::ALBUM REVIEW::

Who said gospel music shouldn’t mess with the funk? Since Parliament/Funkadelic made funk cool in the seventies, gospel artists including Rev. Timothy Wright, John P. Kee and Hezekiah Walker have experimented with the funky substances of the groove. Now in the new century, today’s artists are experimenting with the funk once again, but this time, they are adding their own element or other musical genres into the funky stew in hopes of making something unique and mind-blowing. Tye Tribbett mixed the funk with the East Coast contemporary choir sound, outrageous show performances and gimmicks. Israel Houghton mixed the funk with Earth Wind And Fire horn arrangements and the pop flavors and melodies tucked in Hillsong worship anthems. And upcoming artists are also trying to explore the endless opportunities of the Mothership, including Philadelphia’s own Tony Moore & Jehovah’s Chosen.

On their sophomore project, “Action Figures: New Wave Disciples”, Moore and his funk crusaders (or funk-a-teers) navigate through a maze of experimental rock and psychedelic pop and soul, while occasionally pulling out neo-soul vibes on the smoother ballads. The album, recorded in both live (St. Paul Baptist Church) and various studio outlets, contains a heavy dose of talented musicians including Clay Sears on guitar, John Roberts on drums and the legendary Shelia E. Providing percussion. And there’s big horn arrangements, heavy bass and lots of rocking guitar funk to wander through. But the funk is often times marred by heavy band work and is overshadowed by rock elements and other musical styles and influences. It’s not a bad idea to experiment, but Tony Moore loose sight in finding the melody and sticking with it. Sly Stone’s songs, whether it was simple in its lyrical nature or sophisticated in its musical rebellions, still found a way to communicate with its listeners.

Out of the thirteen-track offering, only a few songs presented have mild possibilities in making a successful landing on gospel radio. “Love, Peace, Prosperity” plays with familiar Big Band rhythms, a traditional gospel drive and light psychedelic synths. Niesha Cherry’s lead vocals eases comfort upon listeners and is mighty convincing - particularly towards the end of the vamp. “Eclipse Moon” gathers around the beauty of a sweet summer modern R&B/soul tune and recycles the energy of Tye Tribbett’s ballad creations found on the “Life” project. The heavy usage of the guitar cries (think Canton Spirituals or Prince’s “Purple Rain”) and its balance with the trendy horn arrangements uplift the song to a dimension of therapeutic enjoyment. Strangely, this may be the only cut where the background vocals here are inconsistently uneven with the high-fidelity music. It’s as if the vocals were recorded at another setting, at another place and using the wrong equipment. Besides that issue, the song is probably one of the better inclusions featured. On “Super Hero”, the groove is relaxed and feels like a "Funkadelic meets Common" adventure. The groove rocks with minor hip-hop punch and rivals Tye Tribbett’s “Superstar”. Cross Movement’s The T.R.U.T.H. makes an appearance on the rap and elevates the song to an evident album highlight. “Another Chance” is a lyrical success embodying a poetic flair worth praising and is airbrushed with the Commissioned/Detroit elements.

Now here comes the toughest part of the cookie. The title cut focuses on heavy funk rock and almost feels as if the pages of Sly Stone & the Family Stone were revisited. But lyrically, the song almost feels autobiographical as it declares to the “son of the preacher man” that “you’re gonna use this music to touch a soul”. He uses this message, along with the song’s loud rhythms and untamed nature, to open the album. Maybe if the song was a little more tamed, the average ear may be more receptive to the message. “Mahogany” is Moore’s modern storytelling of the Great Fall in Eden, but the eeriness goes in every direction and nearly abandons the lyrics all together. Shelia E. showcases a mean percussion solo break towards the end; proving the song’s added lyrics may not have been necessary. If this was an exclusive instrumental track, the song would have been even more inviting. Probably the gravest incident captured on the disc is the eerie sounds and puzzling enigma surrounding “Miracle”. A jazz fusion vibe surrounds the musical interplay and a very uncomfortable sample of Deniece Williams’ “It’s Gonna Take A Miracle” can be heard within the chorus. Things go overboard with the unparallel scary rock instrumental performance of the band on the end. It’s almost hard to even visualize how the lyrics could fit into a scary musical situation as this. The experience is one listeners will never ever forget. “Revolution” (not to be confused with Kirk Franklin’s hit) also uses that same eeriness to close out the album, even though on here the mood is more tranquil and habitable than the other rock numbers.

Everything about “Action Figures: New Wave Disciples” isn’t all rock and no play. There are some good moments tucked deep inside. But you just have to hit the “next” button a few times to find those tracks. The decision to put “in-your-face” numbers with heavy dosages of attitude is the results of unlogical brainstorming from the album’s producers. This has to be the songs they mostly cared for - or hoped to market. Instead it is the unpredictable ballad and unexpected cuts that gain the majority of favor for listeners. It’s hard to forgive Moore’s intentions. When Moore gets a sensation to rock and jam, he goes all the way out with untamed vigor and musical rebellion. There’s barely a trace of gospel influences here; unlike the prominent gospel stars’ good thinking to carefully merge the gospel traditions with the heartbeat of the funk. In a time when being creative in today’s music world faces its own extinction, the heartache of trying to be too original can do more damage than good.