Few bands embody the joyous intersection of funk, soul, and pop quite like Kool & The Gang. With a career spanning six decades and 23 studio albums, their influence runs deep; from disco dancefloors and wedding receptions to hip-hop sampling and beyond.
So while there’s no shortage of Kool & The Gang compilations out there, this new Greatest Hits arrives with genuine reason to celebrate: the band’s long-overdue induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and founding member Robert “Kool” Bell’s 75th birthday.
A “kool dozen” tracks may seem a modest way to summarise such a vast and varied legacy – how the hell do you choose twelve songs from a band like Kool & The Gang? – but this new set delivers the essentials in sharp, celebratory fashion. Opening with the brass-driven swagger of “Hollywood Swinging” and the primal funk of “Jungle Boogie,” Side A captures the group’s early-’70s fire – an era when they were pure groove merchants, marrying jazz precision with party-ready rhythm. By the time “Ladies Night” and “Open Sesame (Pt. 1)” roll around, the sound has evolved – sleeker, more polished, yet retaining that unmistakable sense of uplift. The inclusion of “Summer Madness” is interesting; while many other tracks could have made the cut, its presence nods to the band’s origins as an instrumental outfit and captures the soulful undercurrent that has always run beneath their funk-fuelled grooves.
Flipping the vinyl over to side B for a further six tracks. It charts the band’s move into the pop mainstream, with the unrelenting feel-good anthem “Celebration” sitting comfortably alongside the slick R&B of “Joanna” and the romantic smoothness of “Cherish”. “Get Down On It” remains irresistible, still commanding dancefloors after more than four decades. There’s also room for “Fresh” and “Too Hot”, both quintessential snapshots of the band’s early-’80s golden period – proof that Kool & The Gang could adapt to the times without losing their essence.
If we’re being picky, “Misled” might’ve been better swapped for the band’s debut single and namesake, “Kool & The Gang,” which would’ve neatly framed Side A as their ’70s era and Side B as their ’80s prime. Still, with a legacy spanning 23 studio albums and a live show that remains electric today, narrowing it down to just twelve tracks was never going to be easy.
Yet this Greatest Hits does exactly what it sets out to: it celebrates a band whose music defined eras, transcended genres, and continues to bring people together in celebration. In a year that honours their Hall of Fame recognition, this compact but essential collection is a reminder that few have ever done it “Kooler”.
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