Reviews (page 2 of 9)
Ah, back to back funk records for me...although I guess this one is more jazzy, which isn't great for me either. I dunno, it's hard to get too excited about this one. 6/10
Herlig tittelspor, resten er helt ok.
Fin og sexy plate, men litt for mye alt-sax.
Groovy og herlig, men det er bare førstelåta som virkelig skiller seg ut.
Suena bien, funky as hell, pero no es para mí
This was so funky and so enjoyable. This didn't do anything ground breaking, but was just so much fun! Everything about this album grooved. Actual Rating...3.5 Liked Songs: "Street Life" , "My Lady" , "Rodeo Drive (High Steppin')" , "Carnival Of The Night" , "Night Faces"
really repetitive. it’s calming but jazz just isn’t my thing
1979 R & B. ordinary Street life
I see people calling this phone-hold music and they're wrong! It's actually Weather Channel music. But I like Weather Channel music, so I guess I win here. I just wouldn't listen to an entire LP of this stuff at a time. It has a feel and a vibe though, I get it. Not great for focus in the evening after work in the middle of an extremely humid week. Ask me how I know.
Enjoyed. Was surprised to hear a woman singing, as only the men were featured prominently on the cover.
From the first song I thought this was going to be a really fun jazzy disco album, but its just jazzy instrumentals. Still pretty cool and entertaining, but I am still yearning for what I thought this would be.
Pretty solid jazz record. Chill, easy to listen to. "Carnival of the Night" is probably my favorite track. I'm not sure it does enough to quite warrant a full 4 stars, but it's a pretty pleasant listen.
Great album
Heard before?:❌️ Will listen again?:❌️
Never heard of this group but it was entertaining. First song had a female vocalist and started more r&b but most of it was jazzier instrumental stuff.
...
"Street Life" boasts solid production and high-calibre performance, yet it fails to ignite. It makes for an easy, pleasant listen, but the overall sound is too safe and vanilla for my liking. Two stars. 1 "Street Life" (3/5) 2 "My Lady" (2/5) 3 "Rodeo Drive (High Steppin')" (2/5) 4 "Carnival of the Night" (2/5) 5 "The Hustler" (2/5) 6 "Night Faces" (2/5) Total - 13 Average - 2.2 416/1001 217/416 albums reviewed were new to me
Bitlítill jazz
Listened before?: nope Street Life - 4/5 My Lady - 3/5 Rodeo Drive (High Steppin') - 3/5 Carnival of the Night - 4/5 The Hustler - 3/5 Night Faces - 3/5 Average score: 3.3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ it's just some smooth, easy-to-consume jazz. not much to write home about, but nothing to complain about either. Street Life was a certified bop
1979 R&B, disco, jazz, instrumental Parece city-pop pero en un suburbio de alguna ciudad americana, más funk jazz y más lento
Groovy
Very nice smooth jazzy listen Randy Crawford has a beauty of a voice. Never ever heard of her and can't believe it. Enjoyable listen.
funky!
Trivelig liten sak, æ satte nok særlig pris på det første sporet, men generelt va det en positiv opplevelse.
Day 12 I'm sorry Street Life my precious but the rest of the album is way too subdued for you to share room with them :( Fav track: Street Life
I have a sudden urge to put $500,000 in a bag and pretend it's only $50,000.
Aight
Interesting running music I suppose
Great groove and a bass masterclass
Fun, and often groovy as hell - the more properly jazz excursions lacked a bit of oomph however
I like the first track Street Life on this one. 1979 album jazz
Funk/jazz lounge music
This era of jazz, with its very specific type of organ, just isn't my bag, baby.
A pleasant easy listening jazz album. Quite enjoyable.
Elevator music
Bom disco. Excekente groove
Yes. Keys and strings are great, I hear some nasty chords in there. I love that sound to death. Oh this is good! My lady is great. No vocals Didn't jump out a ton to me first time through, but very solid. Strings at the end of Street Life are great, nice outro.
street life is such a good song, the rest of the album is nice, albeit inconsequential, soul jazz
Street Life by The Crusaders is technically a jazz album, but it feels like jazz in disguise. There's enough funk, soul and pop mixed in that it doesn't immediately feel like the sort of traditional jazz album I've struggled with during this challenge. And to be fair, it isn't quite as difficult a listen as some of those albums. It's perfectly pleasant, well played and easy enough to have on in the background. The problem is that after the excellent opening track, there isn't much else that really grabs me. As the album progresses, it becomes increasingly repetitive and starts to blend into one long piece of background music. The musicianship is clearly excellent, but being technically good doesn't necessarily make something interesting. I kept waiting for another song to match the energy and quality of "Street Life", but it never really arrived. It leaves me wondering why this particular record needed to be included in a list of 1001 albums you have to hear. There's absolutely nothing terrible about it, but outside of the title track, I found very little that was memorable either. It's pleasant but ultimately disposable — perfect background music for cleaning the fish tank or scrubbing the toilet, but not something I'm likely to actively choose to listen to again. Favourite track: "Street Life" is one hell of a tune and easily the best thing on the album. Does it really need to be 11 minutes long though? Probably not. Least favourite tracks: Nothing is horrific. The bigger problem is that after "Street Life", most of the album just drifts by without leaving much of an impression. Album artwork: A fairly standard album cover. Nothing particularly memorable.
perfect!!!
Good Jazz. I like the keyboard.
good jazz, some of these songs went on for wayyy too long though
Great stuff, particularly the first two tracks. Trails off a bit from there but still super worthwhile. RYM: N Saved a song: N
This was a good groove. I liked it.
Solid album. I understand the comments about being on hold or on an elevator. This album is why I'm glad to keep with this process
Cool R&B jazzy sounds
I've heard the title track before, wasn't aware it was 11 minutes long originally having heard just the shortened version they played on the radio. After that it tailed off and became pretty generic jazz funk. It sounded a bit like an album you find out featured Chas & Dave as session musicians, but that you only find out about years later when it's sampled in some hip hop record, but in this case I don't think it was. Extra star for reminding me of Chas & Dave.
I need to find this album on vinyl. A really dirty vinyl that has had 1000 cigarettes smoked around it, and the stylus has to carve through the tar to get to the groove. It would be a four star album if I had that. Maybe 5.
Unexpected find. Really vibed with this album. Will be revisiting.
Обалденный джаз. Послушал несколько раз. Скачал дискографию.
“Now, your Local Forecast”
Never put by far your best track as the opener, it can only be downhill from there. Nothing to dislike, but nothing to get excited about. Should be a two, but Street Life is so good it nudges up to a three.
Good album
Someone said jazz for people who don’t like jazz. Fits.
nice i like :3
Street life - 3 My lady - 2 Rodeo drive (high steppin') - 2 Carnival of the night - 3 The hustler - 2 Night faces - 2
More often than not this sounded like elevator music to my ears. Favorite track: Street Life
Not bad
If this project has taught me one thing, it's that, for a "music historian" Dimery is totally clueless about R&B, Soul, and Funk (which is particularly striking given the historic importance of this music). This is most definitely not an album everyone needs to hear. It isn't even one of the CRUSADER'S top five albums for chrissake; another demonstration of Dimery's total (and inexplicable) LOVE for schlocky, easy listening, 70s/80s TV soundtrack sounds. If you’re not a fan of the sound, you’re not going to be interested or moved by anything on here. There’s no songwriting to speak of. There is nothing remotely groundbreaking or even novel and while the performances are competent, they aren't inspiring. Finally, (700 albums in) the number of brilliant, groundbreaking, historic soul albums that have been left off this list is an embarrassment.
I like city nighttime type music so I liked this
It's jazz fusion, so if I say it's cool and chill, that's a bit trite. But that's also a lot more praise than I give to most things from the 80's. To be honest, it ran on a little for me but I do respect the musicianship on display. I'm just not a big fan of music focused on the saxophone. Well worth checking out and definitely something I'd put on for a party, or check out at a dinner club. 3/5 with respect.
Such an great vibe, so beautiful and even lacking like any lyrics it very much conveys the message
It started off like a hazy disco dream (def not "jazz") but it ended as torturous Muzak that plays in the broken elevator you've now been stuck in for several hours.
Another group I'd never heard of and another really good album discovery. Some great instrumental tracks on this one. Good way to spend a Sunday morning.
2 1/2
one of the strongest album openers ever, so fun and the 11 minutes is so well balanced. Album gets a bit weaker towards the end but still brilliant
Another album I don't think fits the Top 1001 of all time - that you have to hear before you die. It's good, it's entertaining but it's not groundbreaking, it has no commercial hits or radio songs but it does have excellent musicianship (Wilton on saxophone is great!) Try Crusaders "2nd Coming" if you want to hear them at their finest & funkiest with less jazziness and polish. This is on the verge of going cruise-ship-house-band/elevator music on a few tracks. 2.5 stars.
Good ‘ol shit
Nice jazz funk record, the title track clearly stands out here
good songs good flows i like it
I remember the single version of Street Life as sung by Randy Crawford from back in the day, but always assumed that it was her song. It was a pleasant surprise for this album to turn up with a whole 11 and a bit minutes of it to enjoy. The rest of the album is shorter, mostly instrumental jazz-funk pieces, but it’s an enjoyable listen. Worth it for the title track alone.
Loved the vibe of this album.
Good sound
uopće mi nije bilo loše. premda mi je prva pjesma, s lijepim ženskim vokalom, vjerojatno bila najbolja i malo pokvarila dojam daljnjih instrumentala, no oni ipak nisu isuviše repetitivni. sve u svemu, bilo je ugodno preslušati i drago mi je što jesam, no ne mislim da ću baš ponovo
Sounds like closing credit music for any episode of the Phil Donahue show, although I get the many reviews referencing hold music.
First couple songs are FUNKY and I dug it real hard but then they moved into smooth jazz and it felt a bit out of place. They get back to it by the end but I started off thinking this was a shoe-in for 5 and was let down a little. Highlights: Street Life, My Lady
2/10 Elevator music (derogatory).
Ein neues Jazz Funk Album 3/5
No. 414/1001 Street Life 4/5 My Lady 3/5 Rodeo Drive 3/5 Carnival Of The Night 3/5 The Hustler 3/5 Night Faces 3/5 Average: 3,17 Relaxing jazzy record.
18/07/2026 I can't give this more than 3 stars because the album didn't really offer anything to me apart from being elevator music. Spotify listeners: 289.8k
Album #216 The Crusaders: Street Life After the first track, I thought I was in for a nice groovy time, but everything that makes the title track infectious seems to be lacking in the rest of the album. From attention-grabbing soulful vocals to placid soft jazz, this really seems to be a trend of a lot of these jazz albums on the list, one great track that is double the length of the rest, and clearly had a lot of time put into it (normally the title track), then the rest of the album is boring noodling to bide time. Such is the nature of most jazz after the 60s, well, at least according to this list. Would be nice to get some jazz fusion or something soon. Best Songs: Street Life, My Lady, Carnival Of The Night Worst Song: Night Faces Score out of 10: 5
There is the song street life then half an hour of a lot of crap 1.5*
Alright kinda fun
Es un buen jazz.
Cool jazz record. I liked the textures on this. Nothing really grabbed me but I thought it was good.
Tunnelmallista menoa.
A soft 5/5. Not perfect but really really amazing
Really nice easy listening
Groovy elevator music
This is an easy listen but it does feel like it mostly just wanders. It wasn't bad, but I doubt it would stay with me much. Go listen to Isaac Hayes instead.
This could go either way depending on my mood. Not much to complain about. Not much to be excited about. Fine music, not required listening, but a good sample of a style.
I love jazz. Smooth jazz, not so much.
Smooth jazz. Was okay. It really the biggest fan, but my wife loves this stuff.
Really, very bland album. It feels like they had time to think only about the first track in the album: Street Life, and even that feels like put on repeat. Very disappointed. I read comments about this being an elevator jazz album, but I think I wouldn't like to listen this in a hotel or elevator as well.
Brilliant, intelligent, not showing off, and full of funk, groove and soul. It’s even the perfect length for an album. And opens with something that hits just the right spot. Brilliant.
7/9/26. Always knew the title track, but the rest of the album has a great groove! Instrumental jazz-funk will always be a top genre of mine and The Crusaders do it well here.
didn't love the first song with vocals, but enjoyed the rest of the album a lot!
Smooth jazz with a banger of a first track (EWF vibes). Solid, mostly instrumental album.
Jazz and Soul, not my music.
Neat, don't really have much else to say about it rn tbh.
está más que aprobado para tener de fondo, y en cualquier contexto te digo
los conocía por street life, realmente un himno. que lástima no siguieron por ese camino en este álbum. es un 2.5 pero le pongo 3 porque veo el vaso medio lleno
Some fantastic playing but, honestly, a bit boring aside from the epic title track. Groovy without being arresting. Not looked it up but is there any crossover between these guys and Steely Dan? Some big similarities.
Didn't do much for me, but listenable.
Easy listening, not terrible but it would’ve been a bore to listen to if I wasn’t at work
Street Life did not impress. Some good musicianship but overall a limp experience. This list is getting worse by the day.
3.7/5
Cool find
Mild, jazzy, and a bit dull.
This is not anything mind blowing, but it’s well performed, and each musician gets their moment. The highlight here is Street Life which is a great blending of genres.
Album #111: Street Life - The Crusaders Genre (W): Jazz, R&B, disco Singles: Street Life I have not listened to this album before. Thoughts?: Well, this was underwhelming. I don’t agree with jazz just being pleasurable background music. Jazz is just as much an art form as other genres. I found this to be a boring listen without much substance. Favorite songs: Rodeo Drive (High Steppin’)
the funk tried to liven up the jazz. but in the end they were both bringing each other down.
Tough one to really score. I don’t want to be harsh given the skill of the players, but this type of easy listening jazz workout is pretty much the template for on-hold music when “our helplines are experiencing an unusually high volume of calls”.
Hard to beat the elevator music allegations. Doesn’t mean it was a waste though
One good song, and the rest was just ok
Better than Coldplay
Awesome title track before getting to pretty good elevator music
Elevated hold music is my jam
7,50 Me gusto, muy tranquilo sin aburrir,
Lots of good instrumentals
Was this album added to the list to correspond with the passing of James Burroughs? Because this style of jazz always makes me think of “transition shots” from TV shows like “Taxi,” and, “Cheers.”
A 70’s jazz groove that hits the right keys in good time.
Smooth
Listening to this on the hottest day in recorded history, so the odds where stacked against this album. HOWEVER Streetlife will never not remind me of Bob's Burgers and that's always a happy thought
Street Life 3.4 My Lady 3.2 Rodeo Drive (High Steppin') 3.3 Carnival of the Night 3.6 The Hustler 3.4 Night Faces 3.4 Score: 3.383333333
The jazz was too smooth
Easy to listen to, no complaints
Pretty boring and generic sounding. I never really got into it.
11 minutes somehow feels too short for that opening track... I just can't get enough of it. That being said, the rest of the album is okay, but it gets blander as it goes. Every variation, solo, or added instrument feels like a blessing because otherwise the songs are very bare-bones. While I enjoyed it, I strongly disagree that it belongs on the list.
Smooth, sophisticated, for a nerd like me, who always struggled with fitting in, always struggled to access what counts as *cool*, this album is easy access to that understanding. If I threw a dinner party, and this was playing in the background as I greeted my guests, they may not be able to put their finger on exactly why, but they all would be thinking to themselves, "my host is a hoopy frood who really knows where his towel is."
ouro!
Very nice fusion of jazz and R&B
No está tan mal como decían, me encantaron los comentarios que lo comparaban con un tono de espera o música de elevador, pero tampoco me encantó. La primera canción, que como decían, parece más influenciada por la música disco, es la única que volvería a escuchar.
Boring as fuck...70s porn music.
When this album started and there were lyrics in the first song, I was stoked for some excitement ahead...but then there was no more singing and it sort of fell flat. Easy listening though.
The first song gave me hope but then it felt like I was on hold with my insurance for the rest
Excellent tunes
First few songs are particularly groovy and have the whole family bopping. By the end it’s a bit background music. I’ll look out for other albums by them.
Good night music but pretty repetitive. No slam, I'd come back to this if I need some bopping background music.
6.5/10 - Good listening. Not particularly stand out aside from the classic street life, yet not bad at all by any means. Fun to listen to but not striking.
Smooooooth. Title track is just wonderful. Bought the album years ago as a result of this being a single. Rest of the album was a bit of a shock initially, but it remains a great listen. 4
No fav song
Started off so promising with the wonderful Street Life, then descended into bland muzak. Disappointing.
6/10 Knowing the title track from this record well from its use in Quentin Tarantino’s excellent Jackie Brown (although that version was a disco remix), I was pretty excited to hear this. With that track kicking the album off, they get off to an absolute flyer here and, despite the 11 minute length, there is so much to love about the track. It showcases exceptional touch and feel for a groove, a high level of musicianship and an ability to weave in great hooks around an interesting and varied arrangement. With the vocal to focus around, they allow plenty of room for their musicianship to shine, while also maintaining a central theme and focus for the track that helps keep it engaging throughout. Unfortunately, when the vocals disappeared from track two onwards, the band struggled to maintain the same level of control over the listener that they had achieved with Randy Crawford’s vocal in place. That’s not to say it was bad, but it did struggle to reach the same hooky heights that Street Life was able to hit. The rest of the record showed moments of real jazz-fusion quality, drifting from funky mid-tempo grooves with more of that excellent rhythmical touch, to slightly more jazzy cuts that showcased the instrumental prowess of the band members. But they did really fail to capture the same slightly pop-melodic sensibility that they have showed themselves capable of delivering. I did find that while I enjoyed the grooves and vibes of most of the remaining tracks, they rarely managed to present any particularly memorable hooks that stuck in the mind and begged for a repeat listen. There were also occasions when they slipped a little too far into the lounge-jazz world of late night love, with Rodeo Drive and, to a lesser extent, Night Faces. It’s a real shame, because has they stuck to the formula of Street Life, this could have been an amazing record, but ultimately, it’s one that was enjoyable but not as special as it promised to be. Street Life - Straight out of the gate with a classic featuring Randy Crawford. The mid-tempo jazz funk groove is gorgeous with a perfect balance of staccato pop sections and smooth legato ones. There’s so much to like about this and it packs a load in over the 11 minute run time. Cool string arrangements, some perfectly placed horn punctuations and top notch soloing. I love the electric piano work particularly, but there’s a subtle excellence of touch to pretty much all of the instrumental work. It’s incredibly well arranged to maintain interest for its length and, despite a lightly drawn out intro and outro, it’s a fantastic piece of work. My Lady - More sharp funky groove work now with a smooth and sultry lead from the sax. There’s some great solo work here, but without the vocal of the opener, it does lack a central focus. It also doesn’t offer as much dynamic and musical range, feeling a touch one-paced and flat compared to the vibrancy they were able to deliver previously. That’s not to say it’s bad, but it’s got a lot to live up to. I think it’s lacking a bit in central hooks and while the vibe and groove are great, there’s not much to elevate it beyond that. Rodeo Drive (High Steppin’) - This steps a bit too far into the cheesy “late night love” radio fodder. The groove is a bit one-paced again, but the lead lines just feel a bit safe and obvious, lacking much in the way of edge or bite. Again, it’s not terrible, it’s just pleasant, harmless stuff. They’re locked in tight, the production is solid and the playing is all great, it just doesn’t have the requisite soul that music like this really requires to fully connect. Carnival Of The Night - We’re back onto more solid ground now. There’s a bit more grit and punch to this, and the lead parts have a better melodic hook that helps to centre the track and give it focus. The little descending chord progressions at the end of certain sections are really tasty. The variation of feel between the sections give this way more interest, and the solo work feels much more soulful and engaging. Unlike the last track, I can almost see the players soloing away and grinning at each other across the studio. It sounds fun and heartfelt. Much, much better. The Hustler - That touch and feel in the groove is great here and we’re way more into the jazz world for the soloing now. It’s not as hooky as the last track, but it’s still musically satisfying and manages to keep hold of that sense of fun and adventure from the playing. The rhythmic punch of the little breakdowns they do are really cool and, while this isn’t the strongest cut on the record, it’s still an enjoyable listen. Night Faces - There’s something of the Weather Report about this, but it’s not got the range, melodic excellence or virtuosity of that band, so it feels a touch bland by comparison. That sounds harsh, because this isn’t bad, it just feels a little lightweight and veers a little too far to the cheesy side of jazz fusion for me, which is a bit of a shame. The talent is there, and they’ve got a great feel and sense of groove, but this just doesn’t quite punch its way past the barrier from pleasant to memorable.
Wow
9uu⅞⁶⁷in t2q44fbjn⁶uuw 🤢🤢😕😕😕🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️66 ²☺️
it’s fine
Ain’t nothing like some smoooooth jazz in the morning to calm you down before you walk in to work with those blood sucking vultures
Do you guys remember the old Weather Channel "Local on the 8s" segment that always had smooth generic jazz in the background? I think these guys provided that soundtrack. If last week's Charles Mingus album was advanced-level jazz, The Crusaders is an intro jazz 101 course. Pretty basic stuff, but inoffensive and sometimes fun. Did not like that the title track had a lady screaming about street life, just keep jazz as instrumentals, please. I'll give it a low 3/5.
This is great. Very funky
Is this the birth of muzak? Personal enjoyment: 2/5 Relevance to this list: 4/5
That was quite good wasn't it. That was the..... Which one was it. It was good. Yeah we listened to it on the way to Norwich.
I forgot that I had it on.
Street life is a classic disco/soul track. The rest of the tracks match that energy but without vocals for the most part. So if you like that track's sound, you'll love the album. But don't expect a bunch of other disco songs with singing. Just more like, disco-era jazz. High 3/5.
No thoughts, just smooth jazz.
This was a very fitting 2am listen
So so rich - the album titled song is probably my least favourite on the record!
Fine? I like a good sax but this is much more smooth than I usually go for.
Three I suppose for a style, but I’m not listening to the whole thing
Like if Weather Report tried to make music for dating, out on the town. And if they deliberately dumbed down their abilities.
Here’s my deep cut - this sounds like the soundtrack to the America’s Next Top Model game for the Wii.
Perfect album to work!
An amazing jazz album and an even better funk album. Blending those genres together is not unheard of, however The Crusaders executed it perfectly. The album has sensational basslines and a jumpy feeling that would be perfect for mornings or mellow evenings. Best track: Street Life
First sound is very different to the rest of the album
Imagine loving the single ‘Street Life’ and thinking, ‘I wonder what The Crusaders sound like without Randy Crawford? I’d definitely listen to an album of their stuff!’ Because that’s what you get. The rest of the album sounds like the muzak you get when your favourite corporation puts you on hold. No offence. These are 10,000 hours jazzers. It’s sophisticated. But there’s nothing beyond the silky groove. As each track fades you know they could have just kept playing it until someone at the studio switched the lights off.
Funky but dull
Favorite Track: My Lady Least Favorite Track: Rodeo Drive (High Steppin’)
Funky
Album 211. Street Life (https://open.spotify.com/album/1HikauozonmM2vgsgGFeDk?si=glNTiF9LTfmBvfFXy0k9Fw) — The Crusaders (1979) I was in the elevator too long. Nice smooth jazzy funk, but nothing more. 2/5 No liked songs
it's a nice jazz album. not great. not their best either (its "tough talk"). don't really care for the title track singing.
Nice vibes
Ohh that's this song moment (Street Life). Jazzy and fun. 3.7/5
richtig nice, vorallem die sängerin, aber auch mal wieder ein paar langweilige jazz aspekte
Ahhhhhh the title track is like slowly easing yourself into a warm inviting bubble bath. Does an artist know when they are creating a GOAT song when they are in the process? This song had me strapped in, thinking this album has something to say and I’m all ears. But then I have to say the rest of the album is a sort of anti climax?? The music is fine, but not the best from the Crusaders. It’s fine backing music, but it feels a bit safe.
Pleasantly bland, like the music you'd hear on the menu of Mario Kart or something.
Very nice jazz album. I’ll be adding this to my rotation as well.
“Street Life” by The Crusaders starts with a truly great title track—but unfortunately loses some of its momentum afterward. With well-crafted mainstream jazz (and that’s exactly what this is), there’s always the risk that it will become too smooth. Unfortunately, here the line into elevator music is crossed several times; only “Carnival Of The Night” manages to consistently avoid this. It’s entirely possible that the overall impression was different in 1979, but today you get the feeling that you’ve heard it all before. That’s not to say, by the way, that “Street Life” isn’t a good album—it’s just very generic in large parts.
Awesome album! Super chill!
As much as I like jazz, I don’t like ALL types of jazz, and this is a little too close to the style I don’t like (smooth jazz?). I can’t describe what exactly rubs me the wrong way, but I think it’s the guitar and percussion. To me, it just feels like a watered down, boring version of jazz - doesn’t even feel like the same genre. Not to say that it’s unpleasant, exactly, but it’s not really interesting. I did like the title track, but it didn’t need to be 11 minutes long. 3
Jazz isntrumental masterpiece and also song Stree Life
was kinda chill kinda forgot most of it now though Will I listen to again: 5%
i didn't know street life was that long
Off to a solid start with Streetlight track and then followed by an albums worth of elevator music. Clearly a one hit wonder
I liked the first song the best
ça va, c'est du jazz donc c'est super mais j'avais l'impression que plein de morceaux se ressemblaient.
This feels like a record that my dad could have owned during his jazz phase in the 80s. "Street Life" (the song) sounds like it was somebody's magnum opus, and then they added some instrumentals to fill out a whole album.
The opening title track is an epic 11 minute jam. That one rates a 5. After that, the rest is fairly standard "smooth jazz"-esque tracks. Not bad, just not something I'm in to. Those rate about a 3. Overall, there are more of those than the one fantastic song, so the album gets a 3.
After Street Life ... I didn't expect it all to be instrumental. But this is still a good grooving album!
Blues yes
Non male, ma non è il mio genere
really really nice and chill album, never knew i loved jazz
Ok, not much of a jazz fan.
Not bad, for background music. I was able to listen to most of it while working, with minimal distraction. I can't say that I enjoyed it, but I can say that it didn't offend me. Middle of the road in my book.
Mmmmm that sweet sweet jazz noise
They're good at what they do, but it leans a bit end of disco shading into adult contemporary for my taste.
Feel very similarly about this one as I do the Booker T. album I listened to last week. Generally pleasant, with a lot of talent and raw musicianship on the way and a killer title track/lead single, but eventually blends into the background. This being a jazz album, there's a bit more going on musically, and the horn sections in particular are very good, but ultimately it does little to distinguish itself. The title track, as mentioned earlier, is great, and the vocalist in particular does an excellent job. Everything else here is good background music, but still just background music at the end of the day.
Very pleasant, very unremarkable music, except for the title track, which is an absolute banger. This makes it quite hard to rate for me, but I don't think the title track makes up for the rest of the album, and we are judging these by the album, not by the hit song.
Oh yeah, this slaps like a disco elevator. Prefigures the 80s before we hit the 80s in terms of synths, guitars, vocal production- marrying up lush background production and strings with the rise of electronic music. This is smooth and cool and infectiously groothsome
Fun little listen and excellent performances. Favourite Track(s): Street Life Least Favourite Track(s): Carnival Of The Night
Tried to give us a fair chance. Jazz just is not my thing. I did kind of like the first song, but after that, I felt like I was listening to a mix of cheesy tv show theme songs and elevator music.
neat
Gear: Grado Hemp Artwork: 🤜💥🪞 Production: 📏💩😖 Music: 🏎️😡🪧 Rating: 🏴🏴(🏴)/5
01) Street Life - 10,0 02) My Lady - 7,0 03) Rodeo Drive (High Steppin') - 7,0 04) Carnival of the Night - 6,5 05) The Hustler - 6,5 06) Night Faces - 6,0 TOTAL: 7,17 (72/100) Current ranking: 467/914
Väldigt mycket gubbafusion.
The opening track with the vocals is great; quite happy to listen to eleven minutes of that. But the rest is pretty unmemorable.
You had me at „Street Life“ (the one everyone knows), you kept me with „My Lady“ (gooood), you bored me with „Rodeo Drive“ (meh), you made tip my toes to the bass with „Carnival of the night“ (funky), you kept me waiting with „the hustler“ (ok) and you waved me good bye with „night faces“ (the intro, so mysterious)…. A solid 4!
Good, but not my jam. Would be great BG music
This album is like trying to cook a three-course meal while blindfolded. The saxophone on 'Street Life' is absolute fire, but then they serve you something that's just... mediocre. It's not terrible, it's just disappointing after such a promising start. Spins: 1 Playlist Additions - Street Life - My Lady - Rodeo Drive (High Steppin')
I really enjoy the jazz each track has to offer, especially with the first track, Street Life, as my favorite. It's a perfect combination of short listening and smooth tunes, at least for me.
Smooth jazz is anathema to the spirit of jazz. The best jazz records make you sit up and take notice. This doesn't quite reach those heights. The rhythm section is pulling some serious weight here. This would have been a much different record with a lot less reverb on the sax, giving it more muscle in the recording.
Gonna bump this up to three stars because the bass playing on this album is amazing. All three credited bassists can split those stars however they think is fair. Otherwise it is just very, very smooth music.
Supremely funky
This is sick. I’ve always loved Japanese City Pop because it felt like it had no antecedents, but now I see (what is obvious in retrospect) that it derives much of its styling from 70s jazz fusion.
Ok
Good smooth jazz
Smooth and easy to enjoy! Never heard of it before but glad I listened.
This sounded like Weather Channel music to me... not really in a good way. Funky and pleasant, but not something I'd listen to again.
First track I recognise. The rest is just hold music. Funky hold music. Second album this week of hold music......
I was a bit dissappointed by this. It just felt very safe. There were some nice moments and the title track was good. The rest of the album was instrumental and didn't seem to go anywhere exciting.
Me gusta como suena un poco repetitivo pero esta como para poner de fondo 7/10
elevator music so boring
Like the music you get when put on hold while trying to get a doctor’s appointment for a worrying lump and then being told that they have no more appointments. But shitter.
Thought I wasn’t going to recognise anything from this until the riff kicked in after a couple of minutes of the title track. The opener had some funk and soul to it, just unfortunate to follow Chic which does it so much better. The rest of album was a bit of drudgery though so it’s nothing to compare to the opener and whilst the musicianship was consistently good, was a bit too much like muzak for my tastes.
Way above expectation. Really funky album that was perfect to listen to in the background. Will revisit.
Sweet
I love airport jazz! The title track stands out from the rest of the album due to some stunning vocals, but the rest of the album is straight jazz. I am thoroughly relaxed.
Imagine being this talented as musicians, just to create the background music for hotel reception areas and furniture stores across the world. The Randy Crawford track is the highlight. Heard before ❌️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ❌️ ★★☆☆☆ (4/10) Total reviewed : 304 Already owned : 69 Purchased : 15 To buy : 4 Nope : 216
Just some generic jazz-soul or whatever.
This is an easy listening jazz-ish album. Not bad. Not great. Not sure why this is a "must listen to" album. Pitchfork: n/a Rolling Stone: n/a
Snort your coke, put on your most synthetic shirt with the largest collar, dig those flares out, don't fall over wearing the platform heels and strap on a bass. Now ease yourself into a luke warm bath of jazz, funk, disco and R&B as that's what this is. It's fine, but it's obviously only here because of the title track. There's no need for it to be on the list. Best Tracks: Street Life; Carnival of the Night; Night Faces
The title track kicks ass, then the second track kicks ass, then the rest of the album kicks ass. I hope to come back to this. It is good shit from start to finish.
Fav- hustler 3/5
Not my cup of tea
I mever knew there was a totally different version of Street Life than the one that was popular, and most of alll, I was totally unaware how epic it is. More Jazz-Funk than Disco, with lush arrangement and tasteful soloing thhroughout (Joe Sample's Rhodes sounds phenomenal). With all the harmonic variation and a lot of II-Vs thrown in, you get the feeling that the song comstantly takes you to a new place, when it's just a one-chord groove played over more than 10 minutes. Unfortunately, the rest of the album is pretty forgettable Smooth Jazz / Jazz Funk ... like so much Jazz Funk of those times.
Goed jazz en street life nummer
Nice.
Okay, good
Not my thingaling
street life !!!!!!!! ugh this album is a joy actually i loveeeee a long song :))))) grooving, fun vibeeee rating high ig
this was a vibe, already circled back to a few of the songs
I would never say no to some jazzy music. (8/1001) This is another band i had no idea who they were or how was their sound, and i was impressed... the first song already enamoured me with the first few seconds with that sax, and it just kept getting better and better the rest of the album is unfortunately all instrumental but it doesn't make it any less amazing, it's a really fresh listen and I wish it was even more longer... but i guess their discography is there to listen too
No me gustó nada
It was an OK album (nice and short - lol!) Pretty funky, pretty sexy. I reckon it would be a great 'getting ready to go out' album!
Am I... am I becoming... more... ...funky?
Competent Jazz, if a bit bland. The title track is enjoyable enough, particularly with Randy Crawford's vocals, but the rest of the album is accessible enough for the general public, but probably a bit too boring for the more hardcore musician. I do think people should check it out, but I am not convinced it is essential in the canon of jazz, therefore requiring an inclusion on the list. I am not aware of any modern classics that tie back to the influences of this record.
4/5 Very smooth, good vibes Jazz. I wish the lady would come back for more singing.
Lovely jazzy album, very vibey.
??? ясно
The title track was familiar to me from the Jackie Brown soundtrack, but the rest of the album wasn’t very memorable.
Title track is of course iconic. One amazing Blue Thumb record. What a line up of stellar musicians
Smooth jazz ... is not my thing ... background music at it's best?
I dig this, got right into it. Those lead guitar solos are right up my alley. Some superb jazz licks, the guy has some great chops. "Street Life" is obviously the banger, but the rest is funky as. Very enjoyable.
Great album.
Exciting elevator music. Smooth 79 saxophone jazz.
Really enjoyed this one. Really nice vibes, takes you to a cinematic noir feeling. I'll listen again for sure.
2. Außer streetlife nichts besonderes
'Street Life' is a helluva great song. And yeah, on the broad spectrum of jazz these tracks lean more "elevator music", but damn can these guys play. My jazz tastes lean more Be-Bop, but I don't mind the easy listening variety to cleanse the palate every once in a while.
It's all about Street Life.
Pleasant but not tremendously engaging or notably complex.
This album realllyyyyy just needs more vocals. I had never listened to this before today, but I already knew the title track very well. And I love that song, it's so fun and bouncy, just all around a great funk and soul song. But then the rest of the album after that is just so uninteresting, with it being pretty much exclusively instrumental it really feels like it's missing something. The passionate and soulful vocals in the opening track are a huge part of what makes it so catchy, and while it makes for perfectly good background music, everything after the opening track ends up getting very boring and very repetitive very quickly.
The listening is too easy.
Really like this.
It’s some catchy and groovy stuff, but it gets repetitive throughout much of the album.
Not too bad really. When I saw the first song went for 11 minutes I nearly fell over. But the music is really good, a bit too long in some spots but it’s quality. I don’t like Jazz but I could listen to this album again.
Very relaxing Jazz Music. mostly instrumental tracks. Highly recommend for people who are into live music, jazz, and instrumental soul. vibes.
Apart from Street Lights I wasn’t familiar with them. A very pleasant piece of jazz.
“yeah it’s boring as shit, no i won’t be listening again, but fuck it, 5 stars” - a lot of you people for some reason
Listenable enough, but strayed into cheese quite a bit, and I couldn’t help but wish that we had some more of the essential jazz albums that list has missed instead.
Didn't leave an impression.
There's a bunch of albums on this list, and I feel despite the modest modern day obscurity of Crusaders, I don't know what else other than to call it palatable jazz music. Not quite smooth jazz stereotypically, but a bit laid back with stronger R&B influences over something Kenny G sounding. Ironically I thought the title track was the weakest of the album, seems to drag on without really adding something new after 5-6 minutes. I don't think I would quite put this in the must listen before you die of an album, but it's certainly not trash or anything.
Classic!!!
I think I’m going to call someone, then have them let me wait, while I, at the same time, walk around the city. All jokes aside - Street Life is awesome but the rest is mediocre
Very groovy but my favorite song was a different crusaders song that played after this one finished so
nothing special, it’s really repetitive..expected moreee
This caught me off surprise because it did not seem to look like a jazz album by the cover. Pleasant surprise.
Street Life Opening track is incredible The rest of the album is, well, jazz, but it's pretty inoffensive and unimaginative. It feels like jazz for the whites, and with the band being called the crusaders this does check out. Could see this band making a theme song for the sitcom "everyone hates Raynald" Unsure if Scott Robertson could break dance to it, any way up the canes. 3/5
Turns out I don't like jazz all that much, low 2
Too many “street life’s” for my liking. Carnival of the night is a sexy little number with that bass. Electric guitar and keys(?) going (deez) nuts too. Dare I say this is/was inspired the doors or vice versa? High 2
It’s been a long time since I last listened to the Crusaders. When I heard “Street Life”, it immediately reminded me of “Jacky Brown”, even though I was already familiar with the track. I think the sound is great, even if it’s not really part of my daily playlist. But who knows? 4/5
Fun jazz album
very good
Hey.... my birth year! oooooh sexy sax at the beginning! I didn't expect a female singer, since I didn't see one on the album cover unless it's the chick getting out of the car. But she white lol. oh wow, Street life just opened up, with the drums. Oh I think I've heard this song. Wow, suddenly transported right to the 70s. What would that life be like. lol I like this sound. Soul disco. digging this album thus far. Very jazzy. Seems only that first track had any vocals. 4 stars.
Haven’t heard of this before; nice. Smooth jazz with some disco era influences.
Street Life ja, resten nej. Instrumentala låtar är inte min grej trots duktiga musiker. Tappade intresset efter Street Life som var första låten. Musiken var inget som fångade mig.
How long is this fucking elevator?
This was okay but nothing really special. It was smooth and the music sounded good, but everything felt kind of samey and there was not a lot that stood out to me. This made the album feel a bit boring toward the end. More like background music.
Nope
A decent title track + 30 minutes of muzak does not a great album make
Street Life is alright….
Not for me I’m afraid, scrapes into the bottom of the 2 stars on the strength of the title track. Tom.
I liked the fact the album opened with an 11 minute classic but disappointing after that.
A lot of sax and street life. I guess it was okay if you're into sax, but to me it all blended together
Es muy bonito, la primera canción la conocía, las otras no
Es definitivamente un álbum que escucharía en una noche de ciudad.
Late 70’s jazz crossover good album
Pleasant, easy listening.
OK instrumental.
Надо ознакомиться с остальным их творчеством. А пока что 3,5/5. Радио версия Street Life очень даже хороша.
It was funk. Ok to sisten too while working to
I was expecting a funky jazz album but this album was really boring.