| African Space Craft | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 27, 1995 | |||
| Recorded | Town House Three Studios, London Sorcerer Sound, New York Trinity, London | |||
| Length | 54:34 | |||
| Label | Delabel [1] | |||
| Producer | Ron Saint Germain | |||
| Keziah Jones chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| The Guardian | [3] |
African Space Craft is an album by Keziah Jones. [4] [5] It was released in 1995. [6] Some of the album's songs were played on guitar using just two strings. [7]
The Guardian wrote that "the 'serious rock' influences paraded, Led Zep through a Level 42 filter, eventually pale and subside under the weight of an over ambitious musician stretching for something defining." [3] The Vancouver Sun concluded that "mostly it sounds like a '90s version of Jimi Hendrix's Band of Gypsies, without the lengthy solos." [8] The Sun-Herald determined that "the arrangements are spot on but Jones could do with a few stronger tunes and a little less instrumental free-forming." [9]
Big Audio Dynamite were an English band formed in London in 1984 by Mick Jones, the former guitarist and singer of The Clash. The band mixed various musical styles, incorporating elements of punk rock, dance music, hip hop, reggae, and funk. After releasing a number of well-received albums and touring extensively throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Big Audio Dynamite broke up in 1997. In 2011, the band embarked on a reunion tour.
Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of soul, jazz and rhythm and blues (R&B). It de-emphasizes melody and chord progressions and focuses on a strong rhythmic groove of a bassline played by an electric bassist and a drum part played by a percussionist, often at slower tempos than other popular music. Funk typically consists of a complex percussive groove with rhythm instruments playing interlocking grooves that create a "hypnotic" and "danceable" feel. Funk uses the same richly colored extended chords found in bebop jazz, such as minor chords with added sevenths and elevenths, or dominant seventh chords with altered ninths and thirteenths.
Jamiroquai are an English funk and acid jazz band from London. Formed in 1992, they are fronted by vocalist Jay Kay, and were prominent in the London-based funk and acid jazz movement of the 1990s. They built on their acid jazz sound in their early releases and later drew from rock, disco, electronic and Latin music genres. Lyrically, the group has addressed social and environmental justice. Kay has remained as the only original member through several line-up changes.
Talking Heads were an American rock band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991. The band was composed of Scottish-born David Byrne, drummer Chris Frantz, bassist Tina Weymouth, and Jerry Harrison. Described as "one of the most critically acclaimed bands of the '80s", the group helped to pioneer new wave music by integrating elements of punk, art rock, funk, and world music with an anxious, clean-cut image.
Cake is an American rock band from Sacramento, California, consisting of singer John McCrea, trumpeter Vince DiFiore, guitarist Xan McCurdy, bassist Daniel McCallum, and drummer Todd Roper. The band has been noted for McCrea's sarcastic lyrics and deadpan vocals, and their wide-ranging musical influences, including country music, mariachi, rock, funk, Iranian folk music, and hip hop.
William Earl "Bootsy" Collins is an American bass guitarist and singer.
Stereophonics are a Welsh rock band formed in 1992 in the village of Cwmaman in the Cynon Valley, Wales. The band consists of Kelly Jones, Richard Jones, Adam Zindani, Jamie Morrison and touring member Tony Kirkham (keyboards). The group previously included Stuart Cable (1992–2003) and then Javier Weyler (2004–2012) on drums. Stereophonics have released twelve studio albums, including eight UK number one albums. A successful compilation album, Decade in the Sun, was released in November 2008 and charted at number two on the UK Album Chart.
Jazz fusion is a music genre that developed in the late 1960s when musicians combined jazz harmony and improvisation with rock music, funk, and rhythm and blues. Electric guitars, amplifiers, and keyboards that were popular in rock and roll started to be used by jazz musicians, particularly those who had grown up listening to rock and roll.
A.R. Kane were a British musical duo formed in 1986 by Alex Ayuli and Rudy Tambala. After releasing two early EPs to critical acclaim, the group topped the UK Independent Chart with their debut album 69 (1988). Their second album, "i" (1989), was also a top 10 hit. They were also part of the one-off collaboration MARRS, whose surprise dance hit "Pump Up the Volume" was released in 1987. Ayuli is believed to have coined the term "dreampop" in the late 1980s to describe their eclectic sound, which blended distorted guitars, drum machines, and dub production.
Pop rock is a rock music genre with a greater emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, early pop rock was influenced by the beat, arrangements, and original style of rock and roll. It may be viewed as a distinct genre field rather than music that overlaps with pop and rock. The detractors of pop rock often deride it as a slick, commercial product and less authentic than rock music.
Funk rock is a fusion genre that mixes elements of funk and rock. James Brown and others declared that Little Richard and his mid-1950s road band, The Upsetters, were the first to put the funk in the rock and roll beat, with a biographer stating that their music "spark[ed] the musical transition from fifties rock and roll to sixties funk."
Keziah Jones is a Nigerian singer-songwriter and guitarist. He describes his musical style as "Blufunk", which is a fusion between raw blues elements and hard, edgy funk rhythms. Also his Nigerian roots in Yoruba music and soul music can be considered a major influence on his sound.
Nice Ass was the first proper full-length album by the band Free Kitten, released in 1995 on Kill Rock Stars.
"Overpowered by Funk" is a song by the Clash from their fifth album Combat Rock.
Dark Magus is a live double album by American jazz trumpeter, composer, and bandleader Miles Davis. It was recorded on March 30, 1974, at Carnegie Hall in New York City, during the electric period in the musician's career. Davis' group at the time of the concert included bassist Michael Henderson, drummer Al Foster, percussionist Mtume, saxophonist Dave Liebman, and guitarists Pete Cosey and Reggie Lucas. He also used the show to audition saxophonist Azar Lawrence and guitarist Dominique Gaumont. Dark Magus was produced by Teo Macero and featured four two-part recordings titled after Swahili names for the numbers one through four.
Kevin Armstrong is an English rock guitarist, record producer and songwriter, best known for his work with David Bowie, Iggy Pop and Morrissey.
Rough Music is an album by the English band the Blue Aeroplanes, released in 1995.
Peach Pit is an indie pop band from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The band consists of singer and rhythm guitarist Neil Smith, lead guitarist Christopher Vanderkooy, bassist Peter Wilton, and drummer Mikey Pascuzzi. They describe their own music as "chewed bubblegum pop", whereas critics have described their sound as sad pop, and surf rock and is characterized by a soft spoken vocal style and guitar-driven rock melodies. The band's music videos are produced by videographer Lester Lyons-Hookham. The band sported the same clothes for every live performance during their "Being So Normal" album phase after buying them for their first music video shoot.
Positive is an album by the American band the Grassy Knoll, released in 1996.
Trance is an album by the Moroccan musician Hassan Hakmoun. It was released in 1993. He is credited with his band, Zahar. Hakmoun supported the album by playing "The Musical World of Islam" concert series, in 1993, as well as Woodstock '94.
