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The J. Geils Band's chart profile had been steadily slipping since the Top Ten success of their third record, Bloodshot. Even the awe-inspiring live album Blow Your Face Out, the band's near-maniacal dedication to the live stage, and their nonstop presence on the FM dial couldn't get them a hit album. By the time of 1977's Monkey Island the band seemed a little confused by it all and maybe even a bit weary of the effort to make it on their own terms. In most cases this would make for an artistic disaster, but hearing Geils branch out and lie back makes for one of their more interesting and challenging, if not most coherent, releases. Ranging from the wall-shaking funk of "Surrender" to the soft rock sweetness of "You're the Only One" (which comes complete with Magic Dick impersonating Stevie Wonder at his most romantic), the bopping AM-friendly R&B of "I Do" (the album's only cover), and the roaring hard rock of "Somebody," the album covers a lot of territory. Add to that the epic-length and overblown "Monkey Island," the smooth ballad "I'm Falling," and the shockingly slick modern R&B confection "So Good," and the album becomes near schizophrenic. Luckily, despite all the soul searching, dead ends, and obvious commercial overtures, the album retains enough of the innate Geils Band charm (and a couple good tracks like "Surrender," "So Good," and the loose blues rocker "I'm Not Rough") to make it work to a certain extent. Not a classic by any means but worth hearing at least once if only to hear why Sanctuary(on which they figure out how to make a totally commercial record the Geils way) was such a stunning return to form.
© Tim Sendra /TiVo
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Peter Wolf, Vocals, Writer - Seth Justman, Keyboards, Vocals, Writer - Arif Mardin, String Arranger - Luther Vandross, Backing Vocals - Michael Brecker, Saxophone - Cissy Houston, Lead Vocals - Randy Brecker, Trumpet - The J. Geils Band, MainArtist - Magic Dick, Harmonica - Danny Klein, Bass Guitar - J. Geils, Guitar - Stephen Jo Bladd, Percussion, Vocals - J. Geils Band, Producer, Arranger - Michelle Cobbs, Backing Vocals - Frank Vicari, Saxophone - Lew Soloff, Trumpet - Lew Delgatto, Saxophone - Alan Rubin, Trumpet - Ron Cuber, Saxophone - Dave Thoener, Engineer - G. Diane Sumler, Backing Vocals - Theresa V. Reed, Backing Vocals
© 1977 Atlantic Recording Corporation for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States. ℗ 1977 Atlantic Recording Corporation for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States.
Peter Wolf, Vocals, Writer - Seth Justman, Keyboards, Vocals, Writer - Arif Mardin, String Arranger - Randy Brecker, Trumpet - The J. Geils Band, MainArtist - Magic Dick, Harmonica - Danny Klein, Bass Guitar - J. Geils, Guitar - Stephen Jo Bladd, Percussion, Vocals - J. Geils Band, Producer, Arranger - Frank Vicari, Saxophone - Lew Soloff, Trumpet - Lew Delgatto, Saxophone - Alan Rubin, Trumpet - Ron Cuber, Saxophone - Dave Thoener, Engineer - Michae Brecker, Saxophone
© 1977 Atlantic Recording Corporation for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States. ℗ 1977 Atlantic Recording Corporation for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States.
Peter Wolf, Vocals - Seth Justman, Keyboards, Vocals - Michael Brecker, Saxophone - Randy Brecker, Trumpet - The J. Geils Band, MainArtist - Magic Dick, Harmonica - Danny Klein, Bass Guitar - J. Geils, Guitar - Stephen Jo Bladd, Percussion, Vocals - J. Geils Band, Producer - Michael Smith, Composer - Frank Vicari, Saxophone - Lew Soloff, Trumpet - Lew Delgatto, Saxophone - Alan Rubin, Trumpet - Ron Cuber, Saxophone - Dave Thoener, Engineer - Johnny Paden, Composer - Frank Paden, Composer - Willie Stephenson, Composer - Melvin Mason, Composer
© 1977 Atlantic Recording Corporation for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States. ℗ 1977 Atlantic Recording Corporation for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States.
Peter Wolf, Vocals, Writer - Seth Justman, Keyboards, Vocals, Writer - Arif Mardin, String Arranger - Randy Brecker, Trumpet - The J. Geils Band, MainArtist - Magic Dick, Harmonica - Danny Klein, Bass Guitar - J. Geils, Guitar - Stephen Jo Bladd, Percussion, Vocals - J. Geils Band, Producer, Arranger - Frank Vicari, Saxophone - Lew Soloff, Trumpet - Lew Delgatto, Saxophone - Alan Rubin, Trumpet - Ron Cuber, Saxophone - Dave Thoener, Engineer - Michae Brecker, Saxophone
© 1977 Atlantic Recording Corporation for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States. ℗ 1977 Atlantic Recording Corporation for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States.
Peter Wolf, Vocals, Writer - Seth Justman, Keyboards, Vocals, Writer - Arif Mardin, String Arranger - Michael Brecker, Tenor Saxophone - Randy Brecker, Trumpet - The J. Geils Band, MainArtist - Magic Dick, Harmonica - Danny Klein, Bass Guitar - J. Geils, Guitar - Stephen Jo Bladd, Percussion, Vocals - J. Geils Band, Producer, Arranger - Frank Vicari, Saxophone - Lew Soloff, Trumpet - Lew Delgatto, Saxophone - Alan Rubin, Trumpet - Ron Cuber, Saxophone - Dave Thoener, Engineer - Michae Brecker, Saxophone
© 1977 Atlantic Recording Corporation for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States. ℗ 1977 Atlantic Recording Corporation for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States.
Peter Wolf, Vocals, Writer - Seth Justman, Keyboards, Vocals, Writer - Arif Mardin, String Arranger - Luther Vandross, Backing Vocals - Michael Brecker, Saxophone - Randy Brecker, Trumpet - The J. Geils Band, MainArtist - Magic Dick, Solo Harp, Trumpet, Harmonica - Danny Klein, Bass Guitar - J. Geils, Guitar - Stephen Jo Bladd, Percussion, Vocals - J. Geils Band, Producer, Arranger - Michelle Cobbs, Backing Vocals - Frank Vicari, Saxophone - Lew Soloff, Trumpet - Lew Delgatto, Saxophone - Alan Rubin, Trumpet - Ron Cuber, Saxophone - Dave Thoener, Engineer - G. Diane Sumler, Backing Vocals - Theresa V. Reed, Backing Vocals
© 1977 Atlantic Recording Corporation for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States. ℗ 1977 Atlantic Recording Corporation for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States.
L. Armstrong, Writer - Peter Wolf, Vocals - Seth Justman, Keyboards, Vocals - Arif Mardin, String Arranger - Michael Brecker, Saxophone - Randy Brecker, Trumpet - The J. Geils Band, MainArtist - Magic Dick, Harmonica - Danny Klein, Bass Guitar - J. Geils, Guitar - Stephen Jo Bladd, Percussion, Vocals - J. Geils Band, Producer, Arranger - Frank Vicari, Saxophone - Lew Soloff, Trumpet - Lew Delgatto, Saxophone - Alan Rubin, Trumpet - Ron Cuber, Saxophone - Dave Thoener, Engineer
© 1977 Atlantic Recording Corporation for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States. ℗ 1977 Atlantic Recording Corporation for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States.
Peter Wolf, Vocals, Writer - Seth Justman, Keyboards, Vocals, Writer - Arif Mardin, String Arranger - Michael Brecker, Saxophone - Randy Brecker, Trumpet - The J. Geils Band, MainArtist - Magic Dick, Harmonica - Danny Klein, Bass Guitar - J. Geils, Guitar - Stephen Jo Bladd, Percussion, Vocals - J. Geils Band, Producer, Arranger - Frank Vicari, Saxophone - Lew Soloff, Trumpet - Lew Delgatto, Saxophone - Evette Benton, Backing Vocals - Alan Rubin, Trumpet - Ron Cuber, Saxophone - Dave Thoener, Engineer - Barbara Ingram, Backing Vocals - Harriet Tharpe, Backing Vocals
© 1977 Atlantic Recording Corporation for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States. ℗ 1977 Atlantic Recording Corporation for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States.
Peter Wolf, Vocals, Writer - Seth Justman, Keyboards, Vocals, Writer - Arif Mardin, String Arranger - Randy Brecker, Trumpet - The J. Geils Band, MainArtist - Magic Dick, Harmonica - Danny Klein, Bass Guitar - J. Geils, Guitar - Stephen Jo Bladd, Percussion, Vocals - J. Geils Band, Producer, Arranger - Frank Vicari, Saxophone - Lew Soloff, Trumpet - Lew Delgatto, Saxophone - Alan Rubin, Trumpet - Ron Cuber, Saxophone - Dave Thoener, Engineer - Michae Brecker, Saxophone
© 1977 Atlantic Recording Corporation for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States. ℗ 1977 Atlantic Recording Corporation for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States.
Album review
The J. Geils Band's chart profile had been steadily slipping since the Top Ten success of their third record, Bloodshot. Even the awe-inspiring live album Blow Your Face Out, the band's near-maniacal dedication to the live stage, and their nonstop presence on the FM dial couldn't get them a hit album. By the time of 1977's Monkey Island the band seemed a little confused by it all and maybe even a bit weary of the effort to make it on their own terms. In most cases this would make for an artistic disaster, but hearing Geils branch out and lie back makes for one of their more interesting and challenging, if not most coherent, releases. Ranging from the wall-shaking funk of "Surrender" to the soft rock sweetness of "You're the Only One" (which comes complete with Magic Dick impersonating Stevie Wonder at his most romantic), the bopping AM-friendly R&B of "I Do" (the album's only cover), and the roaring hard rock of "Somebody," the album covers a lot of territory. Add to that the epic-length and overblown "Monkey Island," the smooth ballad "I'm Falling," and the shockingly slick modern R&B confection "So Good," and the album becomes near schizophrenic. Luckily, despite all the soul searching, dead ends, and obvious commercial overtures, the album retains enough of the innate Geils Band charm (and a couple good tracks like "Surrender," "So Good," and the loose blues rocker "I'm Not Rough") to make it work to a certain extent. Not a classic by any means but worth hearing at least once if only to hear why Sanctuary(on which they figure out how to make a totally commercial record the Geils way) was such a stunning return to form.
© Tim Sendra /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 9 track(s)
- Total length: 00:41:50
- Main artists: The J. Geils Band
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Atlantic Records
- Genre: Blues/Country/Folk Blues
© 1977 Atlantic Recording Corporation for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States. ℗ 1977 Atlantic Recording Corporation for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States.
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