Brass Construction - Brass Construction [1975]

Some bands enjoy their greatest success with their first release, and this Brooklyn-based funk ensemble is a good example. Their first single was the chart-topping "Movin'." Aside from the verse being chanted in unison, this aggressively paced dance number, with its catchy, melodious hook line, utilizes reeds and brass, complemented by keyboard and synthesizer solos from bandleader Randy Muller. The single moved its way to the number one spot on the R&B charts, the group's only chart-topper out of 17 singles that reached the charts, and one of two to ever crack the Top Ten. The follow-up single, "Changin'," has a similar arrangement at a slightly slower tempo. The melody is not seductive like its predecessor. Seeming to be more of a musical exhibition and less dance-oriented, it still managed to peak at number 24 on the charts. While the group's music is centered around its horns, the majority of the songs from this album feature vocals throughout the verses and choruses. Adding their social awareness to the mix on a couple tracks, all numbers are consistent with the album's dance/funk appeal.














Brass Construction - Brass Construction II [1976]

Brass Construction leader Randy Muller took the group in a wider direction on their sophomore effort, Brass Construction 2 issued in December 1976. Their second LP was still funky, horn-punctuated disco; it just wasn't non-stop funky disco as their gold self-titled debut. Adding more Latin/Afro Cuban rhythms,they had a Top 10 R&B hit with the first single "Ha Cha Cha." It also introduced the irving Spice strings, who give the urgent radio-aired "Screwed" a swirling, almost tipsy feel. The LP also had mellow tracks. "The Message" is almost inspirational in its theme. Both it and its flipside, the seriously funky "What's On Your Mind(Expression)" received airplay with "..Mind" becoming the source sampling material for several rap and hip-hop artists in the '80s and '90s. Brass Construction 2 the band's second gold album is also a testament to their influence on the acid jazz movement of the '90s.















Brass Construction - Renegades [1984]

Brass Construction kept issuing albums, even though many of their contemporaries had called it quits by the mid-'80s. This album once more spawned two minor hits in "Partyline" and "International," and also made Brass Construction one of the few hit disco acts from the '70s that had made it to the middle of the '80s.

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