Faze Action

If years of listening to disposable pop and dance have left large parts of your brain dormant, then this Faze Action album could help get things moving again. Edition seven of the highly respected Abstract Funk Theory compilations, it doesn't actually carry any tunes by Faze Action, but is typical of the U.K. outfit's original approach to music. Most of the titles are rather obscure, but give them a chance and they will surely stir up colorful visions of funkier days gone by. Opening with a beautiful, sultry number by Space, "Carry on, Turn Me On," the album then sails on a gentle breeze, serving up old-school funk, disco, jazz, and pop. There's Johhny Hammond Smith going nuts on the organ, Azymuth plucking some mean guitar strings, and Undisputed Truth showing the boy bands out there how to sing with soul. And then, just to throw a small spanner in the works, the Beach Boys close the show with "God Only Knows." You can really sense that Faze Action spent a good while sifting through their collections to find the tracks that shaped their music and led to such memorable works as Moving Cities. ~ David Peter Wesolowski, All Music Guide