Music Review

02 December 2008 02:36 BST

Kid Creole: Going Places - The August Darnell Years 1974-1982

Strut Records, out April 14th.

In a nutshell...

Infectious, funky beats - classic tunes.

What's it all about?

One of the greats from the 1970s and 80s, Kid Creole fans should be pleased by this selection of tracks spanning most of the former decade and the first few years of the latter.

The pace and infectious beats of many of the tracks stand alongside the best music being released today and, in many cases, outperform anything today's artists have to offer. It's easy to forget that much of the album is now three decades old and well overdue for a revival.

It's worth noting that this album in particular focuses on August Darnell, founding member of Kid Creole, and his prior incarnations such as Don Armando's Second Avenue Rhumba Band, meaning plenty of variety to keep any fan happy.

Who's it by?

As mentioned, the distinction here is that this is not a Kid Creole & the Coconuts album, but focuses on Kid Creole himself, August Darnell. Doing so means a variety of different artist names on the 15 tracks listed, only four of which come from the Coconuts. The remainder are from various Darnell-connected sources including Dr Buzzard's Original Savannah Band, the outfit set up in 1974 by Darnell and his half-brother.

As an example…

"Carlos and Carmen Vidal just had a child/A lovely girl with a crooked smile/Now they gotta split 'cause the Bronx ain't fit/For a kid to grow up in/Let's find a place they say, somewhere far away/With no blacks, no Jews and no gays/There but for the grace of God go I." - Machine - There but for the Grace of God Go I (12" version)

Likelihood of a trip to the Grammys

It's perhaps a little harsh to ask such a question of a collection of songs which are 30 years old - the likelihood of winning any awards after such a time may be slim, but that by no means should be taken as a negative. These tunes really have stood the test of time and, were they new, a gong or two might be quite likely.

What the others say

"With this album we can see that there was rather more going on musically and lyrically than he is often given credit for. The cheesy hits will remain what he is best known for, but it is evident on the strength of this that the Kid done good." - Stuart Crosse, The Music Magazine

"This is a taste of the songs that really got played in New York's dancetarias, though I reckon some should have been left in the 80s. However, there are some killer cuts on here." - Electronic Beats

So is it any good?

The mere fact that this compilation has been made after three decades must stand as some proof that the material contained therein is weather-proof. But it is equally in the ways in which music and society have changed that the songs show their value - such as the controversial lyrics in There but for the Grace of God Go I, given above, and a number of references to abusive relationships. A lack of fear in handling such topics, along with the success in making a song out of each which remains a positive listening experience, shows a mastery of the art. On a much lighter note, these tracks hark back to an era during which the post-60s generation was finding its feet and creating an identity of its own, with the option of tracking that through the nine-year development of one man's career.

8/10

Bob Bardsley