Bar-Kays – Banging The Wall 1985

A year beyond their "Freakshow on the Dance Floor" heyday, the Bar-Kays hit the streets again in 1985 with what was, in comparison, the mediocre Banging the Wall. Still packing enough punch to only miss the Top Ten by a whisper, the LP was jam-packed with synth popped R&B and innuendo that didn't even make an attempt at subtlety, while the band eschewed its tremendous funk for riffing that echoed chart-toppers Prince and Michael Jackson, among others. In fact, the title track owes so much to the great purple wonder, with its vocal cries, lyrical come-ons, and rock-riffing rhythms, that it can only be either some kind of tribute or a purposeful trashing. At least one hopes so. The band continues much on the same track with a handful of groovers, including "Missiles on Target," "Dance Your Body, Desara," and the Cameo-esque "Sex Driver," while adding a couple of ballads, "Paper Doll" and "Love Don't Wait," to tone down the moment. It's a shame, really, that Banging the Wall owes so much of its verve to the Bar-Kays' peers. But, with their funk so out of fashion, what once led was cast aside so that the leaders could follow in fashion.