The Dazz Band - Let The Music Play (1981/2018) [Official Digital Download 24/96]

A glorious little album from The Dazz Band – a set that quickly proclaims its intentions with the title – as the group roll into a tight batch of upbeat funky numbers, all graced with their superb sense of musicianship! There's almost a late 70s funk mainstream vibe here than some of the other groups of their generation were hitting in the early 80s – amazing guitar riffs, just the right keyboard elements, and this sense of coming together with a cool, compressed sound that's completely right on the money! A few mellower cuts balance things out nicely – and titles include "Freaky Lovin", "Let The Music Play", "What Will I Do Without You", "I Believe In You", "Everyday Love", and "Satisfying Love".

"Having already released two albums to little fanfare on 20th Century, under their original name Kinsman Dazz, 1980-1981 saw the band shorten their name, sign to R&B powerhouse Motown, and come back with the near-total reinvention of Let the Music Play. Bucking the early-'80s trend of synthesizing absolutely everything, the Dazz Band kept their music flowing around the more traditional funk trappings of exquisitely elastic basslines and brightly crafted horns. Keys were introduced only to make a sonic point – they work to their best advantage on the rambunctiously quirky "Freaky Lovin'," and the mid-tempo moves on the title track. "Don't Stop," meanwhile, only adds to the upbeat energy with its snappy bass-driven danceability. The rest of the set, however, is dedicated to a softer, smoother, vocally focused R&B style that is spread liberally across "What Will I Do Without You," "This Time It's Forever," and "I Believe in You." "Knock Knock," the best of the bunch, emerged as Let the Music Play's sole charting single, reaching the Top 50 in August. Patchy in places, and leaning more heavily on a bland, soft style than the band needed, it's obvious that the Dazz Band were stretching their wings and finding the groove that would keep them in heavy chart rotation through the entire decade." (Amy Hanson, AMG)

Tracklist:
1. Let the Music Play
2. Freaky Lovin'
3. Knock! Knock!
4. What Will I Do Without You
5. Don't Stop
6. This Time It's Forever
7. Satisfying Love
8. Everyday Love
9. I Believe In You

Recorded and Mixed at the Recording Connection, Beechwood, Ohio, in March and April, 1981
Produced by The Dazz Band for Dazz Productions and Reggie Andrews

Digitally remastered