| Thermonuclear Sweat | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Defunkt | ||||
| Released | 1982 | |||
| Studio | Olympic Studios, London; Vanguard and Electric Lady, NYC | |||
| Genre | Jazz, funk, punk | |||
| Label | Hannibal | |||
| Producer | Joe Boyd | |||
| Defunkt chronology | ||||
| ||||
Thermonuclear Sweat is an album by the American musical group Defunkt. It was released in 1982 via Hannibal Records. The group broke up after the release of the album, reforming in 1986.
Production
The album was produced by Joe Boyd. Aside from the leader and trombonist Joseph Bowie, the guitar player Kelvyn Bell was the only other member who had played on the debut. Vernon Reid played guitar on six of the album's tracks. "Big Bird (Au Private)" is a tribute to Charlie Parker.
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   |
| Robert Christgau | B+ |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | |
| MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide | |
The Washington Post wrote: "As a dance band, Defunkt is best at break-neck rhythms—'Illusion', the tongue-in- cheek, feet-firmly-in-the-groove 'Avoid the Funk', and the boppish escapade and tribute to Charlie Parker, 'Big Bird (Au Private)' on which the band's jazz roots are well displayed." Trouser Press called the album "sweeter-sounding and jazzier" than the group's debut.
Robert Christgau lamented that the group's cover of "For the Love of Money" "sounds like slumming, especially from a guy who couldn't outsing Kenny Gamble in the shower." The New York Times thought that "when this band plays funk, it plays hard, dance-floor funk, with a cavalier disregard for the pop sweetening most funk bands add to their records in order to get radio play and hits."
Reviewing the reissue that paired Thermonuclear Sweat with the debut, The Independent called the albums "groundbreaking" and among the 1980s' "alternative essentials."
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Illusion" | 5:33 |
| 2. | "I Tried to Live Alone" | 5:08 |
| 3. | "Cocktail Hour (Blue Bossa)" | 3:26 |
| 4. | "Ooh Baby" | 6:05 |
| 5. | "Avoid the Funk" | 4:26 |
| 6. | "Big Bird (Au Private)" | 2:07 |
| 7. | "For the Love of Money" | 5:54 |
| 8. | "Believing in Love" | 7:14 |
References
- ^ "The Defunkt Power Trip". The Washington Post. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
- "Defunkt Biography & History". AllMusic.
- Vincent, Rickey (November 4, 2014). Funk: The Music, The People, and The Rhythm of The One. St. Martin's Publishing Group. ISBN 9781466884526.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 2. MUZE. pp. 828–829.
- Thompson, Dave (August 7, 2001). Funk. Hal Leonard Corporation. ISBN 9780879306298.
- ^ "Cult Classics". Books. The Independent. 30 Nov 2007. p. 12.
- The Encyclopedia of Record Producers. Billboard Books. 1999. p. 84.
- ^ Palmer, Robert (22 Sep 1982). "The Pop Life". The New York Times. p. C21.
- ^ MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1998. p. 159.
- Denselow, Robin (11 Jun 1982). "Dancing man". Arts. The Guardian. p. 10.
- "Thermonuclear Sweat". AllMusic.
- ^ "Defunkt". Robert Christgau.
- "Defunkt". Trouser Press. Retrieved 7 August 2021.