Emergency on Planet Earth

The 90s produced a lot of faded photocopies of older sounds, especially in the UK. In guitar music Britpop was the 60s and 70s, in funk and soul we had this lot and the Brand New Heavies trying to resurrect 70s sounds. I'd rather have the Brand New Heavies cos at least you don't have to listen to Jay Kay and ponder his many non musical crimes. Being an ungentlemanly ex of Winona Ryder, repeatedly endangering the lives of people using the A9 by driving like a knob, storming the US Capitol building, etc

Well, what can I say.
Jamiroquai is my childhood, and I’m not exaggerating when I say they are the most important band in my life. And my favorite band of all time. Always have been, most likely always will be.

Now, let’s talk about Emergency on Planet Earth – what a masterpiece. Wonderful, sensational, perfect. An album absolutely dripping with musical perfection from start to finish. Jamiroquai's debut record, and already pure genius back then. Starting with "When You Gonna Learn", which opens the album with a didgeridoo, leading the way into an acid jazz miracle. Beautiful, bouncy violins introduce us to the sounds of "Too Young To Die", as Jay Kay guides us with his voice through instruments that stroke and caress our ears and brains. "Hooked Up" takes us into a world of groove and great drumming, and the same goes for "If I Like It, I Do It", which brings a bit of aggression to the acid jazz sound. This funk story then takes us to the instrumental track "Music of the Mind", which perfectly describes how it sounds with its title alone. Simply the perfection of instrumental acid jazz. Next up is the title track, "Emergency on Planet Earth". Starting with a brilliant funk guitar, the riff leads the listener into what is likely the best track on the album (though every single one of them is downright genius and deserves 5/5 stars). "Whatever It Is, I Just Can’t Stop" once again showcases the great groove of this album. "Blow Your Mind", much like "Music of the Mind", is a feast for the mind (pun intended). It takes the perfect instrumental sections of "Music of the Mind" and works even better combined with Jay Kay’s vocals, creating something of a funk ballad for the album. And then, the epic finale, "Revolution 1993" – a over-10-minute masterpiece with an incredibly fast, parade-like, marching rhythm. Thumping drums, aggression, speed, but also funk-acid jazz touches create a majestic finale for this masterpiece. Jamiroquai closes their debut album with the outro "Didgin' Out", played on the didgeridoo.

Well, what more is there to say.
Jamiroquai are geniuses. Yes, it’s the whole band, not just the singer, get that through your empty heads. And to the people talking about some fucking cultural appropriation… guys, this is cultural appreciation. A GOOD ONE. Jamiroquai have their own sound, their own groove, their own voice. They sound like nobody else, and even if you hear influences from more famous artists – so what? Every musician was inspired by someone else, that’s just logical. Saying that Jay Kay is white and can't play black music is more racist than Jay Kay and anyone in the band could ever be. By the way, several black musicians played on this album. What's your point???

Jamiroquai are musical geniuses, and Emergency on Planet Earth is a masterpiece.

Este disco me encantaba y escuchar un didgeridoo como un instrumento más me pareció alucinante. Luego cuando Jay Kay empezó a coleccionar Ferraris todo esto de "Emergency on planet Earth" como que suena a discurso hueco. Me guardo: "When You Gonna Learn?", "Too Young to Die", "If I Like It, I Do It", "Emergency on Planet Earth" y "Revolution 1993".

If you would have told the teenager who INSTANTLY changed the channel when Virtual Insanity came on that he'd be one day ON PURPOSE listening to an entire album from that band, he never would have believed you. Yet, here we are.

From its opening notes, I'm reminded of Stevie Wonder. Reminded? That's maybe a bit too kind. It's not Stevie Wonder-style flair; it's Stevie Wonder sung by a white British guy. It's not just derivative, but like personality theft? I like Stevie Wonder, but I'm not sure how I feel about this.

I think I'm bailing out here at track 6. I might come back to it this weekend. I might not

obvious 5, but i like it more as background when im studying then to listen as is

I am sorry Mr. Roquai. I was not familiar with your game.

Am i bothered that he sounds just like Stevie? Yea, of course. Does that stop me from shaking my butt for an hour? Not one bit!

Onwijs leuke plaat. Bless Joris broer dat ik mee kon naar die ene show jaren geleden.

Not always awful, but an overall feeling of nausea throughout.

Fucking hell. Had to turn it off. Couldn't stand the put-on American singing voice.

I really hate this. It's super unenjoyable. White guy trying to invoke 70s soul but just extra cringey

It's a fun sound, but it does not need to be 55 minutes long and it doesn't need a digeridoo track at the end.

Funky, exactly what you'd expect from Jamiroquai

I enjoyed the funky, jazzy tone of this album. I thought this was pretty fun to listen to. Some interesting instrumentation throughout made this all the more enjoyable.

I was never much of a Jamiroquai fan first time around, and Emergency on Planet Earth is one I’d somehow managed to avoid. After Travelling Without Moving left me bored back in the day, I’d quietly assumed the debut wouldn’t be for me either.

This album is far better than I expected. It’s loose, vibrant and full of groove, a heady mix of funk, acid jazz, soul and disco that feels both playful and purposeful. The musicianship is brilliant particularly the bass lines, which bounce and glide through the tracks with confidence. There’s an infectious energy running through the record that makes it an easy, enjoyable listen from start to finish.

It might not have converted me into a lifelong devotee, but it’s certainly earned another play in the future.

Favourite tracks: Too Young to Die and the title track Emergency on Planet Earth are properly funky, full of swagger and groove.
Least favourite tracks: Every track justifies its place.
Album artwork: Fantastic yet simple. Bold, striking, and very much of its era without feeling dated.

I don't think I've heard any of the tracks from this album before.

Jamiroquai are the sort of thing that I feel like I should enjoy more than I do. Maybe they're just a little too disco-ey for me or something? I don't know I just have a tough time getting into them. I have seen videos of them playing live before, and they seem to be more Stevie Wonder-ey in that context, and this album does have a bit more of that flavor. This is album is good, but not great.

Yes, I've also heard Stevie Wonder.

2.5/5

I love Jamiroquai, so this review might be a bit biased. But goddamn this is good! I would say that Travelling Without Moving deserves a spot on the list more than this one, but it's still absolutely amazing. Just a groovy, infectious and feel good record. Also, if you are musically inclined, you see this from a different perspective. It's incredible from a musician's pov. A lot of interesting intervals and chord progressions that have a jazzy feeling to them, beautiful vocal lines, and also the intricate bass lines and the drum grooves that work together perfectly. It's just so freaking good, and it manages to be commercial while being very complicated from a musical standpoint.

Wow what a great album!

I only knew 1 Jamiroquai song growing up and I didn't like it. I went into this with an open mind though and was really surprised at how good it was!

Super funky, and a nice vibe

A very high 4 ⭐️

I'd say this album generally agrees with me, but also didn't jump out in any significant way on this first listen.