It seems to be the consensus of opinion that whilst this is a mighty fine collection of soul, funk and disco what actually set the landmark series of Another Late Night/Late Night Tales albums apart from the rest was the fact they culled together some of the most varied and eclectic music straight from the four points of the heart itself. You take an artist and you ask them to compile an album of music that inspired them most. And it comes as no surprise to learn that what inspired Jay Kay and Jamiroquai the most was soul, funk and disco. And heaps of it. But it’s not like we ever really needed telling as Jay Kay has been pilfering liberally from these genres and artists for years. Where does the line between inspiration and approximation actually lie? In Jamiroquai’s case, it lies roughly along that same axis.
Preceded in the series by Groove Armada, Zero 7 and Sly & Robbie, this arbitrary but consistent collection of cuts indulges more or less one particular genre: schmaltzy, smoochey, feel good soul and funk. Who’s on it? The Pointer Sisters, the Commodores, Sister Sledge, Kleeer, Leon Ware, Marvin Gaye, Dexter Wansel amongst others.
High points of the album? Without doubt Jose Feliciano’s desperately bleeding and wintry re-working of ‘California Dreaming’, Lalo Schifrin’s the ‘Theme From Enter The Dragon’ and of course MC Brian Blessed’s reading of Part 3 of the ‘White City’ by Patrick Neate.
Neat indeed.