The Saga Continues (1984)

Roger

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Track Listing:

In The Mix {Larry Troutman, Roger Troutman}  6:22
Play Your Guitar, Brother Roger {L Troutman, R Troutman}  4:27
The Break Song {L Troutman, R Troutman}  5:50
I Keep Trying {Billy Beck, L Troutman, R Troutman}  3:50
Midnight Hour (feat. The Mighty Clouds Of Joy) 
	{Wilson Pickett, Steve Cropper}  6:58
Bucket Of Blood {L Troutman, R Troutman}  4:14
TC Song {L Troutman, R Troutman}  4:31
Girl, Cut It Out (Feat. Wanda Rash) {L Troutman, R Troutman}  4:16

Personnel:

Producer: Roger Troutman
Co-producers: Billy Beck, Greg Jackson, Lester Troutman, Zapp Troutman,
 Sherman Fleetwood
Lead Vocals: Roger Troutman
Background Vocals: Roger Troutman, Jannetta Boyce, The Mighty Clouds Of Joy,
 Mallia Franklin, Bobby Glover, Billy Beck, Larry Hatcher, Greg Jackson,
 Michael Jennings, Zapp Troutman, Bart Thomas, Mark Thomas, Varges Thomas,
 Tim Abrams, Ray Davis, Wanda Rash, Shirley Murdock, Shelley Smith
Talk Box: Roger Troutman
Bass: Zapp Troutman
Conga Drums, Percussion: Larry Troutman, Robert Jones, Lester Troutman
Drums: Lester Troutman
Keyboards: Billy Beck, Greg Jackson, Zapp Troutman, Roger Troutman,
 Sherman Fleetwood
Keyboard Solo: Billy Beck
Horns: Michael Warren, Jerome Derrickson, Michael Jennings, Carl Cowen,
 Larry Hatcher
Horn Solo: Maceo Parker, Carl Cowen
Lead And Rhythm Guitar: Roger Troutman
Guitar: Ricardo Bray
Vibes: Zapp Troutman, Billy Beck

 "In The Mix"
Producers: Roger Troutman, Billy Beck, Greg Jackson, Lester Troutman,
 Zapp Troutman, Sherman Fleetwood
Talkbox: Roger Troutman
Background Vocals: Roger Troutman, Greg Jackson, Bobby Glover, Janetta Boyce,
 Sherman Fleetwood, Ray Davis, Leroy "Sugarfoot" Bonner
Guitar, Bass: Roger Troutman
Keyboards: Roger Troutman, Billy Beck
Drums: Lester Troutman
Percussion: Larry Troutman, Roger Troutman

Rating: RC: ***

Comments:

RC: The second Roger album is less consistent than the first, partially because Roger goes off in a few more different directions. Not all of them worked, or held up over the years. But a lot of the same elements are here: a warped and inventive cover of an R&B classic; playing around with electric blues; straight-up dance songs and good singing. While the rest of P.Funk was struggling to survive, Roger thrived, playing songs that were different than most mainstream R&B songs, but were still accessible enough to the public to get airplay. While Roger took a few specific formulas and basically milked them to death, the basic ideas were all sound and went a long way.

"In The Mix" sounds very processed and programmed, but it's still mighty funky, with a cool talkbox scat. "Play Your Guitar..." has great singing and grooving, melodic guitar playing. "The Break Song" is a silly, anachronistic song about the breakdancing craze. "I Keep Trying" is a sappy, unremarkable ballad. "Midnight Hour" is another inspired cover, truly oustanding and clever. The talkbox vocals again stand out, and the whole feel of the song is electric. "Bucket Of Blood" is a hilarious electric blues tribute about a tiny little club and the blues that's played there. Roger does his Elmore James impersonation here! "TC Song" has more great scatting and more ultra-clean guitar. "Girl, Cut It Out" is another tune that features good singing.

This album is out of print, but shouldn't be that hard to find. It's also available as an import from Japan. I probably wouldn't pay more than $15 for the album, and $30 for the CD.