Tom Tom Club Good The Bad And The Funky CD

This aptly titled release from '80s art rockers and Talking Heads side project Tom Tom Club is indeed good, bad, and funky. Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz have explored a stunning amount of musical styles within the confines of this album, with every song sounding like it was produced by a different group. The use of a variety of vocalists, including Weymouth, who at times sounds like a 16-year-old Japanese girl instead of her more mature self, as well as Mystic Bowie and Charles Pettigrew only seems to heighten the variety of sounds offered. The lyrics are simple, yet clever, and laid over a variety of sampled tracks, scratching, and other turntablism and live instrumentation. The resulting sound ranges from dub to dance-pop to spacy funk. The variety does allow for some unevenness, however, though duds like the repetitive and spare "Time to Bounce" are more than balanced by gems like "Happiness Can't Buy Money" and the instrumental cleverness of "Lesbians by the Lake," among others. ~ Stacia Proefrock

Recorded at Clubhouse Music Studios, Cock Island, Connecticut.

Personnel: Tina Weymouth (vocals, acoustic guitar, keyboards, synthesizer, bass guitar, drums, hand claps, loops); Charles Pettigrew, Toots Hibbert (vocals, background vocals); Abdou M'Boup (kora, percussion); Sergio Rotman (saxophone); Bernie Worrell (Clavinet, organ); Bruce Martin (organ, keyboards); Chris Frantz (keyboards, drums, percussion, loops, sampler); Bill Coleman (hand claps).

Audio Mixers: Steven Stanley; Doug McKean.

Recording information: Clubhouse Music Studio, Cock ISland, CT.

Introduction by: Bernie Worrell.

Tom Tom Club includes: Tina Weymouth (vocals, piano, keyboards, synthesizer, acoustic & electric basses); Chris Frantz (keyboards, drums, percussion, programming, background vocals); Bernie Worrell (Clavinet, organ); Abdou M'Boup (percussion).

Rolling Stone (9/28/00, p.60) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...A melting-pot of songwriting, vocal and instrumental talent, who have supplied offbeat, but on-point, ever-changing flavors..."
Spin (11/00, p.200) - 7 out of 10 - "...[It] will keep your ass swaying while the vanilla-fudgiest rhythm section in creation...drops that bottom....A playland where band-camp Donna Summer covers mix it up with New Order on-happy-fun-pills discopop..."
Q (7/01, p.124) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...Cute, smart and really rather fun."
Q (12/00, p.136) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...Bubbly funk with artsy trappings and knowingly goofy singalongs....simple pleasures shine through..."
Uncut (10/00, p.94) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...The schoolyard rhymes, hip hop grooves and dancehall inflections are a recognisable blend but delivered with a panache that makes this a return to form..."
Alternative Press (11/00, pp.133-4) - 4 out of 5 - "...the Club burn down the house all over again. An effortless dub-reggae vibe pervades all 14 tracks, with credible forays into ska, cooing, lovesick teen-pop and avant-garde weirdness..."
CMJ (9/25/00, p.25) - "...A dozen funky new cuts that relentlessly carry on its f***-art-let's-dance tradition....updated embellishments and enhanced production make it a solidly contemporary affair..."
Vibe (10/00, p.171) - 3 records of 5 - "...Shows that their sound remains relatively intact. Breezy melodies and friendly, Caribbean-style raps bop atop simple strumming and swirling sound effects. As always, [their] beats can still move butts."