Frenchy’s Fracas

General Description
Artist/Band: The Chess Cadet All Stars AKA Marc Mac
Album Title: How About A Game Of Chess?
Year: 2005

My kind of weirdness!
How I Got Into This Music
One of those late discoveries through the lovely people at Last.fm. I was just browsing their excellent music selection and came across this album (can’t remember which track precisely). Finally got the album in september 2006 and was totally and completely mesmerised.
The Chess Cadet All Stars is a one-off project by mister Marc Mac, one half of 4hero.

Google Search: Reviews of How About A Game Of Chess? | This artist at Last.fm

Tracks that got my attention:
Intro
Heheh, setting the theme and style - a short sample from some Asian action movie (at least, it sounds like it)

Simple Folk
I remember some nitwit commenting on the repetition on this track; he still has use of his left arm on occassion and he can feel a rain storm coming just by the itching in his right hand..
Seriously, I love the repetition: adding little layers to the ground beat and piano sample is beautiful!

Space Cadet
Man, that beat.. It’s something from the Caribbean, not quite sure.

See Me Smile ft. Etta James
Hmm. my least favorite track; I don’t mind the vocals but they just don’t blend that well for me.

Blue Phil
Movie theme music, I can imagine Guy Richie using this for his umpteenth comeback movie

Tune For God
The weirdness expands into saxophone loops

Take The Queen
The Melancholy is all over this track. Thanks to that creep Moby, I started hating blues vocals being looped in a track. Take The Queen is the antidote.

A Bad Minute
50s/60s brass and strings mixed with some very heart-wrenching dialogue

Pick A Colour
I had to get used to the piano loops and high-pitch keyboards, but after a while I really loved this track. Listen to the beats in the background.

Sandman
Impossible to describe, but here goes. Another 90 second track with a great beat, lovely strings and general grooviness

No Bread No Peace
This track just gets to me everytime. When the music starts blending into the intro-monologue, I get all mellow. It’s the tear-filled guitar and horns, they’re beautiful!

Got U In Check
Lovely, lovely, lovely! Oh man!! It’s a lullaby with a cool beat. That’s it, beauty in simplicity!

Alone Me And The Sea
Damn! Still not sure who’s being sampled here, but my guess is Stephanie Mills. The mood on this track is total MellowDrama.

Dell’s Bells
A great track for a long drive.

Slide Bishop Slide
Subtle Arabian Nights flavored track with some crazy horn samples.

Latin Gold Theme
Instant dance classic! It’s a great remix/remake of I Am the Black Gold of the Sun track from the Nuyorican Soul album; a classic album by the boys of Masters At Work.

Conclusion
One of my all-time favorite albums ever! It’s got the precise balance of weirdness, beats, loops and orchestration that gets me jumping with joy everytime I listen to it. I still can’t get bored by it. I can’t explain it to other people, so just go and try to find the album and listen to it..

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General Description
Artist/Band: Masters At Work
Album Title: Our Time Is Coming
Year: 2002

How I Got Into This Music
Some time ago, there was this album/band thing called “Nuyorican Soul” and they had this great old school feeling kinda single on TV called “Runaway”. It just worked for me and the singer’s voice really charmed my socks off.. I bought the album and still enjoy it very much, but that’s another review..
But who were these people? Turns out that the album’s a product from a coupla guys modestly calling themselves “Masters At Work”: “Little Louie” Vega and Kenny “Dope” Gonzalez. Well, a name like that is not one you’re gonna forget easily.
I kinda lost sight of these guys (let’s call’em MAW).. and then suddenly the single “Work” was on the tele and I really got excited! And forgot about it again..
This happens waaaaay too much but hey, $#it happens ;o)
So last Fall I remembered the track and got me the album..

Tracks that got my attention
(well, all of them actually, but still..):

Mr. V
How many times do you think someone’s gonna review an intro track?
Well, this one’s incredibly funky, tasty and groovy!

Like a Butterfly (You Send Me) ft. Patti Austin
Okay, for those who don’t know this lady, read her bio. This song’s fantastic: makes me feel great and eager to forget me back pains and swing it out the whole night trough!!
Typing this stuff while wiggling in me chair sure ain’t gonna help me back, but it’s for a good cause, heheh..

Backfired ft La India
I’m so in love with this lady’s voice! The groove, the funk, the old style disco that isn’t tooth-rottingly sweet but as healthy as the best non-GM apples.. Instant floorfiller!!

Work ft Denise
Man, this takes me back to my childhood years! I remember a hit song back in the 70’s when I was still in Curaçao called “Salt Fish” by Calypso King Mighty Sparrow.
“Work” is a naughty, naughty song and I swear I’m gonna pick up DJ-ing again just to play this song for an audience!
promises, promises..

MAW Expensive (A Tribute to Fela)
Can get on my nerves sometimes, but I can never ever resist the groove..

Our Time Is Coming ft Mr. Roy Ayers
The legendary Mr. Roy Ayers! Nuff said..

Every Now and Then ft Billie
DAMN! Wake me up at four o’ clock in the AM just to dance to this song and you will survive the initial disturbance! Classic dance and nasty semi-nasal vocals - you can not listen to this track and stand still at the same time!

Lean on Me ft James Ingram
Another one of the talented vocalists on the MAW tip. Even though his voice is a bit tiresome sometimes, the track still stands

Life Is but a Dream ft Lynae
Works like a charm

Back in the Day
Not my favorite track but it’s okay..

Latin Lover ft Stephanie Mills
Classic 80’s post-disco diva Stephanie Mills, remember her? Well, she’s in full effect on this great track!

Pienso en Ti (I Think of You) ft Luis Salinas
You know how the whole Chill Out/Ibiza Lounge scene does its stuff? Well here’s a great example with cool and suave vocals by mister Salinas

Conclusion
Okay, so.. If you didn’t already guess why this one’s one of my favorites, well.. Buy the friggin’ thing and have a listen for yourself!
MAW deliver the goods on this album: an intelligent mix of classic disco, 80’s dance, very old style caribbean hybrids and incredible instrumental and vocal artists. The production value? Ooooohh.. man, the stuff’s tighter than.. uhm.. tighter than.. something very tight that still remains cool (sic)!

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