Reviewed For TheFunkStore.com..By/Funk Journalist&Atlanta Radio Personality~"Bustin'"Bob Mitchell
1.FUNKY DRUMZ & THANGZ~ListenNow
Frankie “Kash” Waddy is the legendary drummer who propped up the skins during the hey day of James Brown’s original JBs and the original Bootsy’s Rubber Band. His percussive adeptness can be heard powering blistering studio funk jams like the much-sampled JBs classic, “The Grunt”. Kash debuted with George Clinton’s then highly psychedelized Parliafunkadelicment Thang on the Funkadelic album of 1972, ‘America Eats its Young’. Along with fellow former-JBs Bootsy Collins and his chicken-scratch guitar playing brother Catfish, the trio was largely responsible for molding and skewing the Funkadelic acid oriented sound into a more potent, straight ahead cauldron of simmering JB funk.
Kash’s almost cosmic-like expansion of the jam “Pussy” left many an earhole in a climatic state of symphonious glee. Later in that same funked out decade, Frankie hit the studio and touring circuit with Bootsy’s Rubber Band for a solid 3-4 years full of frenzied, foot-stomping road extravaganzas (one should seek out the live recording of the Rubber Band at the pinnacle of their prowess during 1978’s “Player of the Year” show for a truer realization of Kash’s percussive dexterity). His cymbol crashes over “Bootzilla” and Casper’s splendid “Roto-Rooter” still leaves a few bumps in my rump.
Needless to say, with this kind of repertoire, it would indeed be an understatement to declare that his solo release, “Up Front” was ‘much anticipated’. Perhaps I’m being a scad bit hasty, but with titles like “Stank”, “Funky Drums and Thangs”, “Synister”, “Electrofunknastix”, “Stompin’”, “Struttin’”, and “Wake Up” I soon surmised Frankie was up to his usual funk antics. The project has a decidedly 80s feel on it, which is surely an advantage being that particular sound is coming back in vogue and once again taking center stage.
He opens the set on ‘Drums and Thangs’ by augmenting a straight ahead drum track with all sorts of key and synth F/X with some snappy grooves that remind you of, say, a Sweat Band during the early 80s. On “Stank”, “Struttin’” and “Synister” he goes back to the human beat box territory so popularized by groups like Jonzun Crew, and Soul Sonic Force. I am telling you, mugs are sho’ to be break dancing by next week, you’ll see!! Pretty solid guitar and keys again plus some uplifting drum sequencing. Guess what else? Get ready for Kash the balladeer. In actuality, a couple of the best tracks are slow jams and Frankie’s vocals are definitely trademark on “Desired” and “Wait 4 Me”, which both would have fit nicely on a Roger/Zapp lp circa ‘Computer Love’ days.
Kash explores pop-sensibilities on tracks like “Don’t Just Stand There”, with poppy melodies and spirited, elated vocal chants and smart, solid songwriting. Not unlike his former co-hort Bootsy, Kash is indeed up front, unabashedly taking the groove into club land over the house beat of “Electrofunknastix”. My fave on here is the slow number “My Life”, another ballad with that Troutman-esque Ohio Zapp flavored keys.
So check out some of this ‘FrankieFunk’, I am sure the surprise will be on you
2.STANK~ListenNow
3.WAIT 4 ME~ListenNow
4.GET WID IT~ListenNow
5.WAKE UP
6.MY LIFE~ListenNow
7.DESIRED
8.STOMPIN
9.SYNISTER
10.STRUTTIN~ListenNow
11.ELECTROFUNKNASTIX~ListenNow
12.DON'T JUST STAND THERE~ListenNow
OUT OF STOCK.. Manufactured In The USA By TheFunkStore.com Is Viewed Best On Compatible; MSIE..Small Text Setting
$12.99//$3.00 S/h 
Powered By SGRGrafix