The Bar-Kays - Do You See What I See? [1972]
The Bar-Kays were the funksters for the STAX label without any doubt. I picked up on the Bar-Kays during their Mercury years when they began scoring hits alongside other hard core 70 Funk bands like P-Funk, The Ohio Players and Bootsy Rubber Band. Their STAX years were very interesting especially tracking their evolution from a Memphis style house band ("Soul Finger" etc..) to a radical Funk/Black Rock band as witnessed in concert,via the film "WattStax". This collection of songs came from their 4th STAX album. Each track stands on their on on this masterpiece "Love Pollution" and "I was made to love her" signify that Funk effort which would produce million sellers for Mercury in years to come while showcasing instrumental material from the late 60's on 2 of the disc 5 bonus tracks.
The Bar Kays - Injoy [1979]
Later Bar-Kays at their best -- still plenty funky, but also working in a smoothly soulful style that became the group's trademark sound at Mercury! The album's got a real bass-heavy appeal from the start -- working in a mode that shares a lot with Cameo, The Gap Band, and some of the other mainstream funk acts at the time -- yet which still occasionally shows the group's roots in the rougher Memphis scene. There's actually some great ballads on the album alongside the funk -- tunes that sweeten the set nicely, and provide a good counterpoint to the more uptempo numbers. Titles include "Girl I'm On Your Side", "More & More", "Running In & Out Of My Life", "You've Been", and "Up In Here". (Limited edition of 5000 copies -- numbered, in a totally cool LP-styled jacket!)
The Bar-Kays - Propositions [1982]
Tightly grooving work from The Bar-Kays -- a set that's light years away from the sound of their Memphis roots, but still plenty darn funky overall! The album's got a tight bass-heavy approach to the music -- the well-forged ensemble sound that graced the later years of the Bar-Kays' career, with nary a note out of place, and a sweet blend of keyboards over the bass, giving the tunes a strong electric feel -- gliding wonderfully over romping rhythms on the upbeat tracks, and stepping sweetly on the album's few mellow gems. Titles include "Tripping Out", "Propositions", "Anticipation", "Do It (Let Me See You Shake)", "She Talks To Me With Her Body", and "You Made A Change In My Life".
The Bar-Kays - Dangerous [1984]
Able to move with the times, bringing all the elements of the new breed into their sound, and keeping their funk roots intact while traversing the slippery slope of 1980s dance, the Bar-Kays scored another hit with 1984's massive Dangerous LP. Whittled down to a hefty octet for this outing, the Bar-Kays easily proved they were still up to their old tricks, smoothly updating their sound while continuing to take some well-intentioned and good-humored jabs at more than a few peers along the way. This now-traditional penchant, never meant to hurt and only done in homage, is perhaps best heard across the album's three hit singles. Not only was the monstrously sassy "Freakshow on the Dance Floor" an integral part of the film Breakin', but the incorporated elements from Midnight Starr's "No Parking on the Dancefloor" were just evident enough to prove that the similarities were deliberate. Following on the heels of that hit came the mid-tempo groover "Dirty Dancer," which tongue-and-cheekily captured the essence of Michael Jackson's current "Billie Jean," leaving the synthed-out "Sexomatic" following quite happily in Prince's purple footsteps. And while it's true that these songs may well be the best elements of Dangerous, the band wasn't done yet -- not by a long shot. The title track remains an outstanding sliver of smooth dance that seamlessly incorporates more than a few Euro-disco splashes into the mix. It's very much of its era, but still compellingly fresh nevertheless. Elsewhere, the band rounds out the relative frenzy with one single ballad, the well-intentioned "Lovers Should Never Fall in Love," capping off another effusive, energetic set. And although, at the time, it seemed as if the Bar-Kays were unstoppable, Dangerous would prove to be the band's last major hit -- making this album one to savor.
The Bar-Kays - Contagious [1987]
Although the Bar-Kays' membership had once topped ten members, by 1987 only Larry Dodson, Harvey Henderson, and Winston Stewart remained. The band's sound had completely transfigured, too, leaving behind most of their early funk trappings for the synth pop sounds of the day, a style which actually was well-suited to Dodson's unique vocal style and the band's high-energy pop. The album starts off with a bang on the marvelous "Certified True," which ironically sounds so much like a Cameo song that one wonders just how many people realized the enormous compliment that bands' vocalist, Larry Blackmon, paid Dodson with his own vocal development. Following quickly on its heels is the catchy "Don't Hang Up," and both songs gave the Bar-Kays more chart hits to add to their already impressive collection. "Certified True" coasted in at number nine and gave the band their first Top Ten single since 1984.
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