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It's hard to believe that 15 years have elapsed since JTQ's debut album, "Mission Impossible," back in 1987. One of the hardest working and indeed, most popular British acts on the live circuit, the group is now signed to Sanctuary. Amazingly, "Room At The Top" is JTQ's 18th album - and it's indubitably one of their best offerings yet. Naturally, Taylor's funky Hammond organ riffing remains at the core of the group's sound but they evince a more adventurous and eclectic palette these days in regard to arrangements, textures and tone colours. The album kicks off with the explosive "Mr. Bridger Said So," a quintessential JTQ throw-down organ jam. "Black Tuesday," a slab of flat-out, pedalto- the-metal dirty funk is similarly engaging, whilst the stonking, brassy vocal track, "Stop!" evokes memories of EW&F at their peak. In contrast to high-octane organ jams, there is plenty of wonderfully varied music - "Show Me All Your Colours" is a delicate groove with marimbas and soulful electric piano (featuring vibes maestro Roy Ayers) whilst the delightful "South To Perpignon" exudes an exotic, continental air. Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson might seem an incongruous choice as a guest artist but his frenetic flute fits in well on the horn-drenched, JBs'-inspired funk of "Free." Overall, this is a tremendous album and cogently illustrates that JTQ have plenty of creative gas left in the tank. Superb. (CW) This
review appears on the JTQ website courtesy of Blues & Soul Magazine
The mighty JTQ continues its rampage through 60s cinematic icons: having visited Blow Up! and donated a shagtastic theme for Austin Powers, Taylor has now booked a Room At The Top. That film was noteworthy for matching Laurence Harvey's caddish charm with Simone Signoret's French allure, and Taylor likewise has extended his musical palette to add a certain European savvy to his well established Hammond funk. So although Taylor kicks off Room At The Top with the familiar Brain Auger-ish attack of 'Mr Bridger Said So', it's actually tracks such as 'South To Perpignon' that bring the spark of something new to the album. All glistening moodiness, 'South To Perpignon' is like Klaus Doldinger picking up a hitch-hiking Serge Gainsbourg and then both driving off into a dodgily dubbed Marianne Faithfull movie. Not that Taylor has abandoned his Jimmy Smith/McGriff influences - 'Black Tuesday' is all boiling Hammond and clattering drums while 'Stop!' brims with spiky brass, but the enigmatic 'Farewell Canale Grande', like some soundtrack to a movie Jason King never made, is nearer to the spirit of the album as a whole. Which won't stop Room At The Top being a smash across all genres, from acid jazzers to dance floor groovers to even the occasional jazz bloke. Laurence Harvey would've loved it, except he'd be far too cool to say so... Andy Robson
reviewed ROOM AT THE TOP for the August 2002 issue of Jazzwise
and his review appears on the JTQ website courtesy of Jazzwise
 It's JTQ's 15th year and 15th album (after discounting the collected works
and NJK material). Like the relative old-timers that both they and I've
become, variety is what makes the effort to perform and listen worthwhile. I
must warn you that there is a much less dominant Hammond presence
throughout - in it's place a whole array of new and previously less used
voices (i.e. harpsichord, harmonica, and lots of electric piano) abound to a
mostly satisfying end.
The big surprise is how Neil's drums have suddenly leapt into the spotlight.
Like David's guitar not so long ago, an emphasis on showcasing a new found
energy is not going unnoticed. You may not feel it at first, but by the time
you hit "Free", "Batten Down the Hatches", and "Dark Forest" you'll know
what I mean. With what has become a rather dull instrument in the
re-emerging Jazz-combo scene and even more so in this Boogaloo-Funk craze,
this renewed focus on the anchor is very welcome indeed. Neil pulls it off
brilliantly.
 Perhaps releasing "Free" as a single first may mislead the listener into
expecting a Boogaloo extravagance. But then classic soul, fusion, Schifrin,
blues, and even a little Roy Budd, play an equal roll throughout. There does
not seem to be a track that would easily identify what one should expect
from this record as a whole.
We start of with the rousing boogaloo "Mr. Bridger Said So", then Starsky
meets The Enforcer "Message From Sicily" (a different version than appears
on Hammondology), concluding with the big horn and Lara Rose vocal "Stop"
which has a really nice break in the middle. A sudden downshift on "Daydream
No.9" - a brilliant sequel to "Decoding the Pyramids" (which is one of my
favourite tracks of all time) with a beautiful piano and percussion combo.
"Show Me All Your Colours" comes with so many subtle percussive effects that
it's so easy to miss it under the steady beat throughout, this track really
demands your full attention or it will lull you into missing it's
complexities.
"Black Tuesday" features the best drum workout on the disc. With Hammond
swirling in support, this far and away is Neil's song but wedged between the
gentle Colours and Lausanne I totally missed it on my initial review.
"Lausanne Revisited" is a romantic little moog number that fades out so
early it's easy to dismiss. An interesting effect is to place the track in
repeat mode for 3 rounds. I am curious why the song was treated in an
incidental fashion. It's a little like having an intricate dream of a past
love (no, honey I don't actually have those dreams), and then only being
able to remember a fragment in the morning. Perhaps that IS the point!
 "Still Got Your Sense of Humour Jack" comes with an awesome
harmonica/Hammond country-blues flavour that brings back another fragmented
memory from a conversation I had with the band many years ago about the
complexities of country music and the inane aspects of it's lyrics. I
suppose this may be a long-in-the-incubator idea finally realized. The
cinematic-inspired harpsichord-vs-Hammond "South To Perpignan" captures that
Budd melancholy at it's haunted best. Despite my penchant for hard (not
deep) funk, I enjoyed "Daydream" and "Perpignan" most of all.
As sudden as TOP started, the hard-and-heavy "Free" will hit you below the
belt with perhaps the best vocal to date. Neil's drums compliment perfectly
and if there was ever a doubt who rules the roost (boogaloo, deep funk or
otherwise) on the keys, then it's time to have your soul checked. Neil is
even bigger and louder on "Batten Down The Hatches", with an interwoven
guitar, sax, and electric piano - this would be an essential addition to the
live set list. "Farewell Canale Grande" is very subdued, but totally in
character with the brasher cuts around it. Very melancholy with a D&B;rhythm, and outros with a piano solo that would be brilliant with a beat
poet performance weaving around it. "Dark Forest" in a sense suggests the
end of the album. A kicking trumpet solo, more big drums, and evidence that
the Hammond can take on a supporting role (but don't tell those guys at
Hammondbeat that!). 
"Full Moon" fades in oddly, making it feel somewhat out of sequence on the
record and reinforces that feeling that the record had already ended. "Sweet
Lover" harkens back to the smooth-soul days of McKoy and has a "See A
Brighter Day" feel to it, but seems out of place on the record...BUT...if I
jump directly from "Dark Forest" it plays out perfectly as is. After playing
around with the sequence further, I found that "Moon" sets down very nicely
between "Hatches" and "Canale". This made a world of difference for me in
enjoying this proper, and like a brick upside my head I realized that I'd
already learned that lesson with the 2 version of "A Bigger Picture".
"Room at the Top" is a great 180 contrast to the Hammond infused
"Godfather", and in the best JTQ tradition the change of scenery is what
makes these guys the smartest act to follow.
Kahlil Breithaupt
reviewed ROOM AT THE TOP ON on www.hammondbeat.com
on 1st May 2002 |
