I'LL BE THERE FOR YOU
Release Date: 2001
CD Availability: Available online here and at live KC shows; not available in stores
Becky Rating: 8 suns (out of 10)

HE'S BAAAACK!

I'm not going to mince words here, folks: I'll Be There For You is the best album of new music KC has recorded since 1978.

Everything we loved about the Sunshine Sound is back with a vengeance on this album: upbeat songs with catchy, repetitive lyric hooks sung in KC's normal voice; fun horn lines; and unbelievable percussion. All are mixed with a modern, slicker sound that isn't too jarring or irritating for those of us who prefer '70s music to '00s hip-hop and rap.

Released in the fall of 2001, I'll Be There For You includes eleven new songs, all but one of which was written in part by Harry Casey, and three remixes. The album's centerpiece for me consists of the three songs that best represent a return to the Sunshine Sound. "Get Up Off Your Love" has the classic sound over a James Brown-style beat and even includes KC's old tradition of nonsense scat-singing. "All That Good Stuff" is a fast-paced dance tune with a fun descending horn line. "Wanna Be Your Lover," a reggae tune, has amazing lyrics and will make you think you're in Jamaica. All three of these songs were featured in the 1999-2000 tour setlists and should be brought back!

There are two very touching and very good ballads on this album. "All I Really Wanna Do" proves that KC has finally learned how to sing a slower song (no squeaking! no falsetto!) and has some very beautiful lyrics. "When It Comes To Love" is a first for KC - an acoustic guitar-based song that, in my opinion, could have topped the Adult Contemporary charts had it been released to radio. See what you think.

Other notable songs include "Come Back," which somehow for me conjures up visions of KC looking for a lost dog; the fun "Party Zone," "When I Close My Eyes," the only track on the album not written at least in part by KC; and the title track, which is not the Friends theme, thank goodness. The title song is not my cup of tea, as there's a rap section and an unintentionally funny moment; but I give KC respect for releasing it as a charity single following the September 11 tragedy.

Musicians who back up KC on this album include the Sunshine Band's longtime percussionist Fermin Goytisolo, the only person other than KC to appear on every Sunshine Band album; former Sunshine Band drummer Ralph Hunter and current Sunshine Band singer Maria DeCrescenzo; Joel Behrman, the second-best trombonist you've never heard of; and, Cuban-born guitarist David Cabrera, who has also played with Ricky Martin. There is also a remarkable innovation that I think is making its debut anywhere on this album: the Amazing Self-Playing Bass Guitar. Didn't anyone deserve a bass credit here? Huh?

I was floored when I first heard this. The Sunshine Sound had come back! KC's normal voice was back! The horns and percussion were back! Unfortunately, KC decided to hide his light under a bushel and did not release this album commercially. The only way to purchase it is either at a live KC show (which I recommend you go to!) or by visiting the direct link to his website above. However you buy it, I guarantee you will not be disappointed. I haven't been yet.

(c) 2002 and 2003 Becky Banfield for Dos Gardenias Productions