So disco is dead, huh? Well according to Jamiroquai, disco never died—it just moved to England. For over a decade, frontman Jay Kay has been a mainstay for the early '90s acid jazz that found its chief popularity in roller-rinks and sock-hops. While known primarily for his European playboy status and his titillating headdresses, Kay also has quite the temper, and recently gave a ""funk you"" to Sony Records when they demanded an eighth album from the band—forcing Kay out of retirement due to contract obligations.
High Times: Singles 1992-2006 chronologically lists 14 years worth of singles, both worldwide and U.K.-only, and also includes two new songs as a bonus incentive to this best-of album. The most interesting aspect of this album (to those detail-oriented music nerds out there) is the actual transition and maturation of Jamiroquai's sound over the years. It begins with the Motown-classic soul style of ""When You Gonna Learn"" and ""Too Young To Die"" in the early '90s, to his house/psychedelic blend in ""Space Cowboy"" and ""Emergency On Planet Earth,"" rounding off with genuine R&B ballads of ""7 Days in Sunny June,"" and ""Corner Of The Earth.""
Naturally, Jamiroquai's most popular hits ""Virtual Insanity,"" ""Deeper Underground"" and ""Canned Heat"" highlight the album, but the two new singles supplant a conglomeration of all of the experimental sounds Jamiroquai had tried over the years. ""Radio"" presents a Red Hot Chili Peppers approach with a primary emphasis being choppy lyrics and a brawny bass prominence, unlike any other of his songs. The other single ""Runaway,"" which has had a spot on the European pop charts for weeks, combines strings with spastic drum machines to create an incredibly catchy tune—in an Ohio Players meets Trent Reznor sort of way.
High Times is as solid of a compilation album as any, but more importantly, it illustrates that any of these songs could be just as popular even if they were released for the first time today. It's hard to say whether or not High Times will be Jamiroquai's final album, considering the fact that it debuted at No. 1 in the U.K. at the time of its release. On top of that, Kay does not come off as a guy who wants to stay out of the spotlight for very long. While Sony Records was not very kind to his demands, it is only a matter of time before that sultan of soul who wears those ridiculous cranium-wreaths returns to electrify a new generation of nu-disco enthusiasts—and as Parliament Funkadelic said, ""We gotta have that funk.""
