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Volume Two: Carry On (Atomic Theory, 1992) Based in Minneapolis, the band Ipso Facto is inextricably influenced by the funk scene there that produced Prince, The Time, and others. While this live-band funk sound is certainly a nice one, it doesn't necessarily mesh well with reggae (although Prince's "Blue Light" was a nice effort). Let me re-phrase that: it might mesh well with reggae if this was good Minneapolis funk. Instead, Ipso Facto combines lightweight reggae with watered down, pop-heavy, insufferable funk/R&B. Inexplicably, however, the band must have enough of a following to justify its having several albums ("Volume One," incidentally, is entitled More Communication.) and even a "greatest hits" collection. To give it credit, Carry On begins with a fairly likeable -- albeit pop-laden -- reggae sound on the first 3 tracks, the best being the title cut. But as soon as "Can You Help Me" comes on, you know that you're in trouble. On several songs like this one, Ipso Facto abandons their already mediocre reggae sound altogether in favor of a painful '80s pop/funk/R&B/rock style. "Cold As Ice," "Movin' Too Slow," and "Fantasy" are just inconceivably bad. Other tunes, like "Guilty" and "Need Your Love," are pop/funk/reggae hybrids that are only listenable in comparison to the other songs. If Ipso Facto were to focus on one sound -- either reggae or funk -- we would all benefit (They appear to be better at reggae than funk.), and Carry On might not have been complete fodder. |
| Track Listing 1. Coming Home 2. All Rise 3. Carry On 4. Can You Help Me 5. Cold As Ice 6. Blackbird 7. Amandla 8. Guilty 9. Movin' Too Slow 10. Got to Go 11. Need Your Love 12. Fantasy 13. Strangers |
Welcome to Jamerica (Mouthpiece, 1995)
On Welcome to Jamerica, Ipso Facto drops two of its members (Well, they demote them to just backing musician status.) -- leaving the 3 brothers Juju, Greg, and Waine McFarlane to form the band (the latter of which is apparently such a major f-ing star that the cover has to read "Ipso Facto featuring Wain McFarlane") -- and they recruit legitimate reggae producers Steely & Cleevie, Geoffrey Chung, Mikey Spence, and Mikey Bennett...and they still manage to produce a bunch of crap. Like Carry On, Welcome to Jamerica begins with a decent light reggae sound on "WBAD" (probably the best song on either album) and "Burnin'," but with "Babylon Is Restless," they start to fade, and by "My Only Girl" (produced by and featuring rapper Daddy-O of Stetsasonic fame. 'Nuff said.) and "All Fall Down," Ipso Facto delve into that old vomit-inducing pop funk/R&B/reggae sound. They even try to get cultural and conscious on this album, with "Babylon Is Restless" and their anti-police brutality tune "Get Ready." (Yes, there's NWA's "Fuck the Police," Body Count's "Cop Killer," and Ipso Facto's "Get Ready. . .") You only need to look at the band to realize how ridiculous any sort of militancy from them seems. They look like PM Dawn Plus One. I have no idea how they got such quality producers on here (one guess: $$$), but Ipso Facto's abject suckiness brings down the level of the producers' skills. Needless to say, I hate this album, and I certainly wouldn't have bought it (or Carry On, for that matter) if it hadn't cost $2...and I still want my money back.
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