Day 30: Go-Go

Chuck Brown & the Soul Searchers
Bustin' Loose

A bass and groove-heavy funk sound that found a niche in the late 70s and early to mid 80s as disco gave way to early hip hop, go-go music developed in D.C. at nightclubs and neighborhood parties. One of the idiom's greatest artists was Chuck Brown, a D.C. scenester whose success helped pave the way for such acts as Trouble Funk, E.U., The Junk Yard Band, and Rare Essence. Chuck Brown & the Soul Searcher's 1979 debut Bustin' Loose is arguably the definitive document of the D.C. go-go scene. It's title track was an R&B hit eventually immortalized when rapper Nelly sampled it for his anthem "Hot in Herre." Like most go-go tracks, "Bustin Loose" is a rhythmic wonder that features sparse, MC-style vocals--mostly just Brown pattering such lines "Bustin' loose in the meantime, Bustin' loose make you feel fine, Talking 'bout bustin loose." Like a lot of funk, it's also very horn-heavy, and a cursory listen to its infectious, looped trumpet line makes me think (a) claims that Beyonce's "Crazy In Love" is go-go influenced are legit and (b) I may have to eat my past words of criticism for Ms. Knowles. (Giving "Crazy in Love" another chance, I realize that a "where's the melody?" critique doesn't hold up; melody's not the point--a bonkers groove is. However, I am still free to take or leave Beyonce--it's dance-pop producer Rich Harrison who deserves credit for the track.) Interestingly, Chuck Brown's first LP isn't entirely in the go-go style. The lush, sultry textures of Philly soul dominate two of the albums seven extended cuts: "Never Gonna Give You Up" and "Could It Be Love." On these more than competent ballads, Brown shows that he can actually sing, but perhaps even more surprisingly, that ballads can actually make sense in the context of the rest of the album. As a result, Bustin' Loose manages to define, yet also transcend the narrow sub-genre that is go-go.

Do you feel like bustin' loose? Seriously, Chuck Brown wants to know.