fire licks had a quality that reminded me of Steve Kimock as he put on a guitar clinic. From there a more rock and roll tone blasted into further impressive solo work.

This song was really indicative of why the jamband crowd embraced DBB. It featured absolute shredding. While it might have been my favorite track in the double album, I don't think it was particularly "bumping," much in the same way that PFunk's "Maggot Brain" broke the groove mold and showed the world that they knew how to play exploratory, psychedelic rock and roll also.

"Hear My Song" had a more traditional sound with a soulful flavor to it. It featured blended harmonies with a male and female singer enriching each other's vocals. There was a touch of Motown in the mix, and the relaxing rhythms were accentuated in the right places by the horn section. There was an intangible "feel good" element in this song that I enjoyed.

"International Blues" crept from sparse instrumentation ... When Jen Durkin's vocals arrived, they were sensual, smooth, and changed the entire mood of the song. Like a sultry diva serenading her man, Durkin's vocals influenced the instruments and they fell into line with a slow blues number. There is another boogie section with male vocals, before one more sexy outro. Nice, but far from bumping.

"Pure Gravy" added more of that classic wah funk as the whole band seemed to support a bass-centric phrase. Fuzz stepped in with more rocking fret work to carry the energy upward and moved them back into the realm of jambands.

"God Made Me Funky" had the standard funk formula. Lyrically, the song centered around that line, "God Made Me Funky." The horns, bass, guitar and drums created a musical parallel to the ideas expressed in the lyrics... God made you funky, so go be you. This one was more bumping than the last couple of songs, but still smoother and lighter than some of the competition.

The final tune on the album was called "Boot." A combination of exploratory rock and reggae, this tune had the feel of a Franti and Spearhead tune. If I recall correctly, this was one of DBB's staples, and regularly closed their shows. Durkin's skat vocals sat in contrast to the rap styles that filled out the song. Fuzz took a last shot at melting my face and the album concluded.

When the album ended, I thought about my overall impression of the album. Did it "bump" enough to be in the top 10? Was I now a Deep Banana Blackout fan? My final verdict was that I thought the album bumped, though not to the point that I thought it deserved to be in the top 10 most bumping albums of all time.

I did give it extra points for being recorded live in a single show, but even with that advantage, I felt the album had too many jazzy, light segments to consider as bumping as many of it's fellow nominees. Aside from the bumping element, I thought the album featured 2 discs worth of good vibe, soul-charging, upbeat music, and was glad a friend made me dig it up, throw it on, and give it another chance.

Next week ... Number 8 ...