Zapp Albums (5)
'Zapp VI: Back by Popular Demand'
Release Date 1/1/2002
Tracks 14
Label Zapp Town
See Album Tracklist and Review
'The New Zapp IV U'
Release Date 4/18/1989
Tracks 9
Label Warner Bros.
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Though Zapp III was far from a failure or even a disappointment, it wasn't quite on par with previous Roger Troutman efforts, being a little uneven and less of a commercial success. So when Troutman resurfaced in 1985, he shook up his formula a bit, focusing on an even collection of succinct songs rather than an album driven by epic anthems and filled out with shorter songs. To further communicate the concept that he was shaking things up, Troutman blatantly titled his album The New Zapp IV U. On the one hand, things really didn't change as much as Troutman would have you believe. The New Zapp IV U is still immersed in bouncy, carefree funk, and he still has a monster anthem with "Computer Love." The main change seems to be an emphasis on tighter song structures rather than loose, epic dancefloor jams. Yet on the other hand, these tiny changes are all Troutman really needed to do. The previous three Zapp albums were all stellar, and it would have been a shame for him to abandon a winning formula. In the end, the new approach to songwriting here proves just enough change to make this a fresh-sounding album. Had Troutman returned with yet another Zapp album propelled by one or two epic, ten-minute dancefloor jams and a few shorter funk exercises, it would have seemed incredibly trite -- after three albums, it was time for a change to keep things fresh. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Building upon the unprecedented success of Zapp's self-titled debut and group leader Roger Troutman's solo debut, The Many Facets of Roger, along with those two album's hit singles -- "More Bounce to the Ounce" and "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," respectively -- Troutman returned in 1982 with Zapp II, a strong album again propelled by a mammoth single, "Dance Floor." Outside of the infectious single, which topped the R&B singles chart, Troutman stuck to his patented formula of vocoder-laden funk on each of the album's other songs. There isn't anything new here that wasn't on Zapp or The Many Facets of Roger, just more of the same; of course, this isn't exactly a bad thing, as Troutman retreads familiar ground effectively. At this point in his career, Troutman wasn't short on ideas and was able to inventively lay down dense, carefree funk with ease -- in sum, there's literally no filler here, impressive when you consider his prolific output during this era. Not quite as fresh as the first Zapp album but still a great album for its era. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
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
