BLOW MONKEYS-Springtime For The World (1990)

ORIGINAL POSTING DATE: February 11, 2012

This forgotten BLOW MONKEYS album was requested by my friend Danniilo during the jazz/pop series I had going about a couple of weeks ago......forgotten by me, that is. I've listened to "Springtime For The World" a few times, but up until today, it had remained on the shelf along with the rest of my BLOW MONKEYS collection. I did remember that it was totally different than anything on the BLOW MONKEYS' previous releases from the 80's.....just had forgotten how different. Some of that familiar jazz vibe is still here, I noticed, when I played songs like "In Too Deep" or the 'funktafied' remaking of "Checking Out" (I still prefer the original version of this highly coveted favorite found on "She Was Only A Grocer's Daughter"), but there was also some cool, ethnic tribal dance going on—most notably on tunes like "Vibe Alive!" (my version of this album includes the politically-themed tune, "Reflection '89", which makes this into a two-track, 5+ minute medley), "Be Not Afraid" (the saxophone accompaniment here is terrific all the way through!), "If You Love Somebody", "Let The People Dance", "Fruits Of The Earth"—that I didn't recall before. Could've been a prelude to THE BLOW MONKEYS' shifting their style towards 90's house music scene, perhaps, although a preview of this fact might've been already present on 1989's "Whoops! There Goes The Neighborhood" with the Kym Mazelle collaboration, "Wait". Wouldn't it have been great to hear Kym's electric voice on background vocals to some of these songs? Now I see why Danniilo loves this album so much, being into 90's dance/pop and all. Had absolutely no memory of the instrumental on Track #7 called "La Passionara" either, but it's always nice to get an ear full of that familiar Spanish flavor; that person playing the Spanish guitar has got some major skills, too:

1. In Too Deep
2. Springtime For The World
3-4. Vibe Alive! - Reflection '89
5. Be Not Afraid
6. If You Love Somebody
7. La Passionara
8. Let The People Dance
9. Fruits Of The Earth
10. As The Dust Settles
11. Checking Out
12. The Other Side Of You
13. The Blues [CD Bonus]