Street Life

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Street Life is a jazz album for people who don't like jazz--makes sense it would appear on a list like this, like the African albums for people who don't like African music. That said, it's not bad. Street Life, the hit from the album, is well written, arranged and performed, in a New York Soul/R&B/Pop crossover type of way, with a standout vocal from Randy Crawford. My Lady benefits from a slightly unusual harmonic sequence in the chorus, which adds a little interest in an otherwise bland soul/jazz crossover track. The rest of the album is flat out bland, if inoffensive. Joe Sample, Barry Finnerty, Wilton Felder, and Stix Hooper, although fine musicians, take absolutely no chances on this album. The solos are tasteful enough in a toothless kind of way, the album is recorded beautifully, etc., but why on earth would this be on a 1001 Albums you have to hear list? It's pleasant but disposable pop, background music for cleaning fish tanks or scrubbing toilets.

Absolute garbage - elevator music by numbers

This album actually made me angry because it felt like I was waiting on hold for 40 minutes - this is telephone hold music!!! Only the title track has vocals and is a bit more disco-influenced, but there's a mismatch between the jaunty tune and the lyrics about life on the street.

Oh yeah. This SLAPS. I am all about this.

One of the best records I’ve ever heard. Jazz, funk, and lead guitar all working together. Smooth as hell and the title track is infectious.

Loved it, great for walking downtown

pretty exquisite, but doesn't really tingle my pringle

Wishing I would have paid attention to this style of music when it came out. I was in my mid-teens and was exploring other genres

9/10 chill y <3

Funky vibes, but nothing that really grabs me. It's not bad per-se, but it's just kind of... bland. Sounds like a watered down version of On the Corner or Head Hunters.

Elevator disco trash. Utterly pointless.

Wow! Great all the way through. It was hard to pick a favorite.

Very uninteresting jazz. This is the sort of thing you hear in an abandoned mall, perpetually out of time. About as close as you get to muzak without actually being muzak. This is background music.

Not really my kind of thing but well done. I would prefer all instrumentals and I generally blame them for helping to push 70's jazz into "Weather Channel" territory. I prefer their earlier records, where they aren't as smooth. But I can't listen to these guys without thinking about how their sax player Wilton Felder - an unremarkable horn player - was also a tier 1, all-time great electric bass player....and that there are not many Crusaders albums where he plays bass at all. I think he plays bass on three of the tunes on this album, which is more than most. You probably never heard of him on either instrument, but you know his bass playing. For example, go put on Jackson 5's I Want You Back right now and tell me he isn't a huge part of why you love that song - and wasn't always, whether you were aware of it or not. As a bass player who didn't put a name to those amazing bass lines until just a few years ago, I find the unfortunate allocation of his time and interest somewhat destabilizing. It's almost like knowing of Albert Einstein as a shitty violin player, only to discover years later that he was the dude behind all those physics. How much other greatness will the world never discover, due to weird priorities, bad judgement or just unfortunate circumstances? This is mainly what I think about when I'm listening to the Crusaders. Maybe we would have found peace and cured world hunger by now if everyone did a better job of identifying and pursuing their greatness...

C'est avec une curiosité prononcée que je me dirigeais vers cet album des Crusaders en ce mercredi matin, après que mon camarade robvipère m'ait fait part de son attirance pour ce disque. Malheureusement, comme bien souvent, Rob etait complettement a côté de la plaque. Lui, incapable de differencier un bel album d'une daube artistique la faute à une oreille musicale absente, lui critiquant le contenu photographique pourtant fort qualitatif de son partenaire de tablée aux 1001 sushis, lui qui cautionna les insultes emises a l'egard de Ray Charles par l'affreux Elvis Costello, en punissant le pauvre Ray d'un scindant 2/5, lui, qui ferait bien de remettre son tablier de critique, et de se trouver une nouvelle vocation.

Ok but sounded like a jam session mixed with elevator music.

This was so good. But I'll probably never listen again.

Not my usual listening but absolutely loved it. Knew street life but was a slower cooler version. Other jazz instrumentals really great. Love it!

Not even halfway through and I’m calling it, 5 stars. Awesome funky jazz,m

L'album est incroyable mais recentrons-nous sur l'anecdote de l'étiquette de caleçon.

Also not much to say about “Street Life” by The Crusaders… While I enjoy Traditional Jazz (i.e. Coltrane, Davis, Brubeck, etc.) and Brazilian Jazz (i.e. Jobim, Getz, Gilberto, etc.), the one genre that I dislike more than most others is “smooth” jazz – the bastardized version of jazz, and that’s what I found here… I will say, that for what they were trying to accomplish – they really did a fine job, and there were instrumental sections where the guitar work was extremely well done, and the sax was integrated nicely – but it still didn’t make up for the predominance of that over-produced, sax-drenched cliché – that is smooth jazz… The recording quality was pretty solid, but that’s about it… Best track IMO was “The Hustler” – as at least there were some compelling sections within that track, while the last track “Night Feces” represented everything I hate about this genre…

AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING THE SMOOTH JAZZ I DIDN'T KNOW I NEEDED.

Groovy album. I watched Sharky's Machine back in the early 80's so I've heard Street Life at least once. You throw this on Saturday night with a fireplace going and your significant other will know your intentions are getting naked. Killer late 70's smooth jazz album.

Really enjoyed this album. Already familiar with Street Life but did not realise about the other instrumentals. In particular liked 'My Lady'. Perfect album for a summer's evening walk.

Pop jazz

love this love this love this

love the cozy 70s sound of the synths and guitars as well he relaxed jazzy sound . took me on a crusaders listening expedition. 4

Good listen

great jazz record. they couldve used vocals on them other tracks too but i still like the musical direction so imma go with a 3.5/5.0

Bon p'tit jazz

Very good Jazzers

I quite liked this. Lots of smooth swagger. Steely Dan-esque, mostly without the singing. I'm not always in the mood for this flavor of smooth jazz, but it certainly hits that spot.

calming, soothing, fades into the background (I don't pay too much attention to it but I'm at ease with the knowledge that it's there playing). as with all jazz

Street life was class, the rest didn't grab me but did feel like accessible jazz. May give it another go at some point

Felt like I was in an 80's movie montage, where it's night and the hero walks home along city streets and it's just rained so everything seems a little cleaner than it really is.

This album, while very pleasant to listen to, feels like the extended end credits of an 80s TV show. I would call this genre "progressive elevator music". This isn't an insult, the music is very nice and enjoyable. It's kinda fantastic background music for a party no on has anymore and that is sad.

Casually virtuosic easy-listening jazz snapped into bleak majesty by the melody, phrasing and force of Randy Crawford’s voice: “Street Life” is the masterpiece that brings us here, the following five a bubbly, forgettable afterparty.

My Week of 3s ends on a pleasant note. Yes (as many others observe here), much of this is close to hold music, but it captures its point in time very well; evocative of being on hold with a travel agent while using an off-white rotary phone. Randy Crawford carries the highlight - if you like her superb voice go listen to "Almaz" and thank me later.

After listening to the worst Nick Cave album, this album was like drinking a cold glass of water, completely refreshing. The instrumentation is amazing and the vibe and grooves are great. I really loved the first song, it really carries the whole album. By that is sorta the problem, after that first song it’s constantly downhill. Not drastically downhill, like falling off a mountain into boring noise. It’s more like they had one absolute banger in that first song and then didn’t bother putting as much effort into the other songs. They all just feel like a let down after that first song. Honestly though, this album is insanely short and I love that. Definitely worth your time, it won’t take much of it and it’s a great lounge around the house kinda album. Just put it on, jam to the first song then kinda just bop to the rest and forget that it’s even on.

sleazy 70’s chalet vibe but in a good way. Easy listening disco.

Just when I was thinking that 70s funk can't go wrong, I have found The Crusaders. Boring album, not so good vocal, and just okay bass lines. Quite disappointing and forgettable experience.

The negative reviews of this album are kind of funny to me, especially when compared to the high praise Steely Dan gets around here. The degree of separation between the music on this record and Steely Dan is almost non-existent. It’s like, “I hate this, it’s elevator music. Now, would you please put on some Steely Dan, I need something exciting.” This place cracks me up, man. Don’t get me wrong, this record isn’t for me (nor is Steely Dan), it’s pretty damn cheesy (like Steely Dan), but let’s be honest with ourselves here - they’re not that different. As an alternative, here’s a funky, engaging fusion record to check out: The Blackbyrds’ 1974 self-titled debut lp. You’re welcome.

Loved street life. The rest was bland and unchallenging. After the excellent jazz I've had already on the list, this seemed like a hollow version of that after track 1.

Didn't like it - was like elevator music. And had the bad version of 'Street Life'.

Jazz fusion as elevator music. Next.

Love the title track, but for the rest, I have difficulty enjoying Jazz.

Very boring album.

Late-night show music. You know, those wet fart sounds from Paul Shaffer and the like. Music for announcers to introduce tonight’s guests. I bet they know music theory.

The title track isn't bad, even if it goes on about 8 minutes longer than it should. The rest is competently played muzak. If you've ever wondered what it would be like to get a root canal while being on hold with the cable company, this is the album for you. 1 star.

The opener ist fine. Too long, though. Which is a fine indicator of the overall impression this album left. It's the worst kind of noodling. It's noodling, but the production tells you that not a single note is actually improvised, which adds an aseptic, sterile quality to this record.

The first track had me convinced the genre was CIA Torture Music but it was only 11 minutes of repetitive drone before they switched up for the Elevator Music genre. If nothing else, this has solidified my opinion that Jazz is not actually real music. It's the Emperor's Clothes of music. Anyone who is telling you they enjoy it is probably an NPC.

Wow, this is pure execrable dreck. It combines the worst of the 70s genres - disco and easy-listening "jazz". Folks, this is NOT Jazz, its made for people who hate jazz. I'm absolutely shocked at how many folks gave this 5 stars, but not surprised at all the 1s and they were quite a few. Really 1,001, really? [face palm and SMH]

I was waiting for someone to interrupt the music to make an announcement that there was a special on women’s blazers. Why is this on the list?

OK, I wanna know what companies people're calling that this — **this** — is hold music. First I saw people call Miles Davis's IN A SILENT WAY hold music, and now this? Some people, I tell yah. OK, OK, I don't wanna make this whole review a response to one other one I saw. But using that as a jumping off point to talk about this album... Within the first couple of seconds— hell, just listening to samples on Spotify, I could tell: this was something special. This has to be some of the smoothest, grooviest, most "screw up your face and shimmy yer shoulders" kinda jazz funk I've heard in a **while**. And I don't even know how much jazz funk I've ever heard, but this stuff is just phenomenal. Take the title track, for instance: it's eleven minutes, and I honestly wouldn't have minded if it'd gone on longer. It's so irresistible. And every other track on the album stands up just as well as that one does. I'm not even sure if this is an album where I really have too many words to say about it. It really speaks for itself, between the horns and bass and the small snatches of vocals that pop up... Not since HOT RATS have I heard a six-pack jazz album that's this tight and this much fun. Honest to goodness. I'd've much rather listened to this shit on hold than whatever tinny classical music I've actually heard get pumped through. If this is elevator music, hit the button; I'm staying there for an hour. This gets played in a supermarket, the people are gonna be dancin' in the aisles. This is some legit, prime cut, grade-A shit here. I really cannot hear the "muzak" in this that others are. Now, I'm not gonna act like this is jazz on the same level as IN A SILENT WAY was. It's got a lot of disco and R&B and funk in it — enough to where some have called it "jazz for people who don't like jazz." But fuck that. I love jazz, and I love this. This **is** jazz, any way you slice it. And it's fuckin' incredible. Seriously, if you're reading this review and you somehow haven't heard this album, give it a chance. Put it on and get damn **loose** to it. This is a great, fun album, and to anyone who says it isn't... Well, diff'rent strokes and all, but I will actively rebut it. Not to change their mind, but more to say that, yeah, I'd be more than glad to listen to this when I called the bank. Even if, like if they served me IN A SILENT WAY, it'd sound like ass comin' through whatever machine they have it on. (Seriously, why **does** hold music sound so tinny? Honestly now...)

I mean, it’s obviously a 5. For as much as I wish the rest of the tracks here had a vocal presence after the excellent “Street Life” (which I’m amazed I’ve never heard before), I think this album’s groove works fine enough without them. Go ahead and look at all the musicians that played on this album on Wikipedia, and do a deep dive into alllll of the albums they’ve had a hand in. It's unbelievably prolific. This feels like listening to the “We Are The World” of session jazz musicians. I really don’t have anything else to say; the music speaks for itself. Even if you want to treat this as nothing more than call music or the stuff you hear when you’re watching a forecast on the Weather Channel, it’s the fucking best call music I’ve ever heard & the smoothest jazz to watch a weather radar to. 40 minutes of absolutely groovy bliss, and one of the best jazz fusion albums this list has given us; one hell of a feat given that we’re 613 days into this. A spectacular album.

Great! Even if a few songs were over 11 minutes

Genieten!

Really enjoyed this one. Surprisingly I had never heard of this album, but knew as soon as I saw the title Street Life, I had heard a sample of this song in the past. And the chorus hit, and I was like… there it is. Good times all around!

Legendary musicians and...Randy Crawford. This is just a terrific album.

Good

Wow! I was not aware of them until now. My loss!

i'm not a huge jazz guy but i definitely enjoyed the funk and pop elements in these tracks. smooth and clean, but with some real pizzazz behind all those solos. keep it comin!! favorites: street life, my lady, rodeo drive (high steppin'), carnival of the night

A great album to chill out with. Sure, it's not that exciting (although Street Life is something else), but sometimes a little staid and smooth music (or even muzak, if that's what it is). I love it, and it's getting five stars.

Great stuff.

The Crusaders themselves? They're legit legends. The instrumental is so tight, it's insane. The sax is doing its thing, the rhythm section is locked in, and the whole thing just flows. It's giving sophisticated chill, but with a serious groove. It's the kind of song you put on when you're feeling yourself, or when you need to level up your chill playlist. Basically, "Street Life" is a whole vibe. It's timeless, it's iconic, and it's still a banger. If you haven't heard it, you're missing out.

I see the comments are complaing that this sounds like elevator or Weather Channel music. Well the Weather Channel slaps, and this does too. Street Life is awesome and it's nice listening to a jazz album that isn't all free form like the Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, and Davis I've gotten in the last month. I think my favorite part on this is the middle guitar-piano solos in Carnival of the Night. Though, if Street Life was a little less than 11 mins, that's what I would move to my playlist because it's great.

Great beats!

Great music

Ég vissi ekkert hverju ég bjóst við. Setti bara í gang og ætlaði að þrauka eitthvað rappalbúm þegar ég þekkti fyrsta lagið þegar það fór almennilega af stað og svo hélt platan bara uppi glimrandi stemmningu sem ég vissi ekki að ég væri að bíða eftir. Algjör gleðidjassbomba

nice jazz-pop sound

Man this is some real cool dude shit.

Beautiful funky jazz album. Nothing misses, everything is where it should be. The melodies are light and varied. Loved it. Every song stood out.

Jazz, ein bisschen funkig

A great album, loved it!

Loved this

Didnt knew i liked jazz

Ouvir esse álbum andando na rua te faz sentir como o Tobey Maguire no Spider-Man 3 de 2007. 11 minutos não são suficientes para Street Life, eu não queria que acabasse de jeito nenhum.

Love it

i think i love funk

Fantastic

WOW. Excellent stuff.

This was great. Had zero idea about what I was going to hear. Saw the album cover with the three dudes and was moderately surprised to hear Randy Crawford pick up and run with a song I've clearly heard at least a thousand times before. Why did I not have an association? Who knows. Anyway - Street Life is a whopping 13 minutes long, which is pretty indulgent. It could definitely be trimmed a bit. Despite the indulgence, this is actually a pretty good record. The music is mild and mostly inoffensive, but occasionally dips into just really good disco/soul crossover. Enjoyed listening to it, I will do again.

Incredible music, makes you smile and move

great

Loved listening to this. Keep showing me albums like this and I'll groove to them for weeks.

Very smooth and jazzy. Normally I might complain about all the sax but Street Life is such a good song, I felt ready to enjoy the rest.

I fell in love with the song “Street Life” from the soundtrack of the film Jackie Brown. This album started off on a good note. The rest did not disappoint. Love me some smooth, sexy, 70s jazz.

These are the albums I'm here for!

Das Fusion Album, eine Kreuzung aus Jazz, R&B, Soul und Funk. Mit dem von der wunderbaren Dionne Warwick gesungenen Aufmacher, womit sie ihren späteren Weltruhm begründete, war dem Keyboarder Joe Sample, dem Kopf der Crusaders, ein bemerkenswertes Album gelungen, gehört zu Recht zu den "1001 Albums you must hear before you..."

Toller Sound mit Anklängen an Bigband-Sax!

Loved this album! Jazzy and fun. Very pleasant to listen to.

Wonderful.

20ish albums deep in the project, this was the best one so far. Every single track was an absolute banger.

one of my favourite albums of all time

Converted

very cool album. funky

Totally missed that this was a jazz band in the wiki section somehow and was very pleasantly surprised. Loved that shit

Beautiful jazz album, brings me into a jazz bar late at night

Fun groovy jazz album. Something I noticed was the audio space, how direction/space was used with instruments