Here is are the rest of Jamiroquai's studio albums. I also got a ranking of all the albums from least favorite to favorite.
A Funk Odyssey (2001)
This is probably my least favorite album from the group. Something
about it just feels off. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who thought that.
Even reviews from that era were mixed on this one. It really sways into the
techno/disco side of things, and most of the songs don’t stick with me at all.
Now, they do try to do some new things and use some different sounds. Only a
couple of songs here really come to mind.
The rest are fine for the most part.
Favorite Songs:
- Little L – Of the fast songs on here, this one and another one are the only ones that really hit with me.
- You Give Me Something – This is another fast love song. It’s cool and funky, but that’s about it.
- Corner of the Earth – This is one of the songs where the group tries to use a different sound. iN this case, it’s Bossa Nova… not Chevy Nova for you 1990 TMNT movie fans out there. It’s slower, not funky, and just more spiritual. Heck, Jay Kay is wearing Native American regalia in the music video, something that would probably get him into trouble these days. Still, it’s a pretty cool song.
Dynamite (2005)
This one is better than A Funk Odyssey, but it’s still not
on the level like their first three albums. As usual, it’s funky and disco-y as
ever. There are plenty of songs you can bop to as well as some soulful smooth
songs. Also, we get a couple of songs that got some good message to them like “(Don’t)
Give Hate a Chance.” I will say that the slow, soulful songs don’t really stick
with me here.
Favorite Songs:
- Starchild – We get a pretty funky song which has an interesting message. It wonders with the “starchild”, a superman or basically Jesus, is coming back. The song throws some big criticism toward televangelists, which is something I’m kinda down for.
- Time Won’t Wait – Here is another funky fast song that comes out the gate swinging. The title says it all. If you’re gonna do something, do it because time won’t wait.
- Dynamite – And here is a another pretty funky song you bop your head to. Not much to it but funk.
Rock Dust Light Star (2009)
This one was also a recent find for me. This one feels a
little different when compared to their last two. This time, some rock is being
added in with the other genres they pull from. While you got your now usual
funky disco stuff, the group does try to recapture some of what made their early
albums work. I don’t think they completely succeed, but there are some nice,
smooth songs here. I’d probably say it’s stuck between Odyssey and Dynamite for
me.
Favorite Songs:
- Two Completely Different Things – This one feels like something we would’ve gotten from their early albums and I like it. It’s basically a break-up song. Luckily, it’s so up-beat about it.
- She’s a Fast Persuader – Now this one goes into the disco font while having a nice bass line. It’s even got a pretty smooth sax solo. As for what the song’s about… I guess she’s a fast persuader? Anyway, the music’s hot!
- Rock Dust Light Star – The title track is a nice one that pulls from the rock genre. It’s about a dude who leaves the twisted annoyance known as Earth.
Automaton (2017)
Finally, we got their latest album. I guess all that time
off (8 years???) gave Jay Kay and the group some ideas because I liked this
one. While it feels new and innovative, it does hearken back to their early
albums. In fact, it feels like a nice compilation of all they’ve done over the
years. We get the usual dance songs, a couple of slow ones, and even a couple
of social ones too We even get one dedicated to Jay Kay’s daughter, Carla.
Favorite Songs:
- Automaton – If you wanted Jamiroquai to team up with Daft Punk… well, your dream has sort of come true. It’s techno but funky in a way that sticks with me. The lyrics are even pretty nice since they center around artificial intelligence and technology. Heck, it feels like an addendum to “Virtual Insanity.” I can imagine someone mixing this with some Tron: Legacy
- Cloud 9 – This song here is pretty much a funky, fast, love song that has some slammin’ music to it.
- Dr. Buzz – This song slows it down a bit and gets pretty topical about all the ills going on in the world. While it’s not my favorite political song of theirs, it still a good one.
- Shake it On – This starts off the album in a pretty cool way. Like “Automaton”, it feels like Daft Punk came in the studio and said “Do it like this and they’ll love ya.” I just like how it all takes it time before we get to the bombastic-ness in the chorus.
………………………………………………
Well, that’s where I gotta end with the albums. Before I go,
I think I will do a quick ranking of the albums from least favorite to
favorite. If you want to know what I think about the other albums, check out
the previous post:
8. A Funk Odyssey
7. Rock Dust Light Star
6. Dynamite
5. Automaton
4. Synkronized
3. Travelling Without Moving
2. Emergency on Planet Earth
1. The Return of the Space Cowboy
I think that should do it with my fondness for Jamiroquai. Next time, it’s time to throw my
fondness towards the Man of Steel for September. Until then Peace, God Bless,
and be careful out there.
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