Rating:
Genre:
R&B
Release Date: 10/25/1990
Run Time: 40:16
Released in 1980 just as
George Clinton's
P-funk empire had reached the brink of its existence,
Bootsy protégé
Roger Troutman proved himself a worthy successor with
Zapp's self-titled debut album and its subsequent two follow-ups. In actuality,
Zapp originally was a branch of the
Parliament/
Funkadelic collective, as group leader
Roger Troutman was originally signed to
Clinton's short-lived
CBS subsidiary,
Uncle Jam Records. After
Troutman completed the album with
CBS' money,
Clinton's help, and
Bootsy's production,
Warner Bros. stepped in, offered
Roger a considerable sum of money, and slyly bought the album -- leaving a distressed
Clinton with no
Zapp album for his shaky boutique label. Propelled by the dancefloor smash
"More Bounce to the Ounce," the album quickly became a considerable hit. It was here that
Troutman first defined the vocoder-laden
funk aesthetic that would become his trademark for the remainder of his career. In addition to the near ten-minute
"More Bounce," the album also featured
"Be Alright," another epic jam that slowed down the
funk to a smoked-out, almost
ballad-like tempo (both songs would later fuel numerous early-'90s
West Coast rap hits via sampling). Of the remaining four songs,
"Funky Bounce" and
"Brand New Player" also stand as perennial standouts, further affirming
Troutman's dense
funk aesthetic. Later
Zapp albums would have their moments, but this debut is absolutely solid from beginning to end, in addition to being the foundation from which
Troutman would base all later work, and with
"More Bounce to the Ounce" and
"Be Alright," it houses two of the best moments in '80s
funk.
~Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide
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