Music
Chaka Khan's Funky Reprise
By Natalie Maxwell--SeeingBlack.com Contributing Critic
Oct 18, 2007, 13:26

It doesn’t really matter what Chaka Khan sings. Whether she’s crooning to classic jazz standards or wailing in her one-of-a-kind style over a slickly-produced beat, the sheer power of her pipes alone can shake hope from the gloomiest case of misery.

Mediocre projects (1998’s Come 2 My House is a perfect example—sorry, Prince) are bearable because Chaka still sends us somewhere. And when the right material is wrapped around that voice, it makes for a much better listening experience, which is why Funk This is a true reason for diehards to celebrate. Produced by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, it’s a heavy dose of pure funk that boldly presents a return to Chaka’s roots and her work with her old band Rufus.

Most of the new songs, such as the ballad “Angel,” stand firmly on their own and “Back In The Day,” the track that opens the disc, serves as an introduction to Chaka’s background and musical influences growing up in Chicago. Her powerhouse collaboration with Mary J. Blige on the Blige-penned “Disrespectful” is, unfortunately, a letdown. Here, it sounds like Blige is trying too hard to keep up, while Chaka growls and purrs over the whole thing like a veteran in complete control. Maybe another song, another time for these two. I’d really like to see it work.

There are a considerable number of covers on this disc but one of the best is a medley of two songs Khan previously recorded with Rufus. On “Pack’d My Bags/You Got The Love,” featuring Rufus’ Tony Maiden, Chaka’s vocals are, amazingly, even better this time around. Typically, when artists remake their own material, it’s a sign that they’ve completely lost their creative flow or they’re afraid of moving on and trying something new. In this case, it was fitting for her to re-record these songs, especially if—as the album title suggests—she came to bring the funk. This is Chaka reflecting and revisiting.

Other standout remakes include “Foolish Fool,” originally recorded by Dee Dee Warwick, and “Ladies Man,” written by one of Chaka’s favorites, Joni Mitchell. Her collaboration with Michael McDonald on “You Belong To Me” is classic soul. Two covers that are merely so-so are Prince’s “Sign O’ The Times” and Jimi Hendrix’s “Castles Made of Sand,” which are tough songs to cover. While Chaka’s versions aren’t too impressive, they’re far from boring and are a treat for Chaka fans.

On Funk This, Ms. Khan proves she’s still funky and can still send her contemporaries back to school. She didn’t need to prove a thing but I’m glad she did anyway.



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