In 2024, Kool and the Gang will celebrate 60 years of music-making.  Though the band has weathered the passing of key personnel in recent years including founding members Ronald Bell a.k.a. Khalis Bayyan and Dennis "D.T." Thomas, Robert "Kool" Bell and George "Funky" Brown keep the fusion of soul, R&B, dance, funk, and jazz alive and well.  Earlier this year, Demon Music Group's Edsel label released Kool and the Gang's The Albums Vol. 1: 1970-1978 collecting their first dozen LPs plus a disc of bonus material.  Now, Edsel has followed up that 13-CD package with an only slightly smaller 11-CD set.  The Albums Vol. 2: 1979-1989 presents all eight albums from the Gang's most commercial successful era and adds three bonus discs chockablock with single edits, remixes, and extended versions.

The set opens with the remarkable run of albums helmed by Eumir Deodato.  Between 1979 and 1982, the Brazilian maestro steered the New Jersey band to three U.S. platinum sellers and one gold disc: Ladies' Night (1979, Platinum), Celebrate! (1980, Platinum), Something Special (1981, Platinum), and As One (1982, Gold).  Keyboardist/multi-instrumentalist Deodato began his career as a major proponent of the bossa nova scene in his native country, and soon became a sought-after arranger for the likes of Roberta Flack, George Benson, and even The Chairman of the Board himself, Frank Sinatra.  Although he had been a solo recording artist since the early 1960s, Deodato's solo career took off at Creed Taylor's CTI label in the 1970s where he scored an unexpected crossover hit with a Grammy-winning jazz-funk reinvention of Richard Strauss' "Also Sprach Zarathustra."  A chance encounter with Kool and the Gang set Deodato on the path to reinvent the jazz-funk big band.

Of Deodato's many contributions to the group's sound, perhaps the most key was his insistence that they find a solo vocalist. New Jersey native James "J.T." Taylor fit the bill, becoming the "voice" of Kool and the Gang.  Despite his jazz credentials, Deodato also steered the band away from their more free-form leanings.  He encouraged them towards a pop-disco sound emphasizing the horns in the group's line-up.  Ladies' Night only featured six songs, all written by Earl Toon Jr. with either Ronald Bell or George M. Brown, but two became the band's most significant singles yet: the raucous "Ladies' Night" (No. 1 R&B/No. 8 Pop/No. 5 Disco) and lithe "Too Hot" (No. 3 R&B/No. 5 Pop).  Third single "Hangin' Out" fared slightly less well (No. 36 R&B/No. 103 Pop/No. 5 Disco) but the cumulative success propelled the album all the way to No. 1 R&B and No. 13 Pop.

Could Kool and the Gang top Ladies' Night?  The group arguably did at the dawn of the 1980s with Celebrate!.  The nine-piece outfit survived the disco backlash, and the eight tracks on the new LP continued the sound of its predecessor with uptempo dance material mixed in with pop ballads.  Earl Toon and Ronald Bell's chart-topping "Celebration" took its inspiration from a number of places.  Ronald Bell, now known as Khalis Bayyan, recalled getting the germ of the song from a line in the Quran.  Deodato pushed the writers to simply the melody of their feel-good anthem before embellishing it with a guitar introduction in the spirit of The Jackson 5.  The resulting record topped the Pop, R&B and Disco charts and led the album all the way to No. 2 R&B/No. 10 Pop.  Follow-up singles "Take it to the Top" and "Jones vs. Jones" both made splashes on the R&B survey, but Celebrate! endures most for its euphoric near-title track.

The Gang and Deodato didn't miss a beat with 1981's Something Special.  "Get Down on It," a favorite of the producer's, broke the band through in the U.K., and it didn't disappoint in the U.S., either, going Top 10 Pop and Top 5 R&B.  The dance-party anthem was just what record buyers wanted from the funky and soulful troupe.  "Take My Heart (You Can Have It If You Want It)" was a pure R&B outing, and though it handily topped that chart stateside, it missed the Pop chart.  "Steppin' Out," the bouncy album opener, barely missed the R&B Top 10 at No. 12, and placed at No. 89 Pop.  The album itself was also another feather in the band's cap, reaching No. 1 R&B/No. 12 Pop in the U.S. and No. 10 across the pond.

By the time of 1982's As One, a new approach was necessary.  Electronics and New Wave-inspired production values had given a new sound and style to what was considered R&B.  While Deodato bristled at the notion that Kool and the Gang would change simply to follow the times, he subtly incorporated electronic flourishes to the eclectic blueprint they had already established.  As One featured pretty balladry and party jams but also nodded to reggae ("Let's Go Dancin' (Ooh La La)") and rap (the of-its-time "Street Kids").  Loyal fans appreciated the stylistic consistency, and the album ascended to No. 29 Pop/No. 5 R&B.  It managed to go Gold, though it missed the Platinum mark; its three U.S. singles placed respectably but not overwhelmingly, with "Big Fun" the most successful at No. 6 R&B/No. 29 Pop.  By this point, tension had crept into De-Lite Records' relationship with Eumir Deodato, and he opted not to return for a fifth outing.

The group's fifteenth overall studio album, In the Heart (1983) proved to be a striking declaration of independence.  The band-produced LP was overseen by Ronald Bell (Khalis Bayyan) with veteran engineer Jim Bonnefond.  It was clear that the members of Kool and the Gang were in charge of their own destiny when James "J.T." Taylor and guitarist Charles Smith's lead single "Joanna" restored the group to chart supremacy; it sailed to the top of the R&B survey and No. 2 Pop and AC.  The breezy, period-perfect pop confection was every bit as mellow as "Celebrate" was rousing.  It anchored an album also featuring more danceable anthems (the brassy title track, "Straight Ahead"), guitar-driven rockers ("Tonight"), orchestrated balladry ("Place for Us," "September Love"), and every tool in the band's considerable shed.  Although "Joanna" grabbed the most attention in the U.S., "Tonight" fared well, too, making the Top 10 R&B countdown and peaking at No. 13 on the Hot 100.  In the U.K., "Straight Ahead" made it to No. 15 Pop, and "In the Heart" fared even better at No. 7.  But the double A-side single of "Joanna" and "Tonight" rewarded Kool and the Gang with a No. 2 Pop hit.  The album matched As One's chart placements of No. 29 Pop/No. 5 R&B.

The very next year's Emergency handily extended Kool and the Gang's winning streak, becoming the band's biggest seller ever and earning a Double Platinum certification.  Emergency, again produced by Bonneford with the band, marked a number of changes for Kool and the Gang.  It took the guitar-driven rhythms of In the Heart (evident on tracks such as "Tonight") one step further, emphasizing rock as well as the group's famously danceable brand of R&B.  Emergency also saw drum machines introduced into the musical mix, a perhaps-necessary concession to the then-prevalent sound of the 1980s.  Opening salvo "Emergency" might be the band's most driving track ever, highlighted by the contributions of guest guitarist Rick Iontosca.  "Fresh," co-written by veteran songwriter Sandy Linzer ("Native New Yorker," "Working My Way Back to You"), incorporated cutting-edge delays and loops in an uptempo R&B setting.  The sleek, electronics-and-guitars sound of "Misled" made it clear that Kool and the Gang had fully embraced the decade without sacrificing their jazz-influenced musicianship.  All three songs became R&B Top 10 hits in the U.S., with "Fresh" making it to No. 1.  "Fresh" and "Misled" also hit the Top 10 on the Hot 100.  But this trio of major hits would ultimately be eclipsed by the LP's fourth track.

"Cherish" was a smooth respite from the upbeat rhythms - a seductively mellow, shimmering ballad awash in melody and heartfelt sentiment.  An instant classic, "Cherish" took radio by storm in a unique single version that upped its breezy atmosphere with additional guitar (reminiscent of the sound of seagulls) and percussion.  (The 12-inch version differed even more, adding yacht rock-ready saxophone.)  It peaked at No. 2 on the U.S. Hot 100 and topped the R&B and Adult Contemporary countdowns.  In the U.K., it also became the most successful single off Emergency, peaking at No. 4 Pop.  (While the 12-inch version of "Cherish" is among this set's bonus material, the single version is a surprising omission along with the instrumental version.)

Those four hit singles weren't all that Kool and the Gang had to offer with the tight, seven-song album, however.  Few would have resisted the enticement to "Surrender" on the electro-funk track of the same name, while the story of a "Bad Woman" harkened back to classic soul with a current touch.  The infectious, keyboard-driven "You are the One" closed Emergency on a high note with its graceful, spiritual message.

1986's Forever was Kool and the Gang's first album for Mercury Records.  Their final U.S. top ten R&B entry as well as their last album to reach the Billboard 200, it also turned out to be the swansong (for a while, anyway) for singer J.T. Taylor.  (He departed to pursue a solo career.)  Though far from the inspired heights of their earlier 1980s albums, Forever is an enjoyable meld of bright pop and slick R&B.  The synth-driven singles "Victory" and "Stone Love" both went top ten Pop and top five R&B while "Holiday," anchored by a tough bassline, earned the group a final top ten R&B success.  The ballads "Broadway" and "Forever" have held up well, but the joy that was so evident on the likes of "Joanna" and "Celebrate!" seemed a bit strained on Forever.

Edsel's box set closes with the band's second and last Mercury LP.  Sweat was released in 1989 after the lengthiest gap in the Gang's discography.  Not only was J.T. Taylor gone, but so were Khalis Bayyan and Robert "Spike" Mickens.  In the manner of the day, multiple producers were enlisted including Nick Martinelli and Chuckii Booker as well as the band itself.  Odeen Mays and Skip Martin capably shared lead vocal duties, but the resulting LP just didn't sound like Kool and the Gang.  Sweat eked out one top 30 R&B hit with Booker's "Raindrops," but the Gang struggled to find a new sonic identity without Taylor's familiar voice and a de-emphasis on the brass section.  The album could have been the work of any contemporary R&B group - which couldn't be said of Kool's greatest successes.  Happily, Bayyan and Taylor both returned to the fold, and Kool and the Gang have defied the odds to continue recording to this day.  (The band's most recent album was 2021's Perfect Union.)

Despite ending with two of the group's least artistically and commercially successful records, The Albums Vol. 2 is an often-exciting testament to the power and strength of Kool and the Gang's hit streak between 1979 and 1984.  The original eight albums are supplemented here by three bonus discs.  Collectively, The 7" Singles Collection and two discs of 12" Singles Collection offer 40 additional tracks.  Longtime collectors will want to hold onto Big Break Records/Cherry Red's definitive album reissues which contain well over a dozen extra cuts that can't be found on these discs - the missing single version of "Joanna" might be the most unexpected omission here - but the 40 tracks are a generous sampling of the radio hits and club floor-fillers that kept Kool and the Gang spinning throughout the 1980s and beyond.

Like the first volume, Vol. 2 is housed in a sturdy slipcase with each album in a mini-replica jacket of the original LP.  A 20-page booklet has a brief four-page essay by Cleveland Uhuru-Sasa Brown plus basic credits for each album (though no discographical annotation which is particularly missed regarding the bonus tracks; see below).  For those looking for one-stop shopping or to fill out a collection with those rare remixes, this collection is an affordable, enjoyable, and most of all, danceable celebration of the timeless Kool and the Gang songbook.

Kool & The Gang, The Albums Vol. 2 (1979-1989) (Edsel EDSL0103 (U.K.), 2022) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Disc 1: Ladies' Night (De-Lite DSR-9513, 1979)

1. Ladies' Night
2. Got You Into My Life
3. If You Feel Like Dancin'
4. Hangin' Out
5. Tonight's the Night
6. Too Hot

Disc 2: Celebrate! (De-Lite DSR-9518, 1980)

1. Celebration
2. Jones Vs. Jones
3. Take It to the Top
4. Morning Star
5. Love Festival
6. Just Friends
7. Night People
8. Love Affair

Disc 3: Something Special (De-Lite DSR-8502, 1981)

1. Steppin' Out
2. Good Time Tonight
3. Take My Heart (You Can Have It If You Want It)
4. Be My Lady
5. Get Down on It
6. Pass It On
7. Stand Up and Sing
8. No Show

Disc 4: As One (De-Lite DSR-8505, 1982)

1. Street Kids
2. Big Fun
3. As One
4. Hi De Hi, Hi De Ho
5. Let's Go Dancin' (Ooh La, La, La)
6. Pretty Baby
7. Think It Over

Disc 5: In the Heart (De-Lite DSR-8508, 1983)

1. In the Heart
2. Joanna
3. Tonight
4. Rollin'
5. Place for Us
6. Straight Ahead
7. Home is Where the Heart Is
8. You Can Do It
9. September Love

Disc 6: Emergency (De-Lite 822 943-1 M-1, 1984)

1. Emergency
2. Fresh
3. Misled
4. Cherish
5. Surrender
6. Bad Woman
7. You Are the One

Disc 7: Forever (Mercury 422 830 398-1, 1986)

1. Victory
2. I.B.M.C.
3. Stone Love
4. Forever
5. Holiday
6. Peacemaker
7. Broadway
8. Special Way
9. God's Country

Disc 8: Sweat (Mercury 422 838 233-1, 1989)

1. I Swet
2. This is What a Love Can Do
3. Never Give Up
4. You Got My Heart on Fire
5. Someday
6. Raindrops
7. In Your Company
8. I'll Follow You Anywhere
9. All She Wants to Do is Dance
10. How Can I Get Close to You
11. You Are the Meaning of Friend

Disc 9: 7" Singles Selection

1. Ladies' Night (7" Version)
2. Too Hot (7" Version)
3. Celebration (7" Version)
4. Jones Vs. Jones (7" Version)
5. Take It to the Top (7" Version)
6. Steppin' Out (7" Version)
7. Get Down on It (7" Version)
8. Big Fun (7" Version)
9. Let's Go Dancin' (Ooh La, La, La) (7" Version)
10. Tonight (AOR Mix)
11. Fresh (7" Version)
12. Misled (7" Version)
13. Emergency (7" Remix)
14. Victory (7" Version)
15. Dance Champion (7" Version)
16. Stone Love (7" Version)
17. Rags to Riches (7" Version)
18. Strong (7" Version)
19. Amor Amore (7" Vocal Version)
20. Raindrops (7" Remix)

Track 1 from De-Lite single DE-801, 1979
Track 2 from De-Lite single DE-802, 1979
Track 3 from De-Lite single DE-807, 1980
Track 4 from De-Lite single DE-813, 1980
Track 5 from De-Lite single DE-810, 1980
Track 6 from De-Lite single DE-816, 1981
Track 7 from De-Lite single DE-818, 1981
Track 8 from De-Lite single DE-822, 1982
Track 9 from De-Lite single DE-824, 1982
Track 10 from De-Lite 12" promo PRO 274-1, 1983
Track 11 from De-Lite single 880 623-7, 1984
Track 12 from De-Lite single 880 431-7, 1984
Track 13 from De-Lite single 884 199-7, 1984
Track 14 from Mercury single 888 074-7, 1986
Tracks 15-16 from Mercury single 888 292-7, 1986
Track 17 from Mercury single 870 513-7, 1988
Track 18 from Mercury single 872 038-7, 1988
Track 19 from "Never Give Up" single - Mercury 876 072-7, 1989
Track 20 from Mercury single 874 402-7, 1989

Disc 10: 12" Singles Vol. 1

1. Open Sesame
2. Love and Understanding (Come Together)
3. Mighty Mighty High
4. Hangin' Out (12" Remixed Version)
5. Celebremos (Spanish US 12")
6. Get Down on It (12" Extended Remix)
7. Take My Heart (You Can Have It If You Want It) (12" Version)
8. Straight Ahead (Long Version)
9. Ladies Night ('83 12" Remix aka Deodato Mix)

Tracks 1-2 from De-Lite 12" DSD-586, 1976
Track 3 from reissue of The Force - Big Break Records CDBBRX 0135 (U.K.), 2011
Track 4 from De-Lite 12" DDS-502, 1979
Track 5 from De-Lite 12" DDS-503, 1981
Track 6 from De-Lite U.K. 12" DEX 7, 1982
Track 7 from De-Lite U.K. 12" DEX 6, 1981
Track 8 from De-Lite 12" promo PRO-278-1, 1983
Track 9 from De-Lite U.K. 12" DEX DJ 11, 1983

Disc 11: 12" Singles Vol. 2