Reviews: The Legend Of Kung Folk Part 1 (The Killing Bite)

by: Benjamin Taylor






Binding: Audio CD
EAN: 0020286117421
Label: Iris Records Label
Manufacturer: Iris Records Label
MPN: 1006
Number Of Discs: 1
Publisher: Iris Records Label
Release Date: September 16, 2008
Studio: Iris Records Label


Rating: - 9 O'Clock in the Morning
Ben Taylor's newest CD continues his excellent sound. "Nothing I Can Do" from his Another Run Around the Sun CD spent a long time in my personal top ten last year. On "Legend," Ben stretches a bit, but doesn't stray far from his classic sound. "You're the One for Me" is one of my favorite tracks with Ben employing classic soul brass in a formula that's worked well for his dad. The opening track "Wrong" melds Jill Dell'abate's background vocals that lift the melody gently with a feminine touch. "She's Gone" is also classic Ben Taylor with Rick Marotta's drums giving a punch to the track & Ben's vocals expressive, "It is too late. Everywhere the world is cold & empty. And I don't know where she's gone or why she left me." The harmonies on "Space" are lovely, giving a dreamlike quality to a breakup track with Jamie Cullum on piano, "9 o'clock in the morning, she'll be sailing away; Deep blue ocean carry her safely, take her away." It reminds me a bit of the Beatles' song "She's Leaving Home" in the way it builds. Musically, it's one of Ben's most complex songs yet, and succeeds wonderfully. "It's Only Love" & "Something for Nothing" are also strong tracks. While "Wilderness" experiments, the only misstep for me is "Dangerous Girl" that sounds half-baked, perhaps an idea that is still in search of a song. Ben's website is playing "Wicked Way"; so that must be his leadoff single. "The Legend of Kung Folk" is a strong set that thoroughly satisfies. Enjoy!

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Rating: - This KILLING BITE Is More Like A Teasing Nibble!
Make no mistake about it, Ben Taylor has what it takes to be one of the greats. Like his older (and equally talented) sister Sally, he's embraced his heritage ~ we all know who his parents are....no need to go there again! ~ but also moved beyond it, becoming a gifted artist in his own right.
Sadly, though, Taylor is, on just his third release, already in a slight slump. THE LEGEND OF KUNG FOLK PART 1 (THE KILLING BITE) was hailed early on as something new and adventurous for Taylor, when, in truth, it's just a (lesser) continuation of 2002's FAMOUS AMONG THE BARNS and 2005's ANOTHER RUN AROUND THE SUN. Sure, there are some bright spots, and Taylor never actually embarrasses himself, but that's just not enough.
Things start off strongly with the infectious "Wrong." With it's sultry lead vocal, slinky groove and throbbing bass lines, this is new territory for Taylor, and it works. Toss in the added bonus of the chorus of whistlers, the smooth "la-la's" and smart lyrics ("Don't put your faith in the hands of thieves/Don't let no one tell you what you need/I know you like it the way it seems/But you could be so wrong") and you have one of Taylor's best songs to date. This sort of groove-inflected vibe is a sound he should play around with more in the future.
"She's Gone" has a nice hushed feeling to it, but we've heard this sort of thing from Taylor before. While the lead vocal is earnest and honest, and the lyrics touching ("Strange, the way it comes out/How I wonder about you in my dreams/Remembering the mistakes I made/To convince you I was strong"), this is nothing new. Taylor's too early in his career to already be rehashing past material.
Better he go with the fun and frivolity of "Wicked Way." His most humorous song to date, there's a playfulness to the cut that plays well off of all of his strengths. A sweet melody, a sly (but sincere) vocal and sassy lyrics ("I'm not gonna lie and say that I will take you out to dance/There's just no chance/Cause I don't even like the same music you do") all add up to a major album high point.
"It's Only Love" is also...nice, but something seems to be missing. The verses are almost as long as the choruses, resulting in a song that comes across as half finished (The chorus is also repeated WAAAY too much, maybe in order to flesh the track out!). Nice vocal, tight arrangement, but, ultimately, this song is a B- when it could have been an A.
"Dangerous Girl" has a relaxed, atmospheric groove to it, but there's just something about the song....every time I hear it, I think of Lisa Kudrow singing "Smelly Cat" on "Friends." Seriously!! That said, Taylor delivers a soulful lead vocal....he really taps into his inner Marvin Gaye/Barry White here. If it just wasn't for that damn cat....!!!
"Something For Nothing" is another example of him just getting things half right. The clipped, almost spoken, lead vocal is fresh and new, but the gossamer chorus, with it's female vocals, is old hat; once again, Taylor's done this before, and to better effect. A lazy arrangement and generic lyrics don't help either. One or two moments, but, all in all, I have to call this one a miss.
"Wilderness" is a tough one for me. On the one hand, Taylor seems to moving beyond his comfort zone a bit here, which I've been hoping for. On the other hand, it doesn't seem organic, but rather forced and calculated. Yes, the arrangement is cool, what with it's mix of militaristic beats and twinkling piano, but Taylor somehow seems disconnected, like he's just phoning it in. Maybe it has something to do with him not writing the song, I don't know. I'd have to call this one a draw.
The horns on "You're The One For Me" are a major plus...they really punch things up! And that's a good thing....the rest of the cut is very paint-by-numbers, a (now seemingly) typical Ben Taylor song. Nice arrangement, delicate vocal, female chorus, clever (but not too deep) lyrics....once again, we've heard most of this before. And as I said earlier.....it's too early in his career for Taylor to be repeating himself.
But don't despair....things end well! "Space" is a beautifully understated ballad, graced with an airy arrangement and aching lead vocal. Your heart really goes out to Taylor as he sings the lines "Eleven hours you're leaving/But you're already gone", while the lines (from the chorus) "I already gave you more space/Than my heart could afford/How could you ask for more" sear to the core. A brilliant piece of writing and a great performance.
Closing things out is the sparse, yet elegant, "After It's Over." Backed only by some lovely piano, Taylor delivers a stunning lead vocal that is equal parts wistful, resigned and hopeful. Couple that with powerful lyrics ("You can tell her hello, you can tell her goodbye/You can sing her a song, you can tell her a lie/You can tell her she'll probably understand when she's older") and you have an instant classic.
So....where does Ben Taylor go from here? Well, hopefully it's far, far beyond where he's been thus far. There's no denying that he's got what it takes to be a major talent, but even with all of it's good moments, there's a laziness, a feeling of being in a holding pattern, to much of THE LEGEND OF KUNG FOLK. In all honesty, this really is a 3-1/2 star album, bit I rounded up because I believe in Ben Taylor so much. However, that won't happen again, should he fail to move forward next time around...the great ones don't coast, or get stuck in holding patterns. (As with all my reviews, I'm docking the disc an extra half a star for not including the lyrics).

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Rating: - Major Step Back
I'm not sure if any artist has had their first three LP's be as different as Ben Taylor's. Perhaps this is why they have come out under three different artist names (The Ben Taylor Band, Ben Taylor, and Benjamin Taylor). The first, "Famous Among the Barns", was an interesting though not particularly earth shattering folk-rock-funk mix. The second, "Another Run Around the Sun", shifted gears to an acoustic folk sound, and yielded a wonderful and all around solid album. Unfortunately, his most recent album, "The Legend of Kung Folk Part 1: the Killing Bite" is as disappointing as the title is long. Taylor abandoned the simple yet timeless sound of "Another Run" for an eclectic mess which really leaves the album without a purpose or direction. The songs seem to have no real connection to each other and lack much of the depth of Taylor's previous efforts. In addition to lack of any unifying aspect of the album, the songs aren't terribly inventive and really don't generate anything that hasn't been heard before from other artists. For these reasons the album simply does not hold up as a whole. That said, some of the songs are decent when taken on their own (which is what saved this album from getting 1 star). The eclectic nature of the album means that most people will find a couple songs they like. If you liked "Famous among the Barns" you'll probably like "Wrong" and "Wilderness", while if you liked "Another Run" the you'll probably like the last three tracks as they seem to capture some of the spirit of that album. So my recommendation is to stay away from the album as a whole and rather pick out specific tracks that match your musical tastes. If you're going to own one Ben Taylor album, it should not be this one, but rather the much stronger "Another Run Around the Sun".

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Rating: - Doesn't live up to the title
The danger of producing an album with a title like this is that it won't live up to it. The title, I guess, is a bit of a joke and isn't meant to mean much. But if you're expecting something new and unique, don't. This 'concept' of Kung Folk sounds an awful lot like regular pop music to me.
But, as pop music goes, it's not bad.
Songs like 'Wrong' and the very catchy 'She's Gone' have a laid back groove, pleasant harmonies and nice melodies. Ben's voice (his best asset) is smooth, and he has a nice way of phrasing things. Most of the songs on the album are like this.
The exceptions are 'Dangerous Girl', for a start, on which Ben seems to be singing through a vocoder. It's one of those songs where the singer talks 'at random' at the end, which I thought was passé these days (should be) and doesn't add anything to the track. 'Wilderness' is another slightly different track, and the only song not written by Ben or co-written with his buddy David Saw. 'Wilderness' goes a bit overboard with the drum machine and gets repetitive and annoying enough to need skipping past.
Probably the best song is 'Wicked Way', though I'm sure some will think it's a bit sleazy. It's a frank and unromantic seduction song that's pretty funny.
The album ends with the soft piano-driven 'After It's Over', which is nice enough. By this time, you will have noticed that though the album is undeniably very pleasant to listen to ('Wilderness' excepted), it doesn't really go anywhere, doesn't have any standout songs that people will beg him to sing at live shows, and certainly doesn't live up to that title. Nor is it, I reckon, as good as either of Ben's previous albums. This is part one of the legend... let's hope part two is a bit better. Even so, it just about deserves four stars.

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Rating: - Some people need some perspective
Yeah. Ben Taylor isn't James Taylor in the smooth '70s. Nor is he Carly Simon of '80s fame. Why this should surprise some people (i.e. a reviewer here) is beyond me. If you only like JT albums, which I do, go buy them and live in the past. Ben Taylor has a more modern sound and plenty of talent. Check out the reviews on his other albums and listen to the music yourself. Don't let some naysayers who give this album 1 star (I mean, 1 star??? Is he reviewing Eddie Murphy's album?) dissuade you from loving Ben's music.

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