Rage!

...take an old Tower of Power lp, throw in some Curtis Mayfield, shake a dash of JB's, walk down 103rd St in Watts, commit robbery on Soulive and the James Taylor Quartet like you don't care, roll in some Mandrill, Brecker Brothers and Jimmy Castor, then pay homage to the early days of Kool and the Gang and the Ohio Players when they were instrumental groups and that about sums up what Lettuce pulled off with RAGE! The funk is so thick in this CD you will smell like the cigarette smoke in the club when they play a live show. Every song is headbobbin', matchbook cover in the 8-track player, two week old colly greens in the fridge-FUNK.

The grooves and overall feel of this CD are incredible. Although the material is not the most unique in the world, and does not necessarily highlight the depths of the skills of these musicians, it just plan rocks. Listening to the music, I get the feeling these musicians are capable of making much more intellectually challenging music, but instead they opt for great grooves that make you want to dance. Every track is great.

Lettuce is a group of incredibly talented musicians with a deep appreciation for funk music. And they spread the funk thick and dirty on Rage! My introduction to the band was the Live at the Blue Note disc, so this is the first time I've heard them in the studio. <br /> <br />What I like most about Rage! is that the album stands on its own as a solid collection of tunes that'll get your head bobbin' and your booty shakin' to the undeniable groove. However, if you're familiar with their live show, you'll be well aware that they leave plenty of room on the disc to explore the songs further when they hit the stage. I can't wait to catch them on tour, and see how they expand and develop these tunes. <br /> <br />When funk is left in the wrong hands, tragedy can occur. However, when a band like Lettuce comes around to carry the mantle of funk's forefathers, you realize that there is still hope for funk in the world. I can't recommend this disc highly enough...

This is the real deal. Buy it now, and if you don't like it - take a minute to evaluate your taste. The defenders of the funk are back and layin' it down like nobody's business. I've blown two speakers so far but can't bring myself to turn the volume down.