Trouble Funk

Back in the late '90s, Henry Rollins and Rick Rubin formed their own record label, Infinite Zero, which specialized in reissuing cult albums that were out-of-print. Several renowned rock bands received the 'Infinite Zero treatment,' such as Devo and Gang of Four, as well as more obscure acts, such as proto-punks the Monks and the overlooked Washington D.C. funk act, Trouble Funk. When the label went under, so did its titles, but when Rollins formed another label that specialized in reissues during the early 21st century, District Line, one of its first releases was a two-disc compilation of a pair of Trouble Funk albums, Live & Early Singles. Part of the D.C. go-go scene of the early '80s, Trouble Funk could jam and groove it up with the best of them, but they were a different beast entirely on-stage than in the studio, as evidenced here. The 'Live' portion is neatly divided into four sections ("Part A," "Part B," etc.), and shows what a talent the group possessed for creating a party atmosphere on-stage, as well as how tight they were as a unit ('verse-chorus-verse songs' go out the window here, as Trouble Funk gleefully jam the night away). 'Early Singles,' on the other hand, shows the band following more conventional song structures (even though most of the songs stretch over 5 minutes -- with a few inching close to ten minutes), as evidenced by such standouts as "Super Grit" and "Latin Funk." Live & Early Singles is a highly recommended Trouble Funk starting point. ~ Greg Prato, Rovi