Customer Reviews

Rock Dust Light Star

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

This is a very good return from JK and the band. It's true to say that not every track's a winner but that's equally true of all the previous albums too as far as I'm concerned. What we do have here though are a few really great tracks that fit right along side Jamiroquai's other funky classics. The absolute stand-out on the album for me is the title track - and the deluxe edition is worth getting for the live version of this one alone. White Knuckle Ride is also great fun - reminisent perhaps of Travelling Without Moving- or maybe it's just the video that makes me think of that? Blue Skies is rather lovely too...

The acoustic version of All Good in The Hood is brilliant and I'm torn between that and Hurtin' as my second favourite song on the album.

A couple of tracks (All Good in The Hood, Smoke and Mirrors) remind me of the Scissor Sisters - but then again some of the earlier Jamiroquai also has that sound. Not so keen on the two reggae tracks here (Hey Floyd and Goodbye to My Dancer). Nothing wrong with reggae but I would have prefered something with a heavier, funkier beat. Goodbye to My Dancer is probably the weakest track here. The only one on the album I could really do without.

A very welcome return from probably the coolest man in pop. He can sing too!

After waiting quite a while for some new Jamiroquai material, Rock Dust Light Star is definitely worth the wait! The first track 'White Knuckle Ride' is foot-tappingly irresistible, really setting the scene for some seriously good funk-jazz. It also contrasts really well with the comparatively slower second track 'Blue Skies', and title track 'Rock Dust Light Star'. The tracks are well organised to avoid back-to-back similar music, and the album really benefits from this, as we find with tracks four onwards.

'Hurtin'' has a more rocky feel than some of Jamiroquai's previous material, but it doesn't seem out of place next to his more classic sounds. 'Lifeline' has a wonderful, Bond-esque, stringed background track to it, which makes it a real stand out track for me. As the previous reviewer suggested, 'All Good in the Hood' has a definite Scissor Sisters feel to it, though I think its more what the Scissor Sisters can aspire to sound like rather than Jamiroquai replicating their sound.

This CD feels like a slightly more grown up version of the Jamiroquai we last saw five years ago. Besides the Scissor Sisters, comparisons can be made to Jooles Holland, especially in tracks four, eight and ten, and the slower tempo of 'She's a Fast Persuader' brings yet more variety to our ears. 'Hey Floyd' is a great track, but feels very thrown-in-at-the-last-minute because its nothing like anything I've ever heard Jamiroquai do before, and is the only track that doesn't sit comfortably with its neighbours.

That said, I really enjoyed this CD for the fresh funk-jazz sound that Jamiroquai produces so well, which is so different to anyone else in current music industry. The mixture of their traditional style plus this new splattering of bigger, live-band type sounds has brought them bang up to date while maintaining their original character. For me, the best tracks are 'White Knuckle Ride', for getting our attention, and 'Blue Skies', 'Lifeline', and 'Smoke and Mirrors' for holding onto it. A thoroughly enjoyable album, even if you're new to the group.

I was so excited to buy this album as soon as it came out, but in truth, its no-where near as good as his others. Mixed feelings and has quickly been take back off my ipod.

Well,i was truely looking forward to the release of this,there 7th studio album, and i have to say,even listening to it for the 9th time top to toe,i still find myself fairly dissapointed.I was expecting jamiroquai to go back to there acid jazz routes,but i was very wrong.Don't get me wrong,i like a few of the tracks. Good in the hood is my favorite,very 70s disco, white knuckle ride is listenable aswell.But thats really it,a few are good and some are listenable.Theres nothing that makes me want to listen to it because i want to,rather than i have to because when i see there next concert they will no doubt perform most of these tracks.Nothing will match up to there first two albums,(emergency on planet earth and return of the space cowboy)even the last 4 albums are good,but as time has gone by,the acid has slowly been weakened.but having said all this,jay is still ultra cool and talented,and stands out in the music industry and always has done.

OMG, So awesome Jamiroquai are back with a smoking hot new album

This goes firmly in my top 10 all time favourite albums

A must buy for Jamiroquai fans, also good for newcomers to this style of music

I've Been a huge fan of this band for several years. My first experience of them was Virtual Insanity back in the mid 90s. Then I heard Canned Heat, and decided to buy the rest of the discography. All the albums that have come out up to this point have been really good (yes, I liked "Dynamite" too). "Emergency On Planet Earth" is my favorite.

When I read that they were going to a more "organic" sound, wishful thinking made me believe the band's next release would contain mostly songs with an acid-jazz style like the early days.

That was a mistake.

I should have known that just from the way the album cover looks.

"She's A Fast Persuader" is the one song that hooked me. I even made it the ringtone on my phone. I knew I'd love it from just hearing the first few keyboard chords of the song.

I kinda like "White Knuckle Ride," and the title track, "Rock Dust Light Star," but the majority of the album doesn't have the sound I care for.

The annoying thing is this is a band that I absolutely love, and I really want to like this CD, so I keep playing it hoping more of the tracks will grow on me.

"All Good In The Hood" is growing on me. I like the drum beat, and Paul's bass playing during the chorus.

"Smoke and Mirrors" is also a song I've found myself thinking about as I walk.

The rest of the tracklist hasn't gotten me going like the rest of the discography.

To sum it up:
1. I love 1 song.
2. I kinda like 2 songs.
3. 2 songs are growing on me.

I don't normally expect to like more than 2 songs on any CD I purchase. But this is Jamiroquai, a band that at the very least has had 3 songs on each CD that were 'must-plays.'

This album doesn't have more than one song like that. I'm disappointed, but at the same time I hope that enough people will buy this to make it worth Jay's while to give it another go.

I have been listening to Jamiroquai since the Acid Jazz days in the 90s and although some of their recent Albums have featured some great individual tracks the albums as a whole have not sat right with me - however this album is back to their very best in my opinion. Here we have the 'band sound' again replacing all of their more recent excursions into electric pop and it is classic Jamiroquai. Too many great tracks on here to single them out - that is how good this set is. There are many layers to each track and you gain more on each listen. So if you are an Old Skool Jamiroquai fan or a new one there is something for everyone on here. Up there with their first two classic albums but with a more accessible sound. Buy it and listen to real music by an excellent band and a great vocalist.

Update: been listening to this album so much - I have come to the conclusion that it is a classic. Those Old Skool fans who are saying it is poor - must want their ears clearing out! There is bags of versatility and funk - in this set. This is no lightweight pop fluff! Haven't been this excited about music in a long time. Hats off not just to Mr.Kaye but the 'awesome band' - best playing I've heard on a CD in years. This is also so different from anything else they have ever done, it is such a strong mix of musical styles and yet it works (you'll hear all the classic sounds of the 70s in here!)Real music is back AMEN! The tracks 'She's a Fast Persuader' and 'Hey Floyd' are genius!

So It's finally here. After a big gap from the last album This is a most satisfying return from Jamiroquai and the best album overall since Traveling without moving. I always thought the first two Jamiroquai albums were the best because they were more band oriented and the later ones although not that bad went slightly electro and experimental. I love electronic music but Jamiroquai were always at their roots a soulful jazz Funk outfit and this album certainly hits all those boxes. The first half of the album is generally more up beat with some instant classics such as All good in the hood and smoke and mirrors. The second half is slightly more chilled and the whole feel of the album is great. Please guys stick to this format of live band style jazz funk in the future because it's the sound that works best for you. Overall I rate it up there with some of the bands other all time classics and old school fans who got put off by some of the later stuff should really check this one out as it really is a superb return to form. Well done guys.

Back in the 90s Jamiroquai ignited my passion for jazz funk music. Although highly derivative, they had their own sound (largely due to Jay Kay's voice) and managed to churn out a succession of incredible singles as well as some brilliant more self-indulgent album tracks.

As their popularity rose, the sound inevitably became more commercial, and on the Travelling Without Moving album, perhaps they struck the perfect balance. But since then, with the steady departure of original members, the quality of music has rapidly declined (albeit with a brief resurgence on most of Dynamite)

Rock Dust Light Star is a massive disappointment - the best tunes are either just re-hashes of tried and tested disco-funk formulas (White Knuckle Ride), or insipid pop ballads (Blue Skies). The remainder veers from cringeworthy rock (Hurtin') to funk-lite ditties (Lifeline) that would sound more in place on a Will Young album. 2 Completely Different Things is maybe the most natural song on the album, but it's no classic - and Fast Persuader is a woeful attempt at recreating a Travelling Without Moving-style jazz funk workout.

There is no longer the sound of a 'band' but a group of very capable musicians playing a collection of average songs/jams. If this were a new pop band, perhaps I'd enjoy some of the tunes more. But given the quality and style of the back catalogue, I can only listen with real regret that the Jamiroquai I knew and loved have now completely disappeared.

Incognito's latest album serves a reminder that you can still sound fresh and contemporary whilst staying true to the jazz funk genre. I recommend that fans of the old Jamiroquai look in that direction, or just dig deeper into the vaults of the classic 70s stalwarts that inspired Jay and the boys originally.

But just as Deeper Underground is unfathomably their biggest hit-to-date, I expect Blue Skies will gain considerable airplay and this album will consequently sell in millions.

Jamiroquai fans might be forgiven for putting their new Rock Dust Light Star cd into the Hi-fi and expecting a sterile, electronic sounding album in the style of Dynamite, the bands last offering half a decade ago. In fact, sterile is a word Jay Kay has used himself recently in describing their 6th studio album. And that electronic pop sound has been creeping in more and more with each album since the early days of their acid-jazz debut Emergency On Planet Earth.

Well, Jay and the band have gone back to basics with their latest offering, not that any Jamiroquai album can truly be called basic. They recorded much of the album in whole, live takes; the aim being a more organic sound.

At first listen, there aren't many stand-out tracks. But after listen number two or three, each song comes into it's own. The title track kicks off the album with a catchy, seemingly laid back number, before the rocky chorus comes in and it explodes into life. From there, there are a couple of tracks which mimic their more recent style, such as White Knuckle Ride and She's A Fast Persuader, but they are both good songs in their own right.

The organic sound that the band were aiming for really comes out in Lifeline and Two Completely Different Things. And Fans of the Mighty Boosh might be able to imagine Howard Moon singing the intro to Smoke And Mirrors, but once these slightly cheesy couple of lines are out of the way we have a very good tune. These three jazz-funk songs would not sound out of place on Travelling Without Moving or Synkronized.

It wouldn't be a Janiroquai album without a ballad or two, and Blue Skies is a beautiful, simple track which is placed perfectly right in the middle of the record. There are a couple of reggae songs here, too, a genre which Jamiroquai have done well with in the past. And closer Hey Floyd is up there with the best songs on the album.

Hurtin' and Never Gonna Be Another are the only weaker tracks here. But for the most part, Jamiroquai fans will be very pleased. This may not be another Emergency On Planet Earth, but it seems (more) normal service has been resumed.

Stand-out tracks: Rock Dust Light Star, Blue Skies, Lifeline, Two Completely Different Things, She's A Fast Persuader Hey Floyd.