G. Love & Special Sauce Albums (8)
What The Critics Say
Superhero Brother sees G. Love & Special Sauce pulling back on the guest appearances from their last two albums and just focusing on the core group, now including Mark Boyce on keys. They still cover a lot of bases musically, from the classic rock moves of "Communication" to the New Orleans second-line rhythm on the chorus of "Peace, Love and Happiness." A bit of beatboxing introduces "What We Need," while "Wontcha Come Home" almost sounds like an old Paul Simon song. Then there are the more tender tracks, like "Grandmother" and "Soft and Sweet." The smirking "Wiggle Worm" is destined to become a concert favorite, while "City Livin'" recalls the '70s with punchy horns and groovy guitar. There's certainly nothing new about G. Love's "forget your troubles, listen to my music and just feel good" gospel, but this time out some of the songs seem a bit formulaic. Then there's the hazy, totally baked "Who's Got the Weed," replete with coughing and bong-hit sound effects. The title track gets closest to the blues as a solo acoustic track. Musically, it's pretty tasty but verses detailing the various heroic ways G. Love would save the world are contrasted with the confusing refrain "Awwww baby, my love don't seem the same." Huh? Superhero Brother will probably sound pretty good as background at a party, but there's not a lot of meat on these bones. ~ Sean Westergaard, All Music Guide
'A Year and a Night with G. Love and Special Sauce'
Release Date 7/31/2007
Tracks 12
Label Brushfire
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
A Year and a Night with G. Love and Special Sauce is far more of a tour documentary than a concert feature, but it's really about the relationship between the three bandmembers that have been together for more than 13 years (this 2006 tour was the first with keyboard player Mark Boyce). It's actually pretty revelatory because it quickly becomes apparent that despite the fact that they've been a band for well over a decade, they aren't really friends. In fact, they don't even really appear to like each other much at all. But somehow when they're playing or performing, the music takes over and they're able to function together as a music making machine that basically stops working when the music stops. It's this tension that forms the heart of the film and it's pretty fascinating. Of course, most will be drawn to this set hoping for some live G. Love & Special Sauce footage and there are a number of full or nearly full performances throughout the film. They were filmed at the end of the tour in their hometown of Philly, and you can really feel the energy. Even better, as a bonus, all these songs and then some are included in full performance from the same shows (with a nice, professional multi-camera shoot). There's even an additional audio CD (with three tracks exclusive to the CD) documenting the same shows. Lots of fans think that live G. Love is the best G. Love. This one's for them. ~ Sean Westergaard, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
After losing steam toward the end of his major-label run, G. Love seems to have gotten his groove back at his new home on Jack Johnson's Brushfire label. Lemonade picks up where The Hustle left off, offering up G. Love's eclectic mix of bluesy grooves, rap, and even some psychedelic touches. He's been doing it for years with his Special Sauce pals, but like The Hustle, a good number of added players really help broaden the sound of the album. This time out, Hammond organs, piano, and Wurlitzer all add depth to the sound, while the guest shots add some variety without sounding like a marketing ploy. "Ride" starts things out with a great groove. "Ain't That Right" is more rap-oriented, but the psychedelic production flourishes take it to another place. "Hot Cookin" is on the mellow side, with great Hammond organ and a big fat acoustic bass tone. David Hidalgo adds some nice viola to "Missing My Baby"'s easy groove, while "Holla!" adds some funky Clavinet and cops the chorus from "Jack & Diane." Blackalicious and Jasper's shots put G. Love's rapping skills into perspective, and the duets with Tristan Prettyman and Jack Johnson are both album highlights. The album winds down nicely with the mellow "Breakin' Up" and G. Love going solo acoustic on "Still Hangin' Around." After more than a decade in the biz, G. Love seems comfortable at his new indie home and Lemonade finds him playing to his strengths. Still hangin' around, indeed. ~ Sean Westergaard, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Like G. Love & Special Sauce's previous albums, The Electric Mile isn't easy to categorize. Is it alternative rock, psychedelic rock, retro-soul, funk, or hip-hop? Actually, this diverse, unpredictable CD is a combination of those things -- and the group also shows its appreciation of reggae, blues, and folk. True to form, vocalist G. Love and his colleagues keep things unpredictable; you never know from one song to the next if they will tend to favor retro-soul ("Night of the Living Dead"), hip-hop ("Parasite," "Electric Mile"), folk-rock ("Sara's Song"), psychedelic blues-rock ("Poison"), or reggae ("Unified"). And the impressive thing is that G. Love can go in so many different directions and never fail to sound distinctive, which is something he has in common with Prince and David Bowie. But while The Electric Mile (which is G. Love's fifth album) has more plusses than minuses, it isn't perfect. A few of the tunes sound unfocused, and not everything that G. Love & Special Sauce try is successful -- occasionally, a song will miss its mark. But more often than not, the trio's risk-taking pays off on this generally rewarding, if imperfect, CD. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The title of G. Love & Special Sauce's fourth album illustrates their desire to play up their Philadelphia roots, emphasizing classic Philly soul along with their blues-rap melange. Philadelphonic isn't entirely unsuccessful on that front, either. The group's laid-back, groove-oriented sound benefits from the sophisticated, sultry sound of Philly soul, as the single "Rodeo Clowns" illustrates. The problem is, G. Love & Special Sauce still winds up sacrificing songs for groove and feel. That wouldn't be so bad if Philadelphonic was simply a series of jams, but they continue to write material that feels like songs but never gels. They turn out to be vehicles for jams and half-hearted, muttered raps, neither of which provide hooks or memorable turns of phrase. That doesn't mean Philadelphonic doesn't sound good, since the group does have a way with a groove -- it just never really rises above the level of a groove-jam album. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
On G. Love's third release, he's joined by his trusty band, Special Sauce, as well as combinations of three others: the All Fellas Band, Philly Cartel, and King's Court. The reason for the joint effort was that prior to the writing/recording of Yeah, It's That Easy, the group split up. G. Love soldiered on with the three other bands, but there was a reconciliation with Special Sauce during the album's recording. Hence, others (including the legendary Dr. John on piano and organ) join in with Special Sauce. The group sheds its raw rock & roll vibe, gloriously present on 1995's Coast to Coast Motel, and replaces it with the soothing sounds of early-'70s Philly soul. The album's approach resembles their 1994 self-titled debut more than their last release, which seems like a step back for the group. Still, the band presents plenty of compositions worthy of the G. Love & Special Sauce name, and there is more consistency and maturity with the lyrics, which deal with such heavy topics as drug abuse and senseless violence, among other things. One of the best songs, "You Shall See," sports a tribal feel, with the drums and guitar playing together percussively. And "Stepping Stones," "Lay Down the Law," and "Take You There" do a good job of introducing the listener to the band's new soul-oriented approach. The words to "I-76" are about G. Love's hometown of Philadelphia, and the title track preaches harmony between the races. A solid album, but not quite as satisfying as their last. Now, if the band could just mix the groove-laden music of their second album with the thoughtful lyrics of this record. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Although not as commercially successful as G. Love & Special Sauce's self-titled debut, Coast to Coast Motel is a definite improvement. The band keeps its hip-hop influence (much more prevalent on the debut) in check here, concentrating more on creating a mighty instrumental groove. It's also more of a traditional rock & roll approach for the band, with the results quite often being successful. The opening "Sweet Sugar Mama" is bass-driven and funky; other highlights include the smooth "Nancy," the uplifting "Chains #3," and the startling Led Zeppelin attack (musically, anyway) of "Small Fish." "Kiss and Tell" is an obvious attempt at a hit single, while some may consider the lyrics to "Soda Pop" a bit too foolish. As mentioned earlier, however, the group achieves some great, groovy interplay that can easily suck the listener in. Jimmy Prescott's upright bass playing and Jeff Clemens' drumming are tight and locked together, as G. Love adds his scratchy blues guitar on top. These guys have found the groove. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide
'G. Love & Special Sauce'
Release Date 5/10/1994
Tracks 14
Label Epic
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Although G. Love & Special Sauce's self-titled album is their most popular (approaching gold status), it's not their best. Although there are quite a few musical surprises, the overall sound and quality of the compositions are neither as focused nor as rewarding as future releases would be. "Cold Beverage" became the band's signature tune and a fan favorite, featuring lighthearted jive lyrics and funky musical accompaniment, and its popular MTV video put them on the map. "This Ain't Living" is a precursor to the comforting Philly soul style that would be explored more thoroughly on 1997's Yeah, It's That Easy. "Town to Town" adds variety to the album with its slow-as-molasses blues style. Most of the other tracks tend to blend into each other after a while because of their similar sound and feel ("Rhyme for the Summertime," "Shooting Hoops," etc.). Even with its mishaps, G. Love & Special Sauce's debut serves as the musical foundation on which the group would build its future sound. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide
