By this point in their career, The Commodores have lost Lionel Richie and any sort of funk credibility they had from their early years – but they also somehow manage to reemerge with a great new talent for a sweet mellow groove! The title tune "Nightshift" was one of those tracks that crossed over massively at the time – but to our ears, it also kind of redeemed the group too – as it's got a surprisingly soulful quality that really got the group past the soppiness of their ballads and love songs – gliding along with an almost-righteous quality that makes it a nice later cap to an earlier Motown 70s groove. Other tunes on the album don't always fare as well, but there's still some nice moments here – tunes that benefit from some Dennis Lambert production and hit just the right kind of mellow groove to follow up on the spirit of the single. Tracks include "Nightshift", "Slip Of The Tongue", "Lay Back", "Lightin Up The Night", and "The Woman In My Life". LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

A trio of talents make this Samurai Champloo soundtrack so great – Japanese producer Nujabes, hip hop duo Force Of Nature, and American hip hopper Fat Jon The Ample Soul Physician! The sound here is often a bit more dense and intense than on some of the other Champloo soundtracks, but it depends on the cut – as others have that open, melodic quality that makes the series so great – even on the Fat Jon tracks, which are instrumental. Titles include "Just Forget", "Nightshift", "Set It Off", "Death Wish", and "The Stroll" by Force Of Nature; "Bracelet", "In Position", "Night Out", "Not Quite Selah", and "Here & There" by Fat Jon; and "Dead Season", "Sanctuary Ship", "Tsurugi No Mai", and "Decade" by Nujabes. Also features "Who's Theme" by Minmi. LP, Vinyl record album

The only LP from this First Priority family member who released a couple of nice tracks as singles on the label, especially his duets with MC Lyte. This major label album somehow managed to get lost, though it's one of our favorites from the early 90s, with stripped down funky beats and a tight flow and intelligent rhyme style that won't leave you scratching your head. 16 tracks in all, counting the shorter intros and interludes, including "Pass The Mic", "One 2 The Head", "How The F*ck Would You Know", "Carhoppers", "A Flower Grows In Brooklyn", "Nightshift", "I Got A Man", "Ain't No Crime" and "It's All Over". LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record