Kool & the Gang
may have labeled themselves as the original genies of
funk
on
Open Sesame
, but
Lakeside
did a fine job of wresting away that crown across 1981's
Your Wish Is My Command
. Their third album to reach the
R&B
Top Ten,
found
in fine fettle, returning to a stronger form after the relative disappointment of
Keep On Moving Straight Ahead
. And, although this set was packed with soft grooves that belied the heaviest
of their early material,
nevertheless kept a smooth flow. Portrayed on the cover as be-turbaned genies with magic glitter,
triumphed immediately with the title track. A delirious blend of beat and bass,
"Your Wish Is My Command
not only conjured up vivid visuals, it was perfect for the dancefloor -- and not only because there is just a ghost of their
"Fantastic Voyage"
hovering in the background. Elsewhere, both
"Magic Moments"
and
"The Urban Man"
re-create that same vibe, with the latter adding a fierce guitar solo to the bridge.
"There's Something About That Woman,"
meanwhile, emerged the freshest flower of the bunch, and
was rewarded with a Top 30 hit. Oddly, the only other song on
to enter the chart was a
ballad
-- a style one didn't usually turn to
for. Their soulful rendering of
the Beatles
'
"I Want to Hold Your Hand"
reached number five early in 1982, and while it seemed an odd choice of cover, the band rose wonderfully to the occasion. Predictable and uneven in places, there are still some fine moments on
. And, although it cannot touch the best of
's mid-'70s output, there is still room to groove. ~ Amy Hanson