Emergency On Planet Earth
Jamiroquai
Sony, 1993
Reviewed by
Troy Carpenter
Jamiroquai made a large initial splash in 1993 with Emergency On Planet
Earth, a psychedelic melange of tight funky rhythms, acid rock intimations, and '70s
soul melodies.
Frontman Jay Kay introduces himself with an environmentally-oriented manifesto inside the
LP sleeve, and his lyrics smack of idealist save-the-planet revolution. But this
revolution would be held on the dance floor, if the band's impressive rhythm section had
anything to say about it. Horns, string arrangements and a digeridoo provide full texture
on the album's tunes, and the socially-aware party vibe raged into the UK's number one
album slot.
What's most interesting about Emergency On Planet Earth is how Jamiroquai
established itself as a unique musical force and instantly became a worldwide sensation.
Much has been made of Jay Kay's distinct vocals' resemblance to Stevie Wonder, but what
better influence to have back on the airwaves in the '90s? The ten-piece Jamiroquai lineup
brings a decorative musical buffet to the table, and pop hooks are as prevalent as the
addictive rhythms.
Emergency presents the band's full range of diversity, from the uptempo jazzy
instrumental "Music Of The Mind" to the stop-start funk of "Whatever It Is,
I Just Can't Stop." Two ambitious epics, "Blow Your Mind" and
"Revolution 1993," roost near the end of the record, exploring one aspect of
Jamiroquai's music that has been neglected somewhat on subsequent efforts - extended funk
improv jams.
The great thing about Jamiroquai, whatever one can say about the band's adherence to its
influences, is that it remains a one-of-a-kind band in the '90s. Few bands have come along
that synthesize so many genres into instantly agreeable, technically proficient and
commercially successful tunes. Emergency shows this exception bursting out of
stereos, fully formed and ready to rock.
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