Search - Rufus, Chaka Khan :: Rufusized

The Real Thing, Chaka and Rufus at their best.

Andre Heeger | Germany | 06/06/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This one should be in everybody's collection.

The sheer fun that jumps off the cover (by Norman Seeff, famous for his seventies and eighties b&w band photography) barely is able to hint at what goes off once your laser beam hits the first notes of Once You Get Started. If this doesn't make you smile something's definitely wrong with your (groove)system.

Not only is the song full of surprises, twists and turns (as is the entire album), Tony Maiden's guitar licks are amazing. The horn arrangement creative as can be. And then there's Chaka. I should simply shut up and have you listen to her shoot this music up the charts as she did at the time.

This album has it all, tight up tempo songs, mid tempo ones (Somebody's Watching You (ooh that organ)- as Once You Get Started one of my all time favorites), beautiful ballads f.e. Your Smile (and what a wonderful piano intro to Pack'd My Bags - but as I said, full of surprises), some of the greatest musicians doing what they do best without anybody getting in their way: Chaka Vocals, Tony Guitar and Backing Vocals, Bobby Watson Bass and Backing Vocals, André Fischer Drums and Percussion, Kevin Murphy All Keys and Backing Vocals.

The band members arranged the album themselves (with great string and horn arrangements by Clare Fisher and Kevin Murphy - no wonder Quincy loved this band - just listen to the horns on Rufusized )

Nuff said: GET IT!

"

Where I Fell In Love With "The Khan"!!

MUZIK4THAPEOPLE!! | Orlando, FL | 02/04/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As a child of 10 in late 1974, I first heard the funky

and melodious voice of a true original and soul diva

named Chaka Khan and I was tranformed!

Now I grew up already knowing the sounds of Gladys,

Aretha, Mahalia and other powerhouse singers by this time

and so when Chaka hit it was like a tidal wave of sound!

A new soul sista was staking her claim and she was going

to be around for awhile!--(as it turned out!)

Of course, I was already familiar with

"Tell Me Something Good", "Smokin' Room",

"Ain't Nothin' But A Maybe" and "In Love We Grow"

from the preceeding album "Rags To Rufus"

which my mother owned and played frequently.

But there was something about "Rufusized" that just

sunk into my psyche and my soul that still remains

to this day!---It's just bad to death!



I love every song on here of course, but the ones

that still send me to this day are

"Once You Get Started", "Please Pardon Me",

"Pack'd My Bags", "Stop On By" and her searing rendition

of Janis Joplin's "Half Moon"!!...Just crazy funky!



Another goodie on this album is Chaka's funk-rocky

ode to feminism "I'm A Woman (I'm A Backbone)" which

is never talked about that much when Chaka fans or

Rufus featuring Chaka fans discuss her music, but it

is a potent vocal and lyrical performance just the same!

This pre-dated the Ashford & Simpson penned classic

"I'm Every Woman" from Chaka's debut solo effort by 4 years.

Ray Parker Jr., who would later come to prominence

with his group RAYDIO and in his own solo endeavors,

was co-writer and provided some incendiary funky rock

guitar licks along with Rufus guitarist Tony Maiden.

He was also co-writer on an earlier Rufus funk-rock

classic which proceeded this album called

"You Got The Love", from "Rags To Rufus", which

is much more well-known and discussed by

Rufus & Chaka fans alike.



Now, some 32 yrs later at age 42, I have all of the

classic albums of my childhood and teen years on

remastered CD's and I have every Rufus album from

"Rags To Rufus" to "Live and Stompin' At The Savoy"...

and there all good, but again, there's something about

"Rufusized" that still gets me to this day!

A definite "must-have" for any fan of Chaka's

or lover of pure 70's funk!

"

Rufusized

Geminigirl | Philadelphia, PA United States | 09/24/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is the one Rufus/Chaka album I never gave enough credit to until I sat down and listened to it in its entirety. I love how the album is constructed and how one georgous song follows the other - this is what was great about this particular era - these artists worked on creating an entire album of great singles, great music and didn't just focus on making one or two chart-topping singles soley to send buyers scurrying to buy a mediocre album.



My favorite tracks:



PACK'D MY BAGS - I love the beautiful piano intro seguing into a truly funky track



YOUR SMILE - really beautifully spare track that allows Chaka's vocals to shine



PLEASE PARDON ME - this is simply one of my all-time fave tracks by this group



I'M A WOMAN - funky anthemm



STOP ON BY - midtempo groove



RUFUSIZED - funky instrumental



ONCE YOU GET STARTED - although I preferred their hi-energy version on the live disc, this is still a great track



My only recommendation to all concerned: GET IT, GET IT, GET IT - YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT!!!!"