Street Life
The Crusaders
1979
Album Summary
Street Life is a studio album by the American jazz band The Crusaders. It was a top 20 album on three Billboard charts and represents the peak of the band's commercial popularity. The title track, featuring singer Randy Crawford, was a Top 40 pop single (No. 36) and became the group's most successful entry on the soul chart (No. 17). It was No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart. "Street Life" also hit the disco chart, peaking at No. 75, and was re-recorded by Doc Severinsen with Crawford reprising her vocal for the opening sequence of the noir crime drama Sharky's Machine, directed by Burt Reynolds in 1981. This faster paced version was also featured in Quentin Tarantino's Jackie Brown, released in 1997. The cover photograph was taken at 409 N Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills, California.
WikipediaThis 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
Not even halfway through and I’m calling it, 5 stars. Awesome funky jazz,m
Not my usual listening but absolutely loved it. Knew street life but was a slower cooler version. Other jazz instrumentals really great. Love it!
L'album est incroyable mais recentrons-nous sur l'anecdote de l'étiquette de caleçon.
Love the title track, but for the rest, I have difficulty enjoying Jazz.
Didn't like it - was like elevator music. And had the bad version of 'Street Life'.
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.
Wat een heerlijke muziek. Fijne melodien en prettige vocals. Goede opname kwaliteit. Will listen again!
Erstes Lied 11:18, wow. Direkt mal arrogant erwarten, dass Leute so lange dran bleiben würden direkt von Beginn. Aber was soll ich sagen; ich bins und das Lied ist n absoluter geiler Klassiker, bekomme Bock in ner Zappelhalle zu stehen und mit ner feschen Disco-Schnalle mal den Weißen Teufel in den Nasenkanal zu schallern und die ganze Nacht Vodka-Sodas zu peitschen, wenn ich wisst was ich meine ;) Generell verspüre ich bei dem Orgel- und Saxophonsolo geile Fick-Vibes mit Intimbehaarung, Pailletten-Kleidern aber ohne Gummi. In den 80er gabs ja noch kein AIDS, oder?! Ich würd einfach gern mal wieder draußen saufen. :( Street Life Minute 9. – Ich überlege zu skippen. My Lady kommt direkt um die Ecke mit einem – zurecht – tausendfach gesampleten Saxophon-lick man kennt's. Nur gut. Bekomme noch mehr Bock auf legeres Koksen in einer Disco. (Ich sollte mir ein Pastellfarbenes Hemd kaufen.) Rodeo Drive bisschen Uptempo, und schöne Bassline drunter. FONKEYYYY. Gitarrensolo hab ich nicht erwartet, mich trotzdem drüber gefreut. Carnival Of The Night, direkt perkussiver(schreibt man das so?), der Bass wird ge-slapped, so wie der Ass von der Bitch. (Wo bekommt man schnell Kokain her?) The Hustler. (Ich brauche mehr Schmuck und Drogenquellen, außerdem Nutten). Guter Track, bisschen mehr Funk als Discovibes, aber was solls. Night faces, kleines Betthupferl. Ich kann das verdammte Orgel-gebimmel nicht mehr ertragen. Meine kriminelle Energie ist nach dem Album sehr hoch, fühle mich wie ein Zuhälter in Frisco, der aber irgendwie nur so der nette Dude ist und nicht so n Frauenschläger. So 'n netter halt. Deswegen schlafen sowohl \"seine\" Mädels als auch \"normale\" Mädels gerne und oft mit ihm. Dass hinterher immer Geld und Kokain aus seiner Wohnung fehlt, übergeht er und sagt sich: \"Die Mädels brauchen das dringender als Ich\". Er will sich nicht eingestehen, dass er ausgenutzt wird, denn mit Ablehnung kommt er nicht klar (deswegen ja auch Zuhälter). Er weint und raucht eine Cohiba, während Emma Watson(im Hogwarts Schuloutfit) ihm einen bläst. Den Schlüssel zu seinem goldenen Käfig hat er schon vor Jahren im Kokswahn verloren. Ich fand das Album gut 5*. Bis zum Nächsten review! Euer EL Mayo
Una gran canción de apertura y todo suena bien, como para fiesta elegante o día tranquilo ☺️. 9/10
This is unreal. Perfect background work music. It's jazz but with funk added in and lots of cool hooks too. Never gets boring. Zero knowledge of them before but this one might be going into rotation.
Way jazzier and more elevator-music-like than I was expecting! Really liked this, reminds me of the newer "chill" playlists and stations I listen to.
Caught myself dancing and enjoying life more than usual during this listen. Top fucking notch
They're having such a great time and I just want to be there with them.
fantástico, funky, chill, sonidos muy agradables, excelente para tener de fondo, la calidad es buenísima. lo que sí, es muy corto y no propone cosas nuevas, solo buena música, ja, qué más necesitar? en una palabra: cómoda
This album is so beautiful and smooth. I love the lounge vibes. Jazz is a very comforting genre for me.
Very smooth and great to listen to while studying. I think in other settings it would also be equally as good. Nice Jazz, would've potentially enjoyed more singing though
Yeah MAMMA. This had the makings of a five star-er 30 seconds into the opening track. Immediate toe tapper. It's all happening; ride cymbal over piano solo, key changes, big sax, punchy horns. I expected way more vocals after the first track but that sax absolutely sings in its own right. 8 Counts for Rita is a certified screamer - would love to be standing in the front row aggressively pointing for more shred.
Brings back memories of listening to crusaders and George benson on tape in the car. A lovely funky jazzy Motown album that was a joy to listen to
Right outta the gates this is smooooth. There are some pretty tasty licks on this album. Definitely a nice choice when feeling like a fresh jazz groove.
Pretty great album. A handful of tracks, but they all work it. If I didn't know better, I'd swear this was a live jazz album recording... 4 stars.
Relaxing to have on in the background - driving, cooking, doing stuff round the house.
The jazz caught me by surprise, but it was a very welcome surprise. Super chill, great vibe, will definitely listen again.
Yeah! Love the title track, and the rest of the album followed suit. Not much else to say.
A bit flat due to drum machine and other electronic techniques of the 80s, but some good highs as well. Good singing and nice catchy tunes
Super album de Jazz avec des gros classiques. J'ai reconnu de samples de NTM et j'imagine qu'il y a en plus!
A very fun little funky jazz album. Certainly not the sort of thing you'll blast on repeat for days, but it's a good thing to put on for some creative energy while working.
Soulful, funky grooves and sultry singing. Some instrumental tunes, with borders on cool/smooth jazz.
JAMS, songs can go a little long often times but love the cores of these songs Light 4
Painfully tasteful playing. Elevated to four stars by the epic opening track
The title track is amazing! It really should be too long at over 11 minutes but it is somehow consistently interesting. I think it's the best song on the album although everything else is still pretty good. I love the saxophone on every song. Wilton Felder's tone is really nice and it fits the funk/smooth jazz style well. For the most part, it doesn't blow me away enough to warrant 5 stars but it's certainly a very good album. Favorite songs: Street Life, My Lady, Rodeo Drive, The Hustler Decent 8/10
A very nice jazz album. Great background listening, very enjoyable during work.
This album is so cool - amazing saxophone work and the basslines are very fun. An incredible vibe.
Late 70s jazz-funk, mostly sad-forward instrumentals except the title track. Source of many samples. A time piece, production-wise. Reminds me of George Benson Greatest Hits in places. Very nice, a bit smooth.
Good 70's jazz funk fusion album. The first keyboard that came in really felt it like setup the sounds that would stick through the album. Then the bass line in particular was super funky. I've been wanting to listen to more jazz, and while this wasn't exactly what I had in mind it was a blast to listen to. Favorite Songs: Street Life
On the fence between a 3 and 4, its better than most 3s so I'm gonna go with a 4. I love the first two tracks, it falls off a bit after that. I think one of them was used in Jackie Brown?
11 minute jazz intro? Let's get it "Street Life" is some solid Funk Notes of sonic adventure casino in the rest of the album Okay definitely gets into smooth slow jazz by the end of the album
I had liked the album's eponymous song before already, despite the fact that it doesn't shine with conciseness. I did enjoy Carnival Of The Night a lot though!
All excellent, pretty brief album and didn't quite consolidate into a single work for me.
Turns out that I didn't know I needed some sweet, sweet Jazz Fusion on a random Wednesday, but I did. It's an easy listen and the 11 minute version of Street Life is the icing on the cake.