Street Life

Lovely jazz disco vibe. Easy morning drive

Nice and listenable and good

If I were an elevator, I'd love this. Not sure who thought a 10 minute opening track was a good idea though.

First song was the best

Found this a bit meandering… not a bad record, just not something I’d go for!

Oh this is really nice. "Street Life" has got to be practically the smoothest 11 minutes of music I have ever heard. I just wanted it to go on forever. The rest of the album falls short of the title track, but overall it's a jazzy, groovy, pleasant listen. Fave Songs: Street Life, My Lady, The Hustler, Carnival of the Night

I love the title track but the rest doesn't really stand out to me.

Nice stuff! Man, there is some fantastic music going on here. Don't let anyone dismiss this as "elevator music" or "smooth jazz" - it's intricate, interesting, and each musician is worthy of following through each song. Very impressive, and that groove. Sweet.

The cover made me think the album was going to be very different than I expected. Still, the album was a pleasant surprise. The jazz was pretty good, for the most part, but nothing mind-blowing. Their big "hit", "Street Life"... went on twice as long than it should have. I mean, it just meandered. Easily could have been cut in half. Perhaps that's how the single version is, I don't know... The other tunes had that electric 70s early 80s jazz feel. I liked it for what it was, but nothing stood out as "whoa".

I tried to shake off the thought that the opening of the title track sounded like muzak, or Kenny G. It's jazz, that's what it should be. I've actually listened to the album (and similar music in the genre) for over a week now. It's great easy listening in the background. And I really liked the Street Life the song (vocals were awesome and the sound was groovy), though I don't understand why it wasn't about 4 minutes long (5 max). It just repeated. The fact there wasn't vocals the rest of the way through really didn't help me shake that muzak feeling. But again, I enjoyed it quite a bit. Still, after a week of listening I'm not sure I could identify their songs (other than Street Life) in a lineup - what's theirs vs. someone else's. I'd say at least a 3.5 but I just can't round up given how nothing in particular sticks out. I may regret that decision in the coming weeks but average is what it is.

Funky jazzy kinda stuff, just over half an hour. First song was good, the rest average. No strong feelings either way. 3/5.

A step above telephone hold music, with added smooth sax.

One of the best opening tracks for an album. The bass and the strings carry it - and that's before you get to the outstanding vocals from Randy. The jazz funk instrumentals that follow feel like they are missing some vocals after such a powerful opener. It can get a little repetitive, but never dull.

Really great jazz-funk. That title track in particular is a real journey.

very sophisticated, and swinging

Who knew Street Life was a 9 minute epic. Decent album overall.

This really hit the spot tonight with me. So smooth and like being on a great effortless ride. Weirdly I found Street Life a lot different to the rest of the album which is ok.

Well produced with great guitar work, but nothing exceptional as a whole.

Great playing. But kind of a light-weight by comparison to other great albums.

Elevator music/ Hotel Lobby vibes, not in a bad way though

More funk than jazz! Fun!

Nice album. 3/5

Never heard the crusaders before but nice jazzy, funky 70s stuff.

Great for the time when it was recorded. But its saxophone/keyboard sound has become cliche' because of every damn soundtrack from the 80's. Three stars because the title track is awesome.

Pleasing as background music. Not something I'll come back to but definitely enjoyable

I dub thee funky smooth jazz.

I had no idea 'Street Life' was an ELEVEN-MINUTE SONG. I'm not sure if they did, either.

Kao podloga za učenje odlično

Pa okej

One of the better jazz funk albums of the era. Lots of tracks take directly from disco, most notably in the title track and "Carnival of the Night." Honestly, I was never a fan of the title track single, and although the jazz of this longer version is much superior, I still don't like the vocals or lyrics very much. Bombastic, smooth, and progressive, presenting new ideas with each minute while still retaining its rhythm. Favorites: Rodeo Drive, The Hustler

Street life bra sang

First track is a 11 minute track that doesn't feel like it runs for too long, it's enough to make you feel in the end of the 70's First jazz album i've encountered on the list and since i don't listen to it, it was great to first encounter such a great and easy listen album. After the first track there's five instrumental tracks that makes you feel like you are in a movie, really sountrack-esque but nothing that stands out besides the first track. Fav tracks: Street Lights

Groovy

Jazz album. The first track was probably the worst one, the singing wasn't doing it for me and it went on for 11 minutes. After that it settles into more instrumental jams that are about 5-6 minutes each, and they were all fairly pleasant. Not the intense quirky Jazz, more just good sax solos and jams. Overall liked this album but would probably skip song #1 next time.

p426, 1979. 3 stars. 1970s smooth pop-jazz, plus Randy Crawford. The background music for Studio 54, silky strings, horns and electric piano. Title track is a classic. Good stuff, well done, but not my thing.

Kind of felt like I was put on hold for 39 minutes, but I dig it

I mean, yeah, this could play forever in the background. I really like that version of Street Life. This is all good.

I actually quite enjoyed this album. it was short but also exciting to listen and i didn’t get bored! 3.5/5.

Street Life!

Jazzy funk easy listening

Jazz

The playing/recording of the solo sax is incredible. It jumps out from the rest and it's like I can hear the tone coming off of every molecule of the instrument. After the first few tracks the album devolved into sameness/background music. More vocals or changeups might have kept me more interested.

Woowee, jazz-funk! An album of straight-up 70s jazz-funk, evoking a 70s urban atmosphere of hustlers, punks, pimps and junkies. And so, it's an album firmly stuck in 1979, all economic malaises and Iranian hostage crises. So, the album and the genre itself has dated not all too cheerily. But can one listen to it with clean ears? Yes, of course, and there's stuff to enjoy, definitely. The title track has especially borne the years well. And despite my qualms over its antiquated sound, I rather like the sleazy, grimy aesthetic that this record proffers. But I cannot deny that in some parts it drags and occasionally falls into, yes, elevator music. So, the good parts are good, and the not-so-good parts are not so good. I think I deserve a prize for such a no-nonsense assessment.

Overall: Good up tempo jazz album Relisten: Yes

A bit on the cheesy side but introduced me to a new genre

Pretty good mix of jazz and funk

Funky

It's ok but dull

This was okay, some good tunes. I think I'm finding out that I'm too particular about saxophones because I only like them sometimes.

It's alright. Just 40 min of mostly instrumental jazz. Not my first pick for most circumstances

Not really my favorite style of music, but it's certainly listenable. 3 stars.

Solid jazz funk fusion album. The first track that came in really felt it like setup the sounds that would stick through the album. Then the bass line in particular was super funky. (6/10) Favourite Tracks: Street Life

kind of jazzy, but not entirely bad 3/5

yeh, cool. got a hit, but don't know if it's a classic to me

The rare mix of dentist’s office music and sex!

pat metheny but more jazzy fave tracks: street life, my lady

I enjoyed the street life song but the rest was a bit too jazzy for me.

Funk/Soul/Jazzy not my fav

The first song rips, the rest is kind of sleepy

Some straight-up jazz, less esoteric than some of the previous things on the list (Mingus, etc.) but made for a great mountain biking soundtrack. The instrumentals shone.

Some good jazz but didn't love it. Wish it had more vocals as the title track was superior with them

Jazz suave, tranquilo, con un tema muy conocido

Sax, banging sax, street life 4,5/5 but its long so 4/5. 3,5 overall.

Riassunto: inizialmente parte qualcosa che mi ricorda Beautiful (soap opera), ma poi si apre e riconosco la canzone.. "Street Life", che bomba! Poi il resto delle tracce strumentali che mi piacciono a tratti, ma che trovo un po' noiose. Sarebbe un 2.5, ma siccome due mi sembra troppo poco do un 3. (Forse anche Ute se lo meritava..)

Electro jazz/funk. Hat etwas von besserer Fahrstuhlmusik.

It's cool or whatever. Nice funky jazz. Great background music. But not my bag.

real smooth jazz. nothing stands out as good or bad

Something definitely interesting. I wasn’t blown away by any means. It was pretty alright for a one time listen.

Intro a little pedestrian. 2nd song "My Lady" definitely has a great pace, soaring. Rest just OK.

A bit too Muzak-like for me.

In Conclusione: Li avevo già sentiti nominare ma mai ascoltati prima. Devo dire che questo Jazz/Funk è sicuramente sfizioso ed è forse tra le incarnazioni migliori del Jazz perché toglie la vena pretenziosa alla Bill Evans. Comunque mi ha divertito molto ma la natura del genere, con queste lunghe simil-improvvisazioni strutturate mi porta a non riuscire a dare un voto particolarmente alto perché la percepisco molto come background music (e questo è un problema della maggior parte del Jazz che segue la struttura classica tema/improvvisazione). Comunque magari me lo risentirei volentieri come sottofondo raffinato che groova, però difficilmente farei un ascolto dedicato.

Street Life is great, but the rest of the album just sounds like an extended instrumental break from that song. You could take any track and insert it into Street Life and it would fit perfectly.

2 1/2. Rounded up to 3.

Literally 40 minutes of saxophone solo

Easy flowing yacht-rock with a tinge of elevator music. This album perfectly encapsulates the late 70's sound.

Great singing on the title song, the rest errs way too much towards schmaltz

Smooth jazz, I'm vibing

Ihan ok taustamusaa, olisko genreltään lounge jazzia? Jatsilta kuulosti ja loungeen voisin kuvitella tämän lätyn soimaan. Vähän sellainen sielukas vivahdekin tässä oli, ainakin kun laulettiin. Ei herättänyt tunteita oikein suuntaan tai toiseen.

No es el tipo de disco que yo elegiría escuchar (la música instrumental me apetece escucharla sólo en momentos muy concretos), pero suena súper bien.

El género está genial, pero las canciones de vuelven repetitivas.

7

Street Life, the song, is cream of the crop, one of best 70s songs. Rest of the album is decent instrumental jazz with cool funky and r&b/soul vibes

Night Time Street Jazz. Very background, but would put on in the right mood, and the opener is killer thanks to the vocalist.

Highlight: Rodeo Drive This is essential 70's funk-jazz. Pleasant to listen to, but my brain isn't wired for jazz.

Meh. I feel like I've heard at least one of these songs, perhaps on a movie soundtrack.

Schieb mich Quentin. 3

Street life kennt man ja sogar. 1a Jazz track den ich mir zu einem klassischen mit Omar Sy besetzten "ziemlich-beste-freunde"-esken Film gut vorstellen kann. Der Rest isch hald a subbr dschäs. Kannst nix sagen. Nur ist Instrumental Jazz nicht mein Ding. Alles in allem Solid!

Man nenne mich Musikbanause, aber ich bin wirklich selten (also nie) in der Stimmung für die Jazz-Funk-Verbindung. Einziger Moment wäre vielleicht im Ballsaal eines bald untergehenden Schiffes. Bisschen soziales Geplänkel auf einer Soirée. ‚Ja mein Herr, ich bin allein hier. Sehr gern würde ich noch einen Martini nehmen. Sie Charmeur. Ihre Koje hat Ausblick? Das würde ich sehr gern sehen.‘

more of an ep, classic disco, unlikely to even remember the band name though

nemůžu objektivně ohodnotit, ale špatné to nebylo

Compared to the metal music we were hearing, it was nice to have calming “elevator music”

i don't think i'd ever heard of them before this, but i thought this album was pretty ok. spotify, as it does, kept playing when i was over, and the first track was Look Beyond The Hill, from The 2nd Crusade - and that was AWESOME.

The stand out song by far is Street Life. While the instrumentals of the rest of the albums are a strong mix of Jazz and Funk, the soulful voice truly brings completion to the title track.

Top soul albumpje

It SOUNDS good, as in production and mixing... but it also sounds like telephone hold music

Pretty interesting jazz album .

Quite relaxing but slightly upbeat/bop jazz Didnt like the vocals in "Street Life", but this is the only song with vocals. 3stars?

Competent album. Not my cup of tea.

Decent old jazz album.

Street Life, An iconic song in the 70s. All around a nice instrumental jazz album with hints of soul.

I really enjoyed listening to this in a dimly lit bathtub filled with bubbles and rose petals.

This was a chill experience. Had a good sound and enjoyed it with my morning.

от прослушивания получаешь весьма интересный опыт, поскольку я в целом весьма далек что от мира джаза, что от мира фанка, а уж слышать эти два жанра вместе для меня было совершенно в новинку. но несмотря на оригинальность стиля, стоит признать, что кроме одноименной песни нет абсолютно ничего интересного. иными словами, альбом блекнет от поставленных слушателю ожиданий. уверен, что ценителям жанра понравится, никаких проблем с релизом нет, но не послушав этот альбом, массовый слушатель не потеряет шедевр.

Enjoyable listen, obviously hugely skillful with some enjoyable moments. However, felt a tad generic and the slick 80s production got wearing by the end. Fine, but can't see myself listening to it again.

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.

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

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

The jazz was too smooth

Pretty boring and generic sounding. I never really got into it.

Boring as fuck...70s porn music.

The first song gave me hope but then it felt like I was on hold with my insurance for the rest

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.

Started off so promising with the wonderful Street Life, then descended into bland muzak. Disappointing.

Is this the birth of muzak? Personal enjoyment: 2/5 Relevance to this list: 4/5

I forgot that I had it on.

Like if Weather Report tried to make music for dating, out on the town. And if they deliberately dumbed down their abilities.

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

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

Pleasantly bland, like the music you'd hear on the menu of Mario Kart or something.

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

Ok, not much of a jazz fan.

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.

Gear: Grado Hemp Artwork: 🤜💥🪞 Production: 📏💩😖 Music: 🏎️😡🪧 Rating: 🏴🏴(🏴)/5

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.

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.

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.

elevator music so boring

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.

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

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

Not my cup of tea

Not my thingaling

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.

??? ясно

Smooth jazz ... is not my thing ... background music at it's best?

Exciting elevator music. Smooth 79 saxophone jazz.

2. Außer streetlife nichts besonderes

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.

“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

Didn't leave an impression.

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

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.

Not for me I’m afraid, scrapes into the bottom of the 2 stars on the strength of the title track. Tom.

Late 70’s jazz crossover good album

It was funk. Ok to sisten too while working to

Not my type

É decente, mas um pouco genérico.

I was going to give this a 5/10 like the Beau Brummels, but even for being straight-up elevator music, there's some compositional choices I liked. It isn't something I'd go back to, but I can't deny the talent expressed. Street Life (the song) is 11 minutes of straight vibes (I cringe a bit saying that). The rest of the album isn't as significant, but I gotta give them some props. They are indeed from Houston and they're actually responsible for that bass sample the Chemical Brothers used for Block Rockin' Beats. The more you know (6/10, 2/5 on this scale) (Update: 5/10)

Baustelle, Gerstetten, Deutschland. So gar nicht meins.

The first song made me think it was gonna be some nice soulful 70s jam. But then it turned into run of the mill elevator jazz

This sounds like mediocre porn soundtrack music. Every 30 seconds I was expecting someone to interrupt saying "Please stay on the line. Your call is important to us." 🤦‍♂️

The jazz albums mostly go over my head - I like them, but they all similar to me. This was good but I don’t understand what separates it from the rest.

Favorite Song: Street Life

ok i like this but in a muzak way and not an active listening way?

Groovy, but not remarkable like Superfly and What's Going On. Favorite Track: Street Life

Para nada llamativo...

I like some of the musicians in this group from other session work they’ve done (e.g., Joe Sample played on two Steely Dan albums, Wilton Felder on two others), but this was just so-so.

Monótono, enjoativo. Acredito que já ouvi álbum de Jazz melhores.

Great musicians at work but I thought with the exception of the title track the songs were pretty much identical.

a maioria das músicas não tem PALAVRAS. a primeira tem mais de DEZ MINUTOS. só não vai levar zero porque o instrumental é bom

Es gab bessere Alben von den Crusaders. Dieses "Street Life" ist doch zu arg weichgespült

Dentist waiting room vibe

First song was alright but was about 7 minutes too long. Then the rest was a bit unmemorable.

Джаз лук ин май айз

What street life are these guys talking about, Sesame Street? This is going to absolutely slap when I play it at my one hundred and second birthday party. I feel like I’m waiting speak to someone named Hymavathsay who is going to tell me his name is Steve and I’m just not going to say anything because he’s probably got it hard enough already. This album really inspired me to long for the street life in that I’d rather be hit by a car than ever listen to it again.

Not what I expected.

muy largas las canciones y i dont fw that , pero pues bacanas algunas, igual que el pasado, están bien pero no me parcho escuchando un álbum full de esto

Street life classic, the rest poor elevator music

Thank you for putting me on hold.

Title track is decent, but way too long. The remainder sounds like it should be on the Moonlighting soundtrack.

No for me

Opening track is class then it kinda descend into elevator music.

Opening track : "oh, yes. I know this one. Pretty smooth and funky" The remainder : endless brass orchestra noodling.

Weird. Not that the music itself is weird, it's just basic elevator music. The weird part is what is it doing here?

Cheezy cornball elevator jazz...no thank you.

Obviously I know the title track but I don’t think I like it really, it’s ok. In some ways this album could be my thing but in truth it just isn’t.

This is NOT my jam

Cheesy 70s soul funk mostly instrumental, competent but dull

Groovy but each track drags on forever and is very repetitive.

6 songs in 39 minutes? elevator music, not unenjoyable but also, to me, not enjoyable either

Enjoyed the disco elements, less keen on the jazzy elements.

527/1001

Rating: 4/10 Really didn’t care for this I was pretty bored

Well, time of smooth jazz, but even so this is super smooth to the point of making a long elevator ride longer. Nothing adventurous allowed. Carnival tries to redeem, but too little too late.

I do like the titular song mostly because of the Randy Crawford vocals but I’m never gonna be a jazz fan.

These guys bent the laws of physics. The album runs for 39 minutes 22 seconds, and somehow the opening track is 41 minutes long.

This is my least favorite kind of jazz. They seem to be doing it well, but I can think of two dozen jazz albums that deserve this spot instead. How about Shape of Jazz to Come by Ornette Coleman?

Once I realized that the title track was also the opening track, I suspected this album was going to drop off. My suspicions weren't immediately confirmed, the second track My Lady was groovy enough but it just kept going and didn't really take me anywhere with it. Pleasant enough hold music I suppose. The rest of the album withered on and didn't do anything for me. Even as a background album, I would confidently choose something above Street Life to satisfy that task. 2 stars

I think the first song is about street life. I like classic jazz, modern jazz all sounds a little too samey for me.

2.1 / 5 Welp, this was underwhelming. The only song on here to write something about is the title song. Everything else is just very boring, safe jazz that comes straight out of a 70s/80s Sitcom opening theme. There's really nothing to write home about at all here - which is sad because I sense some potential. Musically it's not bad per se, it just doesn't contain anything interesting. What makes Jazz interesting on other albums in this list is missing on this one, instead what we got is something that's extremely inoffensive and that cosplays as restaurant background noise.

I suspect how much I enjoy this record is simply a reflection of how much I enjoy Jazz-Funk Fusion. I'm not mad about that genre, in fact it sounds like hold music to me, so am not really one to judge its success. I can say that I preferred the opening track thanks to its R&B vocals which nicely brings together the sound of the band, who without the vocalist wander off into all sorts of blind alleys.

Too instrumental for my taste. The instrumentals felt too much like elevator music.

Title track has some life to it. Then become unmemorable

Street Life's a great track. Rest of album runs a narrow line between smooth jazz and hold muzac. An easy listen but not my bag.

I am not surprised the title track comprises over 25% of the album's run time. When you have a song that funky, and a wider album rather hit and miss, it makes sense. What's more the rerecorded and pacier 'Street Life' a couple of years later, is the better version. Nonetheless, what a corker. As for the rest, the best I can say is it didn't annoy me as much as I thought jazz-funk instrumentals would. I actively enjoyed 'My Lady', which has some great bass bounce, and a Rotary Connection vibe (and feels ripe for being sampled by the sampling crowd). 'Carnival of the Night' demonstrates everyone is controlled and not improvising for the sake of it. The bass remains the key element throughout with some funk-basslines that, unlike Mrs Macron, never go full slap. This is a tune that immediately makes you want to roller-skate. It is a classic case of diminishing returns however. 'Night Faces' delivers some shifting chords that put this in the 'too MoR for Steeley Dan' camp. 'Rodeo Drive' sounds like a pool-side cabaret in Mallorca.

The perfect album for high-fives down at Sully's where you are having a Schlitz with your fellow patrolmen after a hard day workin' the beat, tusslin' with the low life gamblers, trying to restore a little luster to these mean city streets.

Would sound great in a lift

Good background music

This seems to be an example of fantastic musicians serving very bland pop trends, in this case disco. The production is so overly dated that it would be charming if disco didn't make me so nauseous. The title track "Street Life" is great but meanders and repeats itself for over 11 minutes so everyone can be out on the dance floor longer or to get a few more laps in during the roller disco. There is great jazzy funk playing here, a groovy bass and keyboard, and wonderful singing from Randy Crawford, but it's produced with these cheesy orchestral strings that make me cringe each time, and the song just goes on and on and on. There are some positives here. "My Lady" has this bass line with an envelope filter that Thundercat would be jealous of. "Carnival of the Night" has this Herbie Hancock and the Headhunters energy with some great keyboard licks and tight Nile Rodger's style compressed guitar riffs. I mean, really the musicianship is awesome on every track. But overall, it just feels kind of bland and uninventive. Just really good musicians staying boxed inside the disco sound of 1979. So many tracks feel kind of sleepy and drag on, like they need to go just 5-10 bpm faster to have a little lift. It's great background music for a kitschy cocktail party, but it's not very interesting to listen to actively.

Didn"t know Street Life was by them. So that's interesting. The rest definitely lift music

Long version of Street Life a Banger, the rest a damp squib. As much as I like most Miles Davis jazz fusion he also really has alot to answer for...

4 for the opener a solid 1 for the rest of the album. It was painful in a “how long have I been on hold?” Kind of way.

Reviews of elevator and hold music accurate. Not great Jazz. No idea why this is here. 🤷‍♂️

Kinda boring.

not bad, like upbeat jazzy toilet music

The titular track is good fun, but the rest of the album was very dull. Even as music to have on in the background, it felt like a bit of a slog to get through.

“Street Lights” for 10 mins, and it stuck in my mind for a day

I don't remember a single thing I heard on this album

I guess when it was released it was more exciting? Some of the guitar solos aren't all that bad though.

Dull jazz. That should be an oxymoron.

Wasn't feeling the Jazz/Disco thing.

Meh? Some interesting things in here, but I was really bored.

Eh, I didn't hate it

This was alright. Very 70s and very smooth jazz. Did send me on a fun deep dive down that part of the world, but can't really see myself coming back to this.

The bland intersection between smooth jazz, disco, and elevator music. No doubt the musicians are insanely talented, but these tracks are unispired.

It's okay background music but I am just not into Jazz. 2 stars or D+.

1. life - 1.5 2. lady - 1.5 3. rodeo - 1.5 4. night - 1.5 5. Hustler - 1.5 6. Faces -1.5

I was surprised that all but the first song didn’t have vocals. It’s well done music, but not my thing.

- Mmm, had er geen zin in, maar er zat iets in. - 0 nummers toegevoegd aan MMMM - 0 nummer al toegevoegd aan MMMM

It's a vibe. I'm not too into jazz fusion but I liked this as some background music.

sounds like hold muzak.

Like a 40min pleasant elevator ride

Couldn’t get into this one. I like Jazz but only sometimes. Favorite Song(s): Rodeo Drive

*1979. Jazz. *These are all like 10 minute jazzy songs. Very cool but not something I would regularly listen to. RATING - 6/10

I have to be in the right mood to listen to jazz, and today was not that day. That said, this is barely above waiting room music, so I don't know that there is a day when I would be in that mood.

Thoughts before listening: 70s funk and r&b I believe is what this will be. I don't typically see the Crusaders making lists like these, and this will likely be a first listen for me. Review: So if this is a funk/r&b band its much more heavily indebted to the smooth jazz, pop rock sound than I would typically associate with the genre. Maybe it's because Donald Fagen's solo album was the last album I heard on this project, but I am hearing a lot of similarities in the overall sound here. There are some decent smooth jazz instrumentals on the back end of this album that catch my ear with some nice guitar solos, but otherwise this is a little too elevator music for my tastes. 2-stars

I recognize the talent, but man this isn’t my genre. Maybe it’s because it sounds like a super market, but I can’t get into it. Just as I find a groove to settles into they do a cheesy key change, or jazzy break down. Oh, and I did not like “Street Lights”, it just went on and on.

Вайбово и немного никак. Лучшая песня - Street Life.

So past the first song, the comparison of this record to hold music is totally fair. It really does feel like being on hold with a customer service line. This is a kind of jazz that is too accessible and it just kind of falls flat. There's nothing here to push you or, really, to even keep you interested. And I suppose that's the same thing you could say about music that plays when you're on hold with any given customer service department. Good musicians, but this album is just way too plain for me. 2.5/5

Street Life er super fed! Resten er helt fint baggrundsmusik, men nok ikke noget jeg finder frem igen

Background music for a grey Monday. Didn't make it any better 🤷

It’s as if the clangers dropped acid and recorded an LP. Worst album on here so far

alright

Street Life opens with a 1970s porn sax, and the genre is funk jazz, but I gave it a go anyway. It’s horrible. The players are good, the sound is so polished you could slip on it, but it essentially it’s just fluff. There is no substance to it, it’s just the sound of piped music in the 1970s. There isn’t any edge, although as much I don’t like it, Randy Crawford’s vocal gave Street Life a little bit of something. The album is short but I plays really long. I felt like I had been listening for about an hour. Not sure why Mr Dimery thought this was essential listening, but it really isn’t. You have probably heard it in an airport lounge bar without even knowing it.

I'm actually surprised and pleased that the Crusaders would make this list. I'm not surprised or pleased that the author would choose this album. To me, the Crusaders ceased to be the Crusaders when original member Wayne Henderson left the group in 1975. At this point in their career this album may have been the peak of their commercial popularity according to Wikipedia but in my book they had sold out and were a mere shadow of what they used to be. This album was little more than a smooth commodity. Do yourself a favor and listen to any of their work as the Jazz Crusaders or the Crusaders prior to 1975 and their live albums from that same period. I love the (Jazz) Crusaders and it pains me to do it but I can't give them anything higher than a 2 for this overly slick and cheesy album when I know their earlier stuff is so much better.

Not really my jam, but a lot of sax.

Not something I would listen to again

On hold music. I actually forgot it was playing at one point.

I wish I liked it, but I was completely ambivalent

So this starts off with soul. Cool Then it’s a woman singer which I’m just not a fan of. I really don’t know why it’s like that. It just doesn’t hit as hard. Then the music has resorted to elevator or McDonald’s type of background music. Bella Fleck with Bella Fleck. I’m not feeling this and I’m not sure you, the reader will feel anything either

Yes it is a bit too close to muzak. Not sure what it is doing on this list.

Not my thing but not noise either.

Too smooth and cheesy for me.

Funky jazz with solid production and playing, but unfortunately it’s rather generic, formulaic, inoffensive, and forgettable. It’s doesn’t really seem to do anything for me at all.

Street Life - and not much more.

If you like jazz, and you like funk, this album is for you. I hate jazz, and I hate funk.

Street Life felt like it wouldn't end, and then the rest flew by and I didn't even realize they were done. The sound wasn't bad but it really didn't make any impact.

groovy elevator music

3/10

Did not care for the jazziness of this album, in my opinion it’s not worth a second listen.

One song stands head and shoulders above the rest. It happens to be the only song with vocals. The instrumentals are pleasant background music, but nothing special.

Old school porn jazz. Solid clarinet playing. The first song has a lot of soul to it and the others are good but more mellow.

“Too much confectionery, too rich: I choke on such nutritious images.” 1.5 The title track is very nice. I know it from somewhere (although certainly not 11 minutes of it). As for the rest, well…I held the line for half an hour, so my call couldn’t really have been important to them could it? 1.5/5

Not a genre I enjoy

Zzzzzz

Reminded me a lot of smooth jazz

This is not my jam. Definitely sounded like background music.

Boring

I have never really liked the title track. They're from Houston though so I'll cut them some slack. I like My Lady better than Street Life. It sounds like black Kenny G. Or high quality porno music. This album is the soundtrack to 80s Richard Pryor movies, all of them.

2,1/5

Impeccably played jazz funk, but to what end? The title track, the only one with vocals, puts you in a world of a late night in the big city, down on your luck or worse. The whole album feels very nocturnal, but the title track is the only song that makes full use of that feeling. The other tracks fade in and out without sounding all that differently, and while they sound good I can't call out anything that differentiates them from other jazz funk tracks. They mostly play it safe; the funk isn't that deep, the solos are short, the grooves nice but not challenging. I do like this, but there would never be a reason to put this on over similar albums.

Would make great background music in a film but not something I'd choose to listen to on its own.

Some say this is just generic elevator/call hold music, I say it's more like the music The Weather Channel used for Weather on the 1s, todays high will be 94° with a 6mph wind coming from the north

#31 Street Life ~ The Crusaders The Crusaders made their name through crafting a taste of pop, jazz and disco without being really offensive to any one of those genres. So in the end, what you just have is something that sounds pretty nice but without anything really punchy or flashy in any way. In other words, background music that didn't aim to be background music in the first place. The highlight and only track worth really listening to is the title track, which I do recommend. The rest is pretty ersatz watered down chicken stuffing.

“Street Life” is a terrific if overly long Jazz/Funk/R&B groove. The rest of the album is easy listening jazz, with the best tracks (“Carnival Of The Night”) retaining some of those funk stylings. The weakest tracks are the definition of elevator music - pleasantly inoffensive but offering nothing.

🐣🤷‍♂️

So so.

Elevator jazz

Kind of cheesy smooth jazz

# 513 : Street Life it wasn't bad, I don't love, I don't hate it. Am I glad I listened to this? I suppose, Except I can't drink Scotch or smoke cigars at work so the atmosphere was lost. Did I enjoy it? In parts. Will I come back to it? Doubtful. Listened : 30/06/2025

Amazing first track. Rest blends into muzakky background noise

I feared the worst on the album opener until the vocal’s kicked in and lifted it to become a really strong groove of a tune…..but then it refused to end. Track 2 sounds like the theme to an American tv show from the 70/80s snd just lacks the ‘filmed before a live studio audience’ announcement. Unfortunately that the highlights as the album continues into not unpleasant forgetableness

The highlight is “Street Life”, but there was no need for it to be 11mins long. The rest of the album was all instrumental - something which, thanks to this project, I’m learning I don’t really like. Especially in this case, as I felt like I was listening to the sort of music you’d hear in the lobby of a hotel.

The album version of Street Life (the song) does not need to be 11 minutes long. The single version of Street Life (the song) clocks in at nearer 4 minutes and is excellent. Too much of a good thing. As for the rest of the album, I listened to it on a warm but breezy walk to work and something about the sun and the fact it's a good walking tempo meant I really enjoyed it. Weirdly though, I listened to it again after work and was far less enthusiastic. So where that leaves me is at is wanting a 2.5, but being forced into giving a: 2/5 Side note: Amazon Music described The Crusaders as playing "hard bop" which is a frankly excellent genre name.

For real, the inclusion of this album makes me need to read how the author of the list made his choices. Everybody must listen to elevator music before they die? I suppose it is a genre…

Anytime I listen to jazz, my wife asks if I’m listening to elevator music. This time she was right.

fun

2/5

Not my thing

Not my thing. Got bored by the end.

Glorified elevator music, but I wouldn’t mind being in that elevator. Some real groovy parts, but not something I’d listen to again.

The jazz portion of the program wasn't bad. Disco was meh...

Good but each song just feels too long

This was a lot of funk dealt out while having my coffee this morning.

Too much saxophone!!! The Saxophone, aka the Sean Connery of musical instrumentats. In the late '90's and early 2000's there was this belief that any crappy movie could be made better if only Sean Connery was in it. Studios figured this out and it worked for a bit until audiences eventually realized that Sean Connery equals suckfest, making him redundant and leaving us with movies like LXG. In the '80's the same thing happened with the saxophone and well, nothing blows like the saxophone.

I recognize the title track of “Street Life” from the underrated Quentin Tarantino movie “Jackie Brown.” I prefer the re-recorded, sped up, and not 11 minute long version from the movie, but it is still the best part of The Crusaders’ “Street Life.” That’s mainly because the rest of the album is instrumental, and while some of the playing is pretty good, it’s nothing that stands out.

Nah.

2/5. It's a jazz jam band and although there are some fun, disco-esque melodies here, I am just not feeling the funk of it all. Like it's chill and that's about it. It doesn't give me a want to repeat this specific album, it feels like they are part of a larger playlist of the same genre. It's just a step from elevator music, even the title track is kind of eh, despite it's popularity. I wouldn't say it's terrible, the musicianship is good, so it's got that going for it, but not much else. Best Song: Street Life, Carnival Of The Night

They don't make 'em like this anymore.

Elevator music from my childhood....one thing I'm not nostalgic about.

I miss a lot of things about the 70s but smooth jazz, or whatever you call this, is not one of them.