honky - the ego has landed
first off, before i get to the album i have to just say that out of the massive ztt back catalogue the fact that this hardly ever demanded album (available in many bargain bins if you dig hard enough), is getting the double cd reissue treatment is somewhat baffling, but hey what do i know. after all, this is one ztt album that i actually picked up on cd a few years back, having had the radio friendly/annoying loops of 'the whistler' in my head for years and years i had to scratch that itch once and for all when i saw the cd being left all unloved.
basically, in the mid-90's uk hip hop had yet to define its own style and image, so most groups took a well defined area of the usa hiphop map and set about anglo-sizing it. subsequently, these yorkshire , matt ellis and kye wright, decided to dip their toes into the passed-its-sell-by-date of daisyage loops, happy-go-lucky melodies, with a dash of stereo mc's funk, and a q-tip sound-alike on top of the de la soul type results.
and, it worked. well, sort of, for me anyway.
even now (this album was originally released in '94), on sunny days the album is still a great blast of nostalgic easy on the ear hip hop. one that has a bite in its lyrical sting maybe, but as you are so wrapped up in the sample heavy dayglo grooves then the underbelly of discontent may in fact be missed completely.
so what of the highlights ? well there are plenty for anyone who likes their hiphop all fun and funky, from the opening scratched up loops of 'who am i?', via the hook heavy 'love thy neighbour', via the radio playlisted 'the whistler' and 'kkk', the superb sax heavy ska'd up 'honky doodle day', the album flows on by easily, making the mood lift, the smiles spread a little wider, and making you wonder how on earth this lot didn't go onto to become pop stars proper ? well the answer was all in the timing. the rest of the world were off discovering their gangsta side while the revival of the guitar was just around the corner, and therefore forgot about the joy of grin inducing houseparties, more fool them.
which was always the problem for honky: too pop for the hardcore, too hardcore for the pop fans.
something which they tried to address with their second album, which lifted away the catchy loops redefining the bands sound to appeal to a more hard edged crowd, but as ever things didn't quite work out.
so, as much as i love this album (and i do in large amounts, to the degree i have even purchased extra copies when spotted in the bins, to pass onto friends) i wonder if this time around that honky will still reach the audience that they deserved first time around ? i hope so. the second disc of extras provides typically all over the place remixes that are of the time that they were recorded and have names such as 'funkie junky mix', 'alpha mix', and previously rare to cd tracks such as 'private idaho' and chains.
so, next time you play your worn out copy of '3 feet high and rising' and wonder why on earth there isn't more records as fun, catchy, as that classic, then ponder no more, get online, order this midpriced reissue and fill your dancing boots.
you'll love it.