Search - Brothers Johnson :: Right on Time

Right On Time!

Andre' S Grindle | Bangor,ME. | 08/17/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is the Bros' second offering and it's a bit of a smoother ride then the first time around,but that's only a

relative term.When the Johnson's are smooth they've OVERHEATED

and the funk is sooooo deep it almost burns!That's exactly what

happens on the instrumental "Q"-it starts off as a quint little

pop-jazz instrumental fit for an elevator THEN breaks into a

full blast of funky heat when these guys come on the bass and

guitar-bopping and riffing away!"Runnin' From Your Lovin" finds

a nice soulful middle ground in the affair even as they make

a total killing on Shuggie Otis's "Strawberry Letter 23" and

frankly wipe the floor with his version-a Johnson classic to be

sure."Brother Man" offers up a maddeningly funky instrumental

and the title song only adds vocals for a rhythm that changes nothing!Sometimes 'Right On Time' feels very glossy and

polished but it's sudtle too,making it work in both ways!So

it really IS okay to like this-when even an album's soft spots

punch you out (ie Graham Central Station) then your not faking

the funk!And these brothers never did!So pick this up and it'll

go great with the other three Quincy Jones produced Brothers

Johnson CD's in print-they're all soooo excellent!"

Well Produced Funk

ECU_Classic_Music_Fan | Charlotte, NC United States | 03/13/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This cd still holds up I'm happy to say. I give 5 stars to Strawberry Letter 23 and the whole cd is strong. Compares to Earth Wind and Fire. Quincy Jones produced this album and it shows. It's like jumping into a timemachine back to the late 70's, early 80's. If you like smooth, funky R&B then you should check this out. Unfortunately, they didn't do a lot more. They have one other release of new material and then a greatest hits package. Too bad. These guys seemed to have a lot of potential. Great fun. Buy and enjoy.

"

An Essential Slice Of West Coast Funk

David Alston | Chapel Hill, NC, USA | 01/10/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"One of the more underrated releases of the 1970s - Brothers Johnson, and this disc in particular - have aged very, very well, which is more than you can say about 95% of their contemporaries. At the time, I know everyone noticed how great of a funk/r&b album it was - I had the album as a kid, and the magnificent cover of Shuggie Otis' "Strawberry Letter 23" was one of THE car radio hits of '77.



But I don't know if everyone noticed how THOUGHTFUL this stuff is, and the subtle sonic diversity underneath the grooves: fluid shifts from jazzy to danceable to folk/pastoral on the last tune, and through this broad musical range, the sense of rhythm and melody never fails. To pull this off and not come across as trendy, or pretentious is quite an accomplishment. These guys talent is never in question, but their musical and imaginative sense of adventure, combined with a genuine charm and sense of really enjoying what they were doing is what makes this disc sound fresh going on 30 years after it's original release.



It should be noted how specific the lyrical imagery is as well - at the time this disc was being made, times were getting a little weird, and the rather precise romanticism that emerges in the words here was - I think - another calculated move (and a good one): what might have seemed a little hippy-dippy in 1970 was a statement of calm, quiet defiance seven years later, at a time when cynicism or nihilism would have been the easier or more expected path to take - witness punk and disco - two contemporary musical movements that both produced some very interesting stuff, but also often got very soulless. All around - in words, music, groove and ambition, RIGHT ON TIME is a definite, late classic of the kind of West Coast r&b pioneered by Shuggie, Sly and Graham Central Station.



I don't know if Brothers Johnson's other releases quite hit the heights of this one, but with this release, they still accomplished far more than most.



-David Alston"