Midnight Star — The Definitive Collection
The Definitive Collection is a three-CD/forty-one track look back at 80’s to 90’s output of Kentucky's Midnight Star. The six-piece upwards project mixed ‘n’ melded disco, funk, soul and R&B- making for a largely upbeat, buoyant, and pacy sound.
This three-disc set appears on Robin Songs- which is the soul/ disco/ Funk sublabel of Cherry Red. The discs come presented in a fold-out eight-panel digipack- this features a sixteen-page inlay booklet, taking in an eight-page write-up about the band/ their albums, as well as a light sprinkling of band pictures and vinyl labels
Midnight Star were formed in the year 1976 at Kentucky State University. With their first line-up taking in Reggie Calloway- trumpet, Belinda Lipscomb- vocals, Melvin Gentry-guitarist/drummer/vocalist, Kenneth Gant- bass, Bill Simmons- multi-instrumentalist, Bo Watson-keyboard player/vocalist, and Jeff Cooper- guitarist/keyboardist. Going on to record eight albums in their initially run- taking in The Beginning (1980), Standing Together(1981), Victory (1982), No Parking on the Dance Floor (1983), Planetary Invasion (1984), Headlines (1986), Midnight Star (1988), and Work It Out (1990)- with a come-back album 15th Avenue appearing in 2002. The band are still seemingly touring to this day.
The release is laid out in a standard chronological manner starting in the year 1980 and finishing in the year 1990- so a neat ten years of material. The band's sound largely followed the trends/ sounds as they appeared
The first disc focuses on the years 80 to 82- taking fourteen tracks. These move from “Keep The Spirt High” with its pounding beat pace, rapid funk bass playing, horn vamps, and gospel hinting organ/ joint male/female vocals. Onto electro-funk jive meets horn-stabbing groove of “Tuff”. Though to light funk-rock/ soul pop gallop of “I Got What You Need”, finishing with zipping electro-funk groove meets soulful swoon of “You Can’t Stop Me”.
Disc number two focuses on the years 83 to 86- featuring twelve tracks. Here we move from the robot-voice-edged, ticking- almost hip-hopping beats, bounding synth bass lines of “Freak A Zoid”. Onto stabbing keys ‘n’ bass, funk synth swoon, and Larry Blackmon-like vocals of “No Parking On The Dance Floor”. Through to the stabbing synth bass, mix of vocoder & soulful vocals, sci-fi-like keyboard lines, and turntable scratching of “Body Snatchers”. Finishing off the tight skittering beats, female rapping/ singing, pared-back bass groove, and cheeky synth horn pumps of “Headlines”.
The third and final disc focuses on the years 86 to 90. Here we move from the slightly funked-up smooth jazz soul vibe of “Stay By My Side”. Through to stabbing electro bass, funk guitar jangle, slamming beats and soulful wailing female vocals “90 Days (Same As Cash)". Onto the sassy upbeat male vocal soul pop of “Luv-U-Up” which is edged with a badly sampled female vocal element, all manner of skittering/ sliding production, oh and a cliched awful rap breakdown. I’m less keen on this disc, as it all feels a bit too sleek, overproduced, and bland- seemingly missing a lot of the fun ‘n’ cheeky groove their previous material had.
The Definitive Collection will be appealing to those who enjoy where 80s to 90’s funk, soul, and R&B meet ‘n’ get-down…I’m less keen on the latter part of the compilation, but that’s just me.