Although Funk Spectrum II doesn't dig quite so deep into the crates as its predecessor -- no doubt because it's missing co-compiler Josh "DJ Shadow" Davis and his trainspotting oneupsmanship -- this second volume in the series maintains and even improves on the excellence of the first disc, forgoing obscure novelties for a more cohesive and better-sequenced listening experience. Series supervisor Keb Darge teams here with Kenny Dope to compile 20 relative obscurities drawn mostly from the early- to mid-'70s, although the disco era rears its head every now and again; this is textbook stuff, certainly never transcending the brilliance of masters like James Brown, George Clinton, or the Meters, but at the same time capturing the essence of pure funk with swaggering ease. Personal favorites: Mickey & Them's electro jazz-funk instrumental "U.F.O.," the Soul Seven's "The Cissy's Thing," and the Pleasure Seekers' Kool and the Gang homage "Give Up the Funk."
Funk Spectrum II
Keb Darge / Kenny "Dope" Gonzalez
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Funk Spectrum II Review
by Jason Ankeny
