The Clinton Administration - Take You Higher [2004]

×

The Clinton Administration - Take You Higher [2004]

Close

The Clinton Administration - Take You Higher
2004 | APE+CUE+LOG (384 MB) | MP3 320 kbps + LOG (129 MB) | RAR 5% recovery
Genre: Funk/Pop-Rock

Listen to samples

Countless bands have covered the songs of Sly and The Family Stone and for good reason. The music they created conveyed strong social messages anchored by a brilliant combination of rock, soul, funk and R&B. The music was infectious and the lyrics powerful. But without the bootie-shaking funk that the band perfected, these messages most likely would not have had the far-reaching effect that they achieved.

The Clinton Administration proves just how strong these songs are, even without the lyrics. It’s the second time they’ve taken on songs by another artist (the first being the songs of Parliament/Funkadelic), although the line-up has changed a bit. The new incarnation is comprised of funk jam all-stars Kai Eckhardt, Fareed Haque and Eric Levy from Garaj Mahal, Robert Walters, Chuck Prada and Cochemea (Cheme) Gastelu from Robert Walter's 20th Congress, Charlie Hitchcock from Particle, Stanton Moore from Galactic/Garage A Trois and Michael Lee Firkins.

Their approach is to open up these songs and have a party. The session is bursting with the late night flavor of a New Orleans Funk Summit showdown (even though most of the album was recorded in San Francisco). None of the songs on the album are over 8 minutes, which helps to economize the solos of this great collective.

When the songs are cooking, The Clinton Administration takes full advantage of the opportunity to let the sparks fly as on the opener “I Want To Take You Higher” and “Sing A Simple Song.” But the band also knows how to keep the groove on the R&B flavored tracks “Family Affair” and “Everybody Is A Star.” One of the many highlights on this album is the tasteful playing of Eric Levy on piano and Michael Lee Firkins’ slide guitar on “Hot Fun In The Summertime.” It shows how subtle the band can be in expressing the softer side of Sly.

Overall the album is a success and we can only hope this band will get together and treat us to some of the magic that took place in the studio. Perhaps JazzFest?

~ glidemagazine.com