Album: Bust Me Out
Year: 1985
Style: Rap/Hip Hop/R&B
Similar Bands: Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, Sugarhill Gang, Harold Faltermeyer, Toe Jam & Earl (videogame)
"One-Word" Review: Futuristic-Old-School-Rap
Based Out Of: NYC
Label: Mercury, PolyGram Records
Bust Me Out - Cover & Record
Bust Me Out - Back & Record
Bust me Out(1985)
- Who Dat 1:31
- Live Wire 4:30
- Live Wire Dub 2:02
- Same Day Service 5:51
- Bust Me Out 7:09 /
- Dumb Luv 3:55
- Zip Me Up 5:08
- Slow Down 3:50
- I'm The One Who Loves You 4:35
- You Without Me 5:25
- Kalimba Song 2:00
Album Rating (1-10): 6.5
Members & Other Bands:
Arranged By [Horns, Vocals] - Clifton "Jiggs" Chase
Backing Vocals - Cindi Mizelle , Craig Derry , Evan Rogers , Sabrina Gillison
Drum Programming - Reggie Griffin
Guitar - Reggie Griffin , Skip McDonald , Vernon Reid (Living Color, Yohimbe Bros, Memphis Blood Jugband Singers)
Horns - Chops (2)
Drum Programming, Arrangement, Keyboards, Synthesizer, Lead Vocals, Rap, Mixing, Producer, Percussion - Duke Bootee (Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, Sugarhill House Band, Hot Pepper)
Backing Vocals - Cindi Mizelle , Craig Derry , Evan Rogers , Sabrina Gillison
Drum Programming - Reggie Griffin
Guitar - Reggie Griffin , Skip McDonald , Vernon Reid (Living Color, Yohimbe Bros, Memphis Blood Jugband Singers)
Horns - Chops (2)
Drum Programming, Arrangement, Keyboards, Synthesizer, Lead Vocals, Rap, Mixing, Producer, Percussion - Duke Bootee (Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, Sugarhill House Band, Hot Pepper)
Percussion [Kit] - Daryl Burgee , Dennis Chambers
Programmed By [Synthesizer] - Clifton "Jiggs" Chase , Dwayne Mitchell* , Reggie Griffin
Written By - Ed Flechter
Programmed By [Synthesizer] - Clifton "Jiggs" Chase , Dwayne Mitchell* , Reggie Griffin
Written By - Ed Flechter
Doug Wimbish - CO Producer, Bass
B. "Skip" Alexander - Co Producer, Guitars
Keith LeBlanc - Co Producer, Drum Programming
Steve Jerome - Engineer
Chris Lord-Alge - Engineer, Mixing, Synth Programming
Bob Rosa - Engineer
Tracey Melvin - Asst. Engineer
Roey - Asst. Engineer
Cathy Gallo - Asst. Engineer
Nina Rhodes - Asst. Engineer
T. Lord-Alge - Asst. Engineer
Thornton Daniels - Album Design & Photography
Betty Beebe - Stylist
B. "Skip" Alexander - Co Producer, Guitars
Keith LeBlanc - Co Producer, Drum Programming
Steve Jerome - Engineer
Chris Lord-Alge - Engineer, Mixing, Synth Programming
Bob Rosa - Engineer
Tracey Melvin - Asst. Engineer
Roey - Asst. Engineer
Cathy Gallo - Asst. Engineer
Nina Rhodes - Asst. Engineer
T. Lord-Alge - Asst. Engineer
Thornton Daniels - Album Design & Photography
Betty Beebe - Stylist
Unknown-ness: I’ve never heard of Duke Bootee. I’m not even sure if it’s a name or a band, but I’m leaning toward one dude since there is a picture of one guy on the back. 1985 hip hop was a fun time, so I’m hoping for the best here. I especially like the cover art: a “Lean on Me” school room class and the big boom box that you just don’t see anymore. And I think that is a penis on the chalk board. Should be a goodie!
Album Review: So now I know who DB is: the MC name/alter ego of school teacher Ed Fletcher, whom also basically wrote GF & furious 5’s “The Message.” He was the percussion in (as well as an intricate part of) the Sugar Hill house band for a great deal of the label’s time.
“Who Dat” is an echoy, repetitive dance groove, with wood block percussion sounding like rain splatter. The same vocal lyric is stretched and twisted as if on a turntable.
“Live Wire” has an X-Files feel to it in the beginning. Robotic vocals set up a very electronic soundtrack, and establish the chorus. It has a Harold Faltermeyer feel to it. It feels like it could have been used in the club scene in the new Tron film, but it has all the 80’s feel, like something from Solarbabies.
“Live Wire Dub” takes the song we just heard and adds in more scratches, and remixes all the robotic vocal chorus and catchy 80’s keyboard
“Same Day Service” carries on the futuristic echo synthesizer effects, drum beat loops and more robotic back up vocals. Rhythm based rapping is laid over the track. The keyboard synth reminds me of music interludes from films like Running Man or Total Recall. The dance groove is not as striking or apparent and the song is a bit long.
“Bust Me Out,” being the title track, represents the album, but is not as produced or complex as “Live Wire.” It starts with almost industrial style sounds with ironworks and synthesized machines played on a stripped down scale. The vocals are reserved and laid back; not angry or full force like most of the rap sounds like today. The rhythm of the song continues to follow the steam machinery beat. There are positive messages intertwined with blood themes, depicting daily struggles of someone who is saying “Bust Me Out,” which I’m guessing refers to escaping the lifestyle. It ends with what sounds like a scrambled computer powering up to explode
“Dumb Luv” features horns prominently, and the verses refer to someone quite literally, involved in thoughtless relationships. The music revolves around a slow stepping drum beat, mixed in with wailing electric guitars, futuristic synth atmospheric stints, and a Toe-Jam & Earl bass grooves.
“Zip Me Up” starts out faster than most of the songs, with robotic vocals again, and jazzy horns. The groove is somewhat disco and really propels the dance floor beat. There is mostly singing on this track. The electric guitars get somewhat out of hand; taking over a center stage that should be utilized more so by the twinkling synth effects and groove centered instruments. I always picture songs like this being the soundtrack to an important scene or montage in an 80’s film.
“Slow Down” lets female vocals shine, as they come from the background and get featured. This too is more standard radio R&B singing than rapping. The synth elements are all still there, and there is still that fine line between R&B and disco. The bass hook sounds like a synthesized bullfrog.
“I'm The One Who Loves You” is a cheesy love ballad. It’s got double vocals, with the higher pitched uttering the ewww-eeeewwwww vocals that Mr. Show makes fun of. I can imagine this music video to be the two guys walking around in robes with a white piano in the room and dry ice hovering all around. This is a very different sound & style from the first side, but I can see the progression over the last couple of songs. This is a sexy time song, rendered cheesy over the last few years of aging process.
“You Without Me” brings us to straight forward reggae. It has the horns, the slinky bass groove, and Jamaican accent in the beginning. It is a side to side swaying, slow skanking with drink in hand melody. Heck, they even throw a steel drum playing the Andy Griffith Theme in the background.
“Kalimba Song” is an instrumental that sounds like a wind up music box playing a traditional Kalimba song. I can only imagine it is either a xylophone, harp or lyre. It is pretty and uplifting. Sounds like something Bjork would have made during her Homogenic – Vespertine period
“Live Wire” has an X-Files feel to it in the beginning. Robotic vocals set up a very electronic soundtrack, and establish the chorus. It has a Harold Faltermeyer feel to it. It feels like it could have been used in the club scene in the new Tron film, but it has all the 80’s feel, like something from Solarbabies.
“Live Wire Dub” takes the song we just heard and adds in more scratches, and remixes all the robotic vocal chorus and catchy 80’s keyboard
“Same Day Service” carries on the futuristic echo synthesizer effects, drum beat loops and more robotic back up vocals. Rhythm based rapping is laid over the track. The keyboard synth reminds me of music interludes from films like Running Man or Total Recall. The dance groove is not as striking or apparent and the song is a bit long.
“Bust Me Out,” being the title track, represents the album, but is not as produced or complex as “Live Wire.” It starts with almost industrial style sounds with ironworks and synthesized machines played on a stripped down scale. The vocals are reserved and laid back; not angry or full force like most of the rap sounds like today. The rhythm of the song continues to follow the steam machinery beat. There are positive messages intertwined with blood themes, depicting daily struggles of someone who is saying “Bust Me Out,” which I’m guessing refers to escaping the lifestyle. It ends with what sounds like a scrambled computer powering up to explode
“Dumb Luv” features horns prominently, and the verses refer to someone quite literally, involved in thoughtless relationships. The music revolves around a slow stepping drum beat, mixed in with wailing electric guitars, futuristic synth atmospheric stints, and a Toe-Jam & Earl bass grooves.
“Zip Me Up” starts out faster than most of the songs, with robotic vocals again, and jazzy horns. The groove is somewhat disco and really propels the dance floor beat. There is mostly singing on this track. The electric guitars get somewhat out of hand; taking over a center stage that should be utilized more so by the twinkling synth effects and groove centered instruments. I always picture songs like this being the soundtrack to an important scene or montage in an 80’s film.
“Slow Down” lets female vocals shine, as they come from the background and get featured. This too is more standard radio R&B singing than rapping. The synth elements are all still there, and there is still that fine line between R&B and disco. The bass hook sounds like a synthesized bullfrog.
“I'm The One Who Loves You” is a cheesy love ballad. It’s got double vocals, with the higher pitched uttering the ewww-eeeewwwww vocals that Mr. Show makes fun of. I can imagine this music video to be the two guys walking around in robes with a white piano in the room and dry ice hovering all around. This is a very different sound & style from the first side, but I can see the progression over the last couple of songs. This is a sexy time song, rendered cheesy over the last few years of aging process.
“You Without Me” brings us to straight forward reggae. It has the horns, the slinky bass groove, and Jamaican accent in the beginning. It is a side to side swaying, slow skanking with drink in hand melody. Heck, they even throw a steel drum playing the Andy Griffith Theme in the background.
“Kalimba Song” is an instrumental that sounds like a wind up music box playing a traditional Kalimba song. I can only imagine it is either a xylophone, harp or lyre. It is pretty and uplifting. Sounds like something Bjork would have made during her Homogenic – Vespertine period
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