Reviews (page 4 of 8)
No thoughts, just smooth jazz.
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
Here’s my deep cut - this sounds like the soundtrack to the America’s Next Top Model game for the Wii.
it's a nice jazz album. not great. not their best either (its "tough talk"). don't really care for the title track singing.
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.
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
was kinda chill kinda forgot most of it now though Will I listen to again: 5%
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
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.
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.
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
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')
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.
Smooth and easy to enjoy! Never heard of it before but glad I listened.
First track I recognise. The rest is just hold music. Funky hold music. Second album this week of hold music......
Me gusta como suena un poco repetitivo pero esta como para poner de fondo 7/10
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
Fav- hustler 3/5
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.
Nice.
Okay, good
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?
The title track was familiar to me from the Jackie Brown soundtrack, but the rest of the album wasn’t very memorable.
'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.
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.
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.
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
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
Fun jazz album
Haven’t heard of this before; nice. Smooth jazz with some disco era influences.
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.
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
Pleasant, easy listening.
OK instrumental.
Надо ознакомиться с остальным их творчеством. А пока что 3,5/5. Радио версия Street Life очень даже хороша.
I was digging the first few tracks of this, but after awhile it didn't really hold my attention. I think I would like each track on their own as opposed to listening to the whole album again. 2.8/5
I wasn't sure what to make of this initially but I did end up listening to a few songs multiple times. Decent jazz fusion thing. I don't really see myself coming back to this, but I did enjoy it. 3/5
Decent jazz.
Zone our a fair bit. Good background music
Didn't even realize that the first song was over 11 minutes long. It was good though
Actually enjoyed this jazz album
I liked it, very funky -- wish there were more lyrics.
Groovy
3/5. The 11 minute opener “Street Life” is an absolute banger and what elevates this up to a 3 for me, love the vocals on it, love the solos, just an overall killer start. Then the rest of the album is unfortunately just kinda okay. Mostly a series of jazz-funk jams that you won’t have a bad time with, but that also don’t end up leaving much of a lasting impression.
This would be a '2' if it not for the title track, which is a 5. This really is just good 'hold' music and I'm not sure why it's on this list...
Probably enjoyed more with scotch and a cigar
Jazz fusion sounds like a video game loading screen - pleasant and predictable, always returning to the main chorus/motif prior to looping before slowly fading out. Without the fadeout, the songs could loop indefinitely. ... That being said I do appreciate some good jazz fusion, and while I prefer Casiopea to this, this wasn't bad by any means. 3/5
What an album cover. Amongst many positives that this listening project has provided me, I think one cool takeaway that I'll have is to look more into album artwork and spend more time on them. I've been really enjoying going through this list and focusing on the album artwork and it's definitely given me a fun visual that connects to the music. There's plenty to enjoy and analyze in this one. I do feel like I'm on the street with the boys and they're all looking at me because it's my turn to vote on what club we're going to. Only thing is that one of my homeboys also tends to hate my suggestions and he's already eyeing me up like he's getting ready to shoot me down. This is some really solid disco funk. Not much to say because it does the genre justice and is a really enjoyable listen throughout. I listened to this album while I put some joint compound onto my walls (fixing a railing) and I grooved the whole dang time.
Competent jazz. I dig it while cooking. I’d never heard of it.
I was just talking about the Jackie Brown soundtrack the other day! that's kinda funny. anyway, the Crusaders (also known at various times as the Jazz Crusaders) were a band from Houston, Texas that existed in various incarnations from 1960 to 2010; pretty much all of them centered around the core trio of saxophonist/bassist Wilton Felder, keyboardist/arranger Joe Sample, and drummer Stix Hooper. if there's a subgenre of jazz that exists, the Crusaders probably dipped their toes into it at some point. on Street Life, given it was the late 70s, they were meeting the moment with some smooth funk, soul and R&B crossovers, resulting in what remains the band's most enduring body of work. this is a collection of six loose jams where the Crusaders (along with a bevy of session players) apply a jazz musician's sensibility to the popular sounds of their time. this is par for the course for jazz, but in 1979 this sort of thing was reaching a breaking point; the 80s would come to be defined by a rejection of this "electric" music, and a return to the acoustic sensibilities of 50s-60s bop. is Street Life the most groundbreaking thing ever? certainly not. what it is, though, is a testament to just how far the boundaries of jazz are capable of being stretched. the title track, despite its single edit being a fairly successful crossover hit, still demonstrates a keen harmonic and melodic sensibility that's undeniably bebop in its origins. it's clear that everyone involved here has a strong foundation in the roots of jazz, despite your Wyntons Marsalis who have come along to downplay the musicianship and contributions of those who dared to embrace amplification and electricity! listen to anything these guys made when they still had the word "Jazz" in their name, and you'd be hard-pressed to call them fakers. as the Crusaders, their propensity towards syrupy string overdubs and horn stacks (arranged by Sample, I would assume) might be a bit tacky, but there's no denying the craft at work here. strong 6/10.
7/10 el disco te va llevando a la entrada de la horrible década de los 80. Se escucha como el jazz se despide y entrega la posta a la nueva música: ritmos simples para mover la cadera y melodías de supermercado.
First track is really good. Rest merge into one
groovy
If the vocals on the rest of the album were as good as the opening track... but as it stands, it's great background music for a restaurant (or an elevator, heh).
jazzy
Street Life is such a great song. The whole album is very cool jazz with kind of a pop flair. It also makes me think of Quentin Tarantino.
The title track is an absolute classic and a banger; the rest is jazzy funk or funky jazz, depending on the way you see it. Not bad, but nothing I would listen to intentionally.
Those are some very long tracks, but great jams.
“Jazz music for people who don’t like jazz.” Whatever. If you can’t get behind that sax, your soul is dead.
In the canon of hold music this is a titan of the genre. Jazzy, poppy, soft and inoffensive with a nice rhythm and movement. It's also very, very dry and makes trying to listen intently an absolute chore. It's a weird one, not because it's bad by any means but because it's unremarkable. Not soulless or flavorless, but also entrancing in a literal sense. Perfect background music for a party with your family or waiting for a doctor's office.
Heavy soul jazz funk album teetering on disco. It is well produced and has some great bass, horn and piano parts. The album has a great groove and is easy to bop along too but it gets a bit hard to discern the tracks from one another. They all sound the same and blend together, luckily it is funky enough to be interesting. I dug it but not something I feel I have to add to the collection.
The title track is nice, if a little too long for it's own good. Yea it's elevator music but people say that like it's a bad thing. It's better than a Korn album.
Smooth American jazz at it's finest lol this was ok not my favorite but fine lol
Enjoyed this vicariously in my teenage body. If I'd discovered this when I was bopping to Jamiroquai I would have loved it. This is on the very accessible end of the jazz spectrum; a style of music that has been filtered out of mainstream existence by lack of popular demand. It's a shame because the musicianship is very impressive. Nice background music.
Street Life has been one of my favorite songs since it hit the UK charts in late summer 1979. The rest is lounge jazz music, which I'd enjoy if I was sitting in a cocktail bar sipping on some gin drinks....
street life sooo guete song. STREET LIIIFE. und UFEEE. SPASS. elfminütige song wo immer s glich macht (ok cooli soli und die striicher linie die höch slappt) liebs. sie sind schono funky. alles in allem sehr cool aber au huuere langwiilig
ahhh es tönt iwie scho nach filmmusig cuute aber hans jz mega schnell uusblendet ouh und echli laaaang jaa es isch alles smooth etc. etc. aber für miich langwiiilig OH SCHO FERTIG night faces isch na cute
A good album, I liked Night Faces and Street Life the most.
This was a good listen. Although I appreciate jazz music, I'm rarely in the mood to listen to it, unless it's something like this. I like the inclusion of R&B and funk and disco elements... a few of these tracks had almost a Rick James feel to it, and damn am I just a sucker for this. I did find my mind wandering a bit after listening to this, but I'd happily put it on again.
Had never heard of this album/song/band! Street Life (song) is so smooth and groovy. Not that I was around during this time, but I feel like it transports me to 1970s NYC. it's such a cool sound. The tune of My Lady reminds me of Baltimore by Nina Simone but more funky. I don't usually listen to jazz but I can definitely appreciate it, and this album is so groovy and fun to listen to.
That street life song is dope.
Polished funk. It's fine
Funky. I would imagine it’s good for sauntering around downtown - will probably try it out sometime.
This was pretty cool. Chill instrumental album, kinda funky, kinda jazzy, very 70s.
Easy listening jazz, mostly instrumental but vocals on the title track. Excellent background music, although not an album that I would purchase. Slightly above average but not quite four stars.
This is pleasant! Good energy, fun instrumentation. I dunno about an 11 minute song, but I guess that's jazz for you. Highlight: 'My Lady' Lowlight: 'Night Faces' (a fine song in itself, but sounds like the hold music of my medical center, thus mildly traumatizing)
3.5
On the whole, and ok album. Stand out track was the first one, as it featured the outstanding vocal talents of Miss Randy Crawford. She alone is worth an extra point. Therefore its a 3.
This has a good beat / sound. During the first song I was shocked when the woman came on it was amazing. Not much else going on throughout. It was good soul beats
Nice jazz album. I'd jam to this in a café.
Not a ton of variety, but a smooth ride with some nice soundscapes.
I love "Street life" as a single, but on this album it's kind of a miss. It sounds like a pretty solid jazz band interweaving with a great pop single. The album is a good bop sometimes, sometimes it degrades to background noise, a little bit inconsistent on that.
Why they start with vocals then leave me hanging for the rest? Steely Dan without the Dan
This is certainly jazz. I don't really care for jazz and don't know how to properly rate it. It's fine I guess
The first song kinda dragged for me, but I enjoyed the rest of it. Today I was in the mood for jazz.
Can’t recall a lot of this but I wasn’t offended by the listen.
El tema es tan bueno que merece que todo el álbum esté en este listado? Muchos la descubrieron por Tarantino en Jackie Brown, pero ya era uhn hitazo de sobra conocido. Buena pregunta, pero es que mientras suena esa odisea de R&B, funk , Jazz y Soul sedoso... se va medio disco, ocipa casi la cara A entera. El otro tema es un buen tema, casi instrumental con algunos coros, My Lady. Otros 4 instrumentales en la segunda cara destacando The Hustler de Stix" Hooper. Lo mejor, al margen del tema homónimo, la portada y sobre todo Randy Crawford. Es un buen disco, muy buenos músicos. No sé, tal vez es mejor alguno de Blood Sweat and and Tears (el segundo o tercer, aunque mi favorito es el primero), Chicago o los Isley Brothers.
Easy listening jazzy funk. I wouldn't say this is "jazz" as it has been described. It all sounds pretty preplanned to me. It's funk with long solos. Great foot tapping chill-out music.
Apart from the title track, it felt like listening to a polished jam session.
The Crusaders serve up easy listening jazz fusion.
I was completely unfamiliar with The Crusaders. This is pretty nice and smooth, but not great, not terrible. I think I liked the first track the least. It's kind of a shame that it's the title track, apparently the single, and also has the most plays.
Updated jazz sound for the 70s quiet storm/R&B vibes. Each song sounded very similar to each other.
You like Jazz? I think I'm starting too, or at least this style. Smooth AF, I could listen to this again. Solid 6.5 out of 10
Easy jazz album. A fun time. I think most people could enjoy this.
The top reviews for this album, all of which have low ratings, include sentiments like "Street Life is a Jazz album for people who don't like Jazz" and "This is waiting room/elevator music". Damn bro, what elevators are you guys in?? I want to be in them as well. In response to the first review, I don't generally enjoy traditional Jazz, especially the stuff that just sounds disorganized and free form. This at least sounds like it was planned out and is much more enjoyable than most of the Jazz albums I have heard so far on this site. When I saw how low this album was rated, I was bracing for something pretty bad. I am beyond pleased to say I think I enjoyed this one as a whole more than a lot of other people on the site. Now, it's still just a 3 because of how repetitive and basic it is, but it was very easy to listen to and I honestly don't mind that it was so repetitive, because it accomplishes what it sets out to do. It's great to have on in the background in any situation and isn't ever annoying, unorganized or overbearing. And for that, it's enjoyable from top to bottom. For Jazz, this is awesome, but it still never blows me away. So, as far as Jazz goes, this is like a 5 for me, but a 3 overall. Maybe even a 4 if I'm being very generous. My favorite song is the opener, "Street Life", as it's a good mix of Jazz, Funk, and a great singing voice. This album is also short enough that it doesn't really overstay it's welcome. A pleasant and surprising experience, I enjoyed this one a lot more than I expected to. Call it a 3.9/5, approaching a 4. I may go back and change this one to a 4 later if I feel like it. Good stuff.
fajnovej jazzik, ta prvni skladba me mega prekvapila (goated) doporucil jsem honzovi zakovi a neznal to, takze success
Really liked this - have had it before on this list and it was still good on a second listen. Still feels very atmospheric and makes me want to be in NYC or LA in the 70s.
jazzy
Mellow tunes, sweet jazz, enjoyed it.
Well, I love sax so I enjoyed this. Wish there was a bit more to it on the whole. Had some great moments but never really felt like it came to a point of impact.
Streetlife I know the title track from the Jackie Brown soundtrack, although this is the slower version. Either way it's a great soulful-jazz track, the keys rolling it along with great string and horn arrangements and a nagging guitar riff. Although it’s consummately played and produced and there’s nothing quite as good as that song, the rest of the songs flows by in a perfectly enjoyable miasma of unthreatening jazz-funk-soul smoothness, the perfect soundtrack to cruising the quiet city roads at night, or walking in slow motion into a bar in the 70s, or regrouting the kitchen tiles on a Saturday morning. Although I thoroughly enjoyed it, it does carry a faint tang of smoothness over direction, the quality playing and the sound is undeniable, and apart from the title track it can feel a bit aimless. Night Faces starts out with some slightly ominous chords and that feeling returns now and again, but it always settles back into the smoothness pocket, somewhat blending in with the rest of the tracks. Still its an enjoyable laid back easy listen, something I think I’ll return to in the right mood, so I’ll go for a high 3 🛣️🛣️🛣️ Playlist submission: Street Life
streetlife! der rest ist dann doch eher für die beschallung von liftkabinen und hotlines.
Guter Sound solange niemand singt
EZ Listening
It’s at least different. Cool grooves but it seems like the album’s material had so much potential but didn’t land.
Bon ben c’était très sympathique, très pro, très bien joué, mais aussi pas franchement aventureux, ce qui est terrible, pour du jazz. Le titre vocal au début est très cool et la suite instrumentale est très agréable à écouter. Mais ça manque de folie. Pas facile de sortir un album de jazz funk après Herbie Hancock.
Smooth, calming, uninteresting. Rodeo Drive - just a long theme tune. Washes over you in inoffensive way. 2.5
jazz/funk setentero, un poco repetitivo, casi nada de letra, muy tranquilo, para poner de fondo
It’s jazz
Kind of hard to go wrong with a jazz album, and this one was a pretty relaxing listen from start to finish. Smooth playing, easy vibe, and nothing that got in the way of just zoning out for a bit. It did not blow me away, but it was solid background music and stayed enjoyable the whole way through.
This vaguely felt like waiting room music. Not bad per se, but all kind of felt the same. Inoffensive background jazz
Yesterday was Mike’s Davis’ A Silent Way and this just wasn’t up that comparison. If it was in between two rap albums I might have given it a 4 but compared to Miles Davis, it was lucky to get that third star!
I didn’t enjoy the first couple of tracks but the album did actually win me over by the end. I completely agree that it sounds like holding music but that didn’t hurt my enjoyment. Rating: 3.3
I like it for what it is, but there’s just not much to it. This whole album sounds like the smooth jazz station setting on a clock radio alarm.
This takes me back to the early 90s and back to school shopping at JC Penny. i don't hate it
It's pretty fine? It sounds good, technically proficient, everyone knows what they're doing, but just isn't quite interesting enough to get too much in the way of repeat spins.
my name jeff
Ok bit Muzak-y fir me
1 song classic, the others below average.
3/5
Solid smooth jazz, nothing earth shattering, just a calm pleasant listen. Enjoyable, forgettable, earns a 3.5 but limited to a 3.
Interesting mix of soul, r and b and jazz
A bit boring in places but it's a lovely album to listen to while doing something else. Amazing instrumental songs.
Jazzy, but the tracks are a bit too long imo
It was OK
street life- 5 my lady- 5 rodeo drive- 5 carnival of the night- I like the bass. 5 hustler- 5 night faces- 5 I love jazz. I dont love this. not sure where that gets us.
Cool jazz, quite short.
Title track was good.
Enjoyed it. My family called it elevator music.
JAZZ
Background music
2.83
Interesting mix of jazz, R&B and disco. Not super memorable, but it was a nice listen
I’m not shay’s on board with mostly instrumental albums but I enjoyed the vibe and really gave a feel for that era
It’s smooth, gotta say that about it. Tasteful, easy listening type of jazz, to the point it’s more pop, soul. They can definitely play and their interaction is spot on. It’s just easy listening, not a dig and not a complement. The 1st 4 minutes of the title track; this is going to be an ok listen but by time got to 8 minutes thinking please end the damn thing sometime soon, by 10 minutes was twitching over the skip button. But Won’t be returning anytime soon, just can’t see any situation where I would be wanting to listen to this. It was what it was just a bit too damn saccharine, too smooth, too safe, too light, too bloody pleasant, I could keep going and nothing would make me listen more. Don’t want to diss on it, and give it too low a score because didn’t find it bad just bland. 3 Star
Interesting but not for me
Background Band. Nothing to exciting.
Got distracted by other things, not good sign
I, too, love “Jackie Brown.” But yeah, it’s one five star song that’s over a fourth of the length of the album, and then a couple instrumental tracks that sound like something my kindergarten teacher would play to help us calm down during nap time. Which, no hate. They’re chill songs. But not as good as “Street Life.”
Not bad, I like the smooth jazz feel, which is not something that I tend to gravitate towards.
This was a Carnival of the Night.
Not bad just a bit elevator jazz.
The title track is obviously the draw here, after that some easy "jazz"? Fine as background but pales in comparison to the first track.
Decent listen
Pretty solid
Ushering in the 80's with a nice mix of funk and jazz. Not my thing, but enough funk to take the stank off the jazz.
Some pretty cool smooth jazz here. Not for everyone, I can tell you -- but it's got a great groove and you can just put your feet up and go with it.
When I first looked at the cover, I automatically didn’t wanna like it. Then I heard the saxophone and the electric piano and I really didn’t want to like it. But then I started appreciating the quality of the musicianship. It reminded me a little bit of Grand Central Station with the funk. The guitar reminded me of late ‘70s David Gilmore. And it reminded me of 1980s Dave Koz saxophone, and Ray Charles piano and disco-era Patti LaBelle. And then I realized that so many artists that I actually did appreciate were all mixed in this album together. I actually liked It. The song The Hustler should be in movies if it’s already not. It’s got a really cool kind of mellow urban vibe that makes me feel like I’m driving through LA in the 1970s looking for trouble. Street Life also reflect that same vibe. Night Faces felt like soft jazz porn music, but, pending the narrative, still fits. This may not be a go to, but it was definitely a good lesson after all.
Random thoughts: * Chill and smooth like some 70s pimps. * This album started out pretty great but got kind of monotonous and devolved into jazz instrumentals. * Susan even said: "What is this? Elevator music?" Not a ringing endorsement. * I'm glad I got to listen but this wasn't the hidden gem I was hoping for when I pressed play.
The weather channel in album form.
I like this band and I would love to give this album 5/5 however I just can't because apart from "street life" the rest is just Wedding reception music
We can argue the merits of mid 1980s late night McDonald's music, but we can definitely all agree Jazz Disco should be called Jizzco.
Easy listening, nothing gripping for me but nice on in the background. Much other jazz I'd listen to before this again
It's Elevator Music, but it's pretty good elevator music. And the first track is arguably not elevator music. This is too repetitive and background to rise above a 3. 3 even feels generous, but it's pretty inventive and fun.
Fun little jazz/funk album. Nothing groundbreaking, but still done well enough. 3/5 Might listen again
It took a bit to settle into this album. The first track is long, the lyrics are a bit cheesy and the organ and sax sounds used are awfully reminiscent of elevator music. It also didn't help that this first track was 12 minutes long. But by the end of the album I actually thought the playing was pretty great. They find a middle ground between the busy and calm - just enough going on to keep form being sleepy but still within the realm of "cool jazz."
Such a groove thing. I like it fine but kind of boring in an easy listening kind of way.
Big fan of the title song and really liked the sax throughout. It was great vibes but started kind of running together a little after the first track.
Is this the worst kind of music?
Street life is a banger, even tho I prefer the '81 version. 3.5 stars
Slick and soulful, the musicianship on this album is superb, and Street Lights is a classic song. Got a little samey and drifted into the background when I wasn’t paying full attention to it, but yeah this is great chill party music.
Smooth jazz. Not my jam since early 90's. But they've got it going on. Just not goin on my playlist.
Smooth groovy blend of jazz, soul, funk and disco. Nice as a background listen. Musicianship is very tight on this.
The opening sound was good but gpt repetitive. The rest of the album was nice background music. Overall- decent
Heeey het nummer street life ken ik wel! Dat si een gezellig nummer. Zie alleen wel dat het Jazz is... Dus hoop dat de rest van het album dan dezelfde 'Jazz' is als het eerste nummer - Street Life. Die overignes 11 minuten lang is hier. Nouja! Nou, na street life werd het wel echte jazz en viel mijn aandacht een beetje weg. Wel prima achtergrond muziek voor tijdens het werk. Maar verder een beetje slaapverwekkend. Al was het niet vervelend. Ik geef het 3 reten.
3,5/5. C'est vrai que ça ressemble un peu à de la musique de file d'attente mais en même temps, si la musique de file d'attente était toujours comme ça, je serais moins frustré d'attendre. Du jazz à mettre en musique de fond.
Mostly instru soul-funk. A bit boring. 3/5
Opening number was extremely strong. Thought we were on to something. The rest kind of fizzled, unfortunately. Still a fine listen
This is a very pleasant, very accessible jazz record. Pieces of pop without sacrificing too much of the true blue jazz elements. Don't know if this quite rises to a 4 for me, so we'll lay it down in the cellar as a 3.5 and see how it ages with time.
It's a pretty good example of a modern jazz album, but I don't know that it really stands out as an all timer
Easy listening
Not quite 70s porn but close
Enjoyed this more tha. I expected
Super funky grooves but a few of the songs felt like they should have ended about 75 percent of the way through. Especially the first song.
Nice funky Jazz album.
Funky vibe
Funky bass lines and incredible vocals kick this album off with Street Life, the titular track. Add in the other elements of your typical 70s disco, and this album sucks you in. Every instrument—be it the keyboard, guitar or saxophone—is allowed to have its moment in the spotlight, and none of them miss on this largely instrumental album.
For some reason this gives me Earth Wind and Fire vibes, if EW&F were very toned down. I don't hate it but I also probably won't listen to this again.
Fun jazzy album. 3
Anthemic.
This is perfectly fine album. It's a mix of disco’d-up jazz with a little funk and a little groove, but not much depth to really get lost in. It’s smooth and pleasant, making for solid elevator or background music more than an album you’d sit down and immerse yourself in.
Despite that this album apparently made it into various Top 20 charts in the US and UK, and apparently headlined the U.S. Jazz charts for 20 weeks, I'm somewhat embarrassed to admit I've probably never heard anything from this album or The Crusaders in general. My initial impression was also that this was more easy-listening than jazz, but I'm no aficionado, and I'll admit that the title track seems like a strong inspiration for the likes of Jamiroquai, so I'm not entirely sure why this album didn't do much for me. But while it didn't really grab my attention, beyond maybe the tight sounds in "The hustler", it was also a very pleasant 40 minutes overall, which is far more than I can say for a number of other recent albums in this collection.
Jazz-ish, but like smooth jazz that plays on the radio. Nice, pleasant to the ear, but nothing extraordinary.
It starts off with a disco classic, “Street Life” that would be completely fine as the 2-3 minute pop song it was born to be, but at 11 minutes it is exhausting. There are lots of songs that are way too long, but this is just the same melody over and over. The lyrical content feels like an after school special from that era, don’t use drugs, and don’t be a sex worker, while rhyming “old” and “cold”. Which is a shame, because the smooth jazz/ yacht rock that comes after it is quite nice.
It's nice but a bit too smooth for my taste in that I don't particularly love this slower kind of jazz funk, I prefer something faster generally but I mean, if you like city pop you'll like this
groovy elevator
nice
a lot of it sounded nice, but not a lot of it was super exceptional to me by any means. Loved the last song a lot
I enjoyed this for the most part. Moved kinda slow, but didn't cross into boring territory at all. 3.5/5
I was not sure what to expect, but the first song was my favorite. I can definitely see this growing on me, although I wish there was more from the vocalist that is on the first track. 3 stars, with the potential for growth.
nice georgen benson / funky soul easy listening. not amazing but good
From the first notes it’s clear that this will be a smooth melodic ride but insipid lyrics and some kitschiness ultimately did it in for me
Some great beats, good for background music. What's the average length of song on this album, like 6 minutes?! Lol
Very pleasant but totally unchallenging listen. Apart from the title track pretty much all background music.
Enjoyed this quick one. Would buy
3.5 Smoooth
The lengthy title track is smooth and easy listening, somewhere between jazz and R&B. No surprise this was a bit of a crossover success. The female vocal and horns are generic sounding, but I don't dislike it. My Lady is much more interesting and largely instrumental. That ends up being the template for the rest of the album, although nothing was quite as good as My Lady. I do like how the last two tracks get a little darker and moodier. Curious album - it's all very listenable and I'd play it again, but at the same time I feel like I'm in the bar of a generic chain hotel.
The Street Life track was good, but the other ones without lyrics sounds like porno soundtrack. Still better than most of the shit that plays on the radio these days tho...
3.0 - Ok
never knowingly interesting
Very chill and jazzy, as The Crusaders do. Nothing groundbreaking about this one, but it's nice to listen to. Smooth Jazz has never been my favorite, but it's not the worst. This one has good vibes throughout and is an easy listen.
Nothing super special. A good mix of soul and jazz.
Peaks at the start, but the rest is still a nice listen.
Cool jazzy rock vibe with lots of good solos and grooves.
A good groove, but not something I would go back and listen to again.
Ordinary
Nice
Enjoyed this album a little more than the other jazz ones ive listened to so far because it had some pretty nice vocals! still, 39 mins for 6 songs is a lot. Enjoyable! 3.75
Apropos for an album on which the title track has been appropriated for Tarantino's famous "hangout movie," this is hangout music; it's generally pleasant and it's reasonably evocative and it's totally fine if nothing much sticks in your memory afterwards.
Ooh jazzy and I think I heard a loyle carner sample? Good background music for me
The Crusaders always made decent music, but it was always very close smooth jazz (and sometimes plainly it). That's not bad, but as a genre that is basically only background stuff by definition nothing you need to listen to. Everyone on this album knows "Street Life". It's a great song. The other stuff is less memorable. If I had to choose an album, I would've used their comeback work "Rural Renewal". But even that is not something you really need to know to be honest.
Sounds like the soundtrack to a late 70s/early 80s dramadey that was beloved by critics but didn't hit with audiences. Not bad overall.
Love me some Crusaders, but my preference is for their earlier work, most everything from prior to this release as they transitioned from The Jazz Crusaders to The Crusaders. Still some nice tracks here, the title track being a favorite.
Now this is what I’m talking about! This is definitely better than the last album I got. When I got the album and saw that it was a jazz band, I was dreading listening to it. I thought it was going to be as forgettable as the last one. But I was pleasantly surprised to find out this one had more funk and R&B influences. The titled track feels like a progressive soul track, clocking in at 11 minutes and 28 seconds. This is the only song on the album with lyrics, sung by Randy Crawford, and it’s just a really catchy tune. There are other songs I liked on. here, like Rodeo Drive(High Steppin’) and Carnival of The Night. These are the songs where Wilton, Joe, and Stix(on saxophone, keyboard, and drums respectively) really get their chance to shine, with some really good, funky instrumentals. The album kind of sags in the latter half, where the last songs kind of blend together, but overall, not a bad album, and maybe it’ll help build up my tolerance for jazz.
It was good background music, only a couple songs really stood out to me though
Decent album, great first song
You ever think "damn, this elevator music slaps" and then forget about it two minutes later? That's this album, and I'm kinda here for it. That said, if I were stuck in an elevator for 39 minutes I'd get sick of the music pretty quickly, which is how I felt about halfway through listening to this.
2 or 3. Probably a 3. Bland with some interesting moments
⭐️⭐️⭐️
80s pop.
solid jazz
decent album. The first song was very good and the instrumental songs after that were pretty good.
The title track really bumps up the album as a whole. The rest of the album is pretty safe jazz-lite, but the title track is killer.
An 11 minute version of street life? Yes please! Very funny coincidence, I got this album from Jenny's aunt last month, I played it for the first time last week and loved it. I cleaned it last night in the record cleaner, so you can imagine my surprise when this album popped up this morning. Really great music. Love it! 3.5 stars if I could, but I can't! so 3
I really dislike the alto saxophone
Street Life is an absolute banger. It's a shame the rest of the album is devoid of vocals, because they clearly have it. That said, the rest of the album is a chilled and groovy time. 3.5 rounded down.
Fun listen at points but largely ok.
Very smooth and easy. Really made me want to be in 70s LA or NY. Felt like it could be the soundtrack to something - an adult film, or some kind of car chase. Good vibes.
3/5
More funk. Love the sound
Streetlife is an incredible song. INCREDIBLE
fun jazzy jazzy time!! listening while getting ready for bed. tmr is the last day of classes for my sophomore year of college and i’ve been almost exclusively listening to the mountain goats so this is fun :) very repetitive but easy to listen to
Some easy-on-the-ears late-70s jazz/soul fusion.
Feel like I'm in JCPenny dressing room trying on school clothes
lively background music
This was funky and fun. I listened whilst good through security at an airport and tapped my feet all the way through. The opener was a banger
This was elevator music, but decent elevator music
Other than the title track, this is dinner party music that you put on because it’s pleasantly uninteresting.
Fine as background music.
First track was a groove… the rest was forgettable.
There is nothing wrong with this record, but the instrumental songs for me are just like pleasant background music. The first song/title track took me back to my college disco days and I genuinely enjoyed this song due to the addition of vocals, but it ran too long at eleven plus minutes…perhaps it was meant for the discos back in the day. Anyway, this is another 3 star album for me.
Good light jazz, very 80s.
Cracking opening track. The rest sounds a bit dated but still has some nice touches of jazz, funk and soul. Not a bad album but not really very original
drei bis vier
An enjoyable listen, but little more. Could vibe great in a Persona soundtrack.
Some nice vocals from randy some forgettable tracks from the band. .
Smooth and funky
title track remains killer (i only knew it from the version on the jackie brown soundtrack) but the rest is a little too cool jazz for me.
Fizzles out from Disco to Jazz, not that I neccesarily prefer the former to the latter.
★★★½
Ligera decepción. Pensaba encontrarme con media hora increíble de funk y soul, y la primera canción sí lo tiene, empieza potentísima, pero de pronto se comienza a alargar y alargar y cuando la canción lleva más de 10 minutos uno dice ok, ya. Y las 5 canciones restantes son todas instrumentales, muy ligeronas onda bar de sanborns, y la verdad no fue ni de lejos el álbum que esperaba. Pero bueno, supongo que en su época tuvo sus seguidores.
1st song kinda drags on for too long, but the rest is pretty dang groovy & chill.
Saboroso. Não tem muito o que dizer. To percebendo uma coisa com esse site. Quando um álbum não tem quase nada escrito na Wikipedia, é porque realmente não tem muito o que falar sobre. Vai ser algo middle of the road. Bom, as vezes vai atingir momentos ótimos, mas nunca vai passar disso. Não vai mudar sua vida, e não vai revolucionar nada. Ninguém vai dizer que Street Life dos Crusaders foi a sua maior inspiração. Mas novamente, um ótimo disco, agradável e brilhantemente produzido. 3/5
The most "music for brunch" record I've ever heard. But, would go well with scrambled eggs.
It’s alright. 3 stars.
Never heard of it. nice enough....but no idea why it's essential. 3 Stars
Album 759 of 1089 The Crusaders - Street Life (1979) Rating : 3.5/ 5 Great album. Nice mix of jazz, R&B, and disco. Quite enjoyable. Recommended.
Solid jazz funk album, but not quite up to Steely Dan's standards.
It's kind of a smooth jazz album, with hints of disco and other styles. The first track is the popular one and has vocals. The rest is heavy on instrumentals.
While there weren't any individual songs that would drive me to revisit this, I do wonder how this would play at an evening backyard BBQ... I bet it would create a cool vibe.
Glad to be exposed to more (largely) instrumental music in a genre (disco jazz?) I wouldn't typically be exposed to. Ultimately not too memorable tho, but also not a painful listen.
Love that opener, but it’s too repetitive. The rest of this is enjoyable, but not exceptional.
Surprisingly appealing even though I'm not a fan of jazz. Maybe a little simple and repetitive?
Fairly entertaining, I enjoyed the radio edit of the first song a lot..
I kind of liked the first song. But this kind of jazz makes me anxious.
Title track is an awesome jam with some great vocals and instrumentation. Would not be out of place in a Persona game, in a good way. Love the sac on both My Girl and Rodeo Drive. The latter of which exemplifies the glamor and excess of the fabled Hollywood Mecca of high fashion. The guitar on Carnival of the Night is very rangy, and has a nice piano/keyboard accompaniment.
I like the vibe. Kind of like a less edgy Tower of Power.
I’ve been trying to make sense of this album. I liked it a lot, but it was also kind if forgettable at the same time? It’s smooth, it’s fun at times, it’s easy to listen to. Like I said, I liked it a lot. But why can’t I recall any of the rhythms in my head? Nothing stood out as a “wow” moment. The best way I can describe it would be, “great background music”.
Cool, simple album. Nothing revolutionary or new.
3 Holy shit, Beverly Hills and not a car to be seen, aside from the one unloading - how late is the Street Life keeping these guys up? Anyway, I saw this album was listed as jazz, and I would say that’s mostly accurate, but at times this almost felt more like R&B, especially with the title track. And as it so happens, the title track was far and away the track that I enjoyed the most - it may be long and repetitive, but man, is it groovy. The 11-minute runtime really didn’t bother me as much as I thought I would, but if it’s not your bag, there’s a 4-minute version of the song that exists that was done for Tarantino’s Jackie Brown. Beyond Street Life, the album evolves into more and more of a proper jazz album, which I honestly didn’t mind at first, but it quickly starts feeling like the same kind of thing over and over again, to the point that I found myself checking in on my progress during each listen sometime around when The Hustler kicked in - not good if your album is only 39 minutes long. Still, I can’t say that I flat-out disliked anything, and the first couple of tracks even had me in a bit of a groove, so I would call this decent, though not super memorable for the most part.
You are at position 3 in the queue, please stay on the line and someone will get back to you.
Other than the first track I think this is largely unchallenging jazz music without much to distinguish it from the average of the genre. The thing about this style is that you have to have standout performances from one or more of the members, and usually the more the better. The first track has the vocalist, who is great. The rest of the tracks are just kinda there. It isn't bad, the solos are in there, they're just not really memorable. It's a bang average 70's pop jazz album; I wouldn't even call it fusion. It sounds like something you could license for cheap to have in your art school film about hookers or something. I'd listen to it again but I doubt I would remember even doing it.
Street life was cool, the rest is just "fun enough" smoother jazz
It's very funny how much jazz critics do not like this compared to how much everyone else (correctly) enjoys it.
After the first song, I thought this was going to be like an obscure late 70's soul/R&B type album. But then it was all instrumental after that, a mix of jazz, funk, and a little rock. But it felt a little too smooth jazz for me. It was high quality musicianship, but the whole thing felt a little to sanitized, especially for an album called "street Life"
Street Life natürlich fantastisch, der Rest ein bisschen langweilig, aber schunkelig, kann man gut durchhören
Street life was on a tape in the shop I used to work in, I heard it every 90 minutes during my working week. So I hate it, but I can still appreciate it for what it is. The rest of the album...... Mostly forgettable coffee table jazz
Super cool and funky. Not something I'd have found or will choose to put on again, probably, but something I've enjoyed listening to. Even if it does sort of sound like the theme tune to an American gameshow a lot of the time. The guitar solos in the second half definitely helped secure that third star for me. Smooooooth.
Streetlife is a quarter of the album. Very instrumental.
sounds like the soundtrack to a decent procedural
First? 3/5 Again? 2,5/5
Street Life is amazing!!! Other songs nice too, but not amazing. 6.5/10
List: no
Too much like a Wii menu and sexy sax man