E Flat Boogie (Go-Go Classics)

Given the volatility of the late '70s in popular music in general and urban music in particular, this first of three volumes documenting the history of the Washington, D.C., area's Trouble Funk is more than welcome. Unlike the Island compilation that focuses only on the band's work either recorded with or licensed by the label, this first Funky Delicacies disc concentrates on the earliest go-go material from the band's own D.E.T.T. label, from the first single, "E Flat Boogie," on to "Pump Me Up," all of which were issued only on 12" or, bizarrely enough, on cassette. From the opening bars of "E Flat Boogie," it's easy to see why Trouble Funk is one of the most sampled groups in history. The deep, backbone-slipping basslines illuminate the very idea of the word funk. The multiple drummers — two trap kits and two percussionists who were interchangeable — set Trouble Funk apart, even from the alleged go-go music originators, Chuck Brown & the Soul Searchers. The horn section may have had Tower of Power's tight lines, but it had a raw punch all its own. Tracks like "Let's Get Small," which became an anti-drug anthem with its call-and-response choruses and verse lines, also became a funk anthem. There is no party jam like this one, with harmonicas cascading through a mix that is dominated by a crushing rhythmic attack and down-and-dirty keyboards. "Pump Me Up" is totally worthy of its name, and signifies the rhythm track that was the basis for later classics such as "Paint the White House Black." "Trouble Funk Express" pays a perverse nod to Kraftwerk's "Trans-Europe Express" before tearing down the German group's puny attempts at rhythm consciousness with pure go-go chaos that splinters the synthesizers in the background. Also on board are "So Early in the Morning," "Hey Fellas," and instrumental versions — which are far from add-ons — of the first three tracks, making this an exceptional compilation. It'll be tough to wait for the other two.