Mark Ronson has experienced chart success before, but he’s never quite experienced the current level of popularity that the Bruno Mars starring ‘Uptown Funk’ is garnering.
More than just breaking through in the US the #1 single has become one of the songs of our summer. All it took was a big name like Mars and an irresistible funk-infused banger to get him there. Although even those who have a cursory interest in Ronson would know his work as a producer is an esteemed and eclectic mix of pop influences.
From the hip-hop and rap influences on his debut, Here Comes The Fuzz, to his now classic work with Amy Winehouse and the synth dance floor anthems of The Business Intl.’s Record Collection the only guarantee with the producer’s sound comes via its pop accessibilities.
Five years after the release of Record Collection Ronson has once again made another sharp turn, this time towards the funkier side of pop. We uncovered six noteworthy aspects of the release and give our verdict below.
Ronson Takes ‘Nostalgia’ To The Next Level
Leave it to Stevie Wonder to bring in Ronson’s fourth album with a transcendental harmonica piece that fails to leave even in a hint of irony. In this current digital age of ours creating modern interpretations of music from era’s past is commonplace, but few albums have the pull of a time portal like Uptown Special. Yes the producer has more than dabbled in the notion of ‘nostalgia’ in the past, from the Boney M. sample on ‘Ooh Wee’ to his work with Amy Winehouse and 2007’s Version, but nothing feels so dated as his latest effort. The 70s funk and R&B of this release in no way sounds ‘fresh’ and nor was it intended to, but the inherent nostalgia here is either the record’s greatest assets or it’s worst enemy depending on the set of ears in question.
Kevin Parker Is The Leading Man Of The Hour
Speaking of which, the lo-fi vocals of the Tame Impala frontman unsurprisingly works just as well here as it does for the band’s dizzying brand of psychedelia. It has worked so well in fact that Parker is the most consistent collaborator of the LP, alongside Ronson’s long-time friend in Andrew Wyatt. There are hints of Tame Impala-like tendencies in the bass and guitar lines of ‘Leaving Los Feliz’ and ‘Summer Breaking’, but ‘Daffodils’ shoots Parker into a pop ascendency that was previously unheard of for the frontman. It may not be quite as energetic as ‘Uptown Funk’, but it’s emblematic of the greatness of the album’s subtler funk moments.
Don’t Expect The Album To Be Full Of ‘Uptown Funk’-Sized Bangers
Which is to say that there is no track on ‘Uptown Special’ quite like the lead single. The album is full of brilliant funk-pop and R&B tracks, but nothing has the power or immediacy of a ‘pop banger’ as the Bruno Mars-lead track does. This would be less surprising if the up-tempo numbers of Record Collector weren’t so prevalent amongst their peers. But ‘Uptown Funk’ is an anomaly of sorts in that no track on the album matches its power. As repeat listens are warranted though it stands out as less remarkable as the likes of ‘Daffodils’, ‘In Case Of Fire’ and ‘Feel Right’ reveal themselves.
Keyone Starr Is More Than Worthy Of The Spotlight
But if there was any track or anyone to give Bruno Mars and ‘Uptown Funk’ a run for their money it would be the powerhouse of Keyone Starr on ‘I Can’t Lose’. Uncovered in Jackson after Jeff Bhasker and Ronson undertook a road trip to discover the right voice this newcomer has a set of pipes that could match any of the best funk moments of the 70s. More importantly though it adds another much-needed dimension to the record, which is dominated by male voices.
Stevie Wonder Doesn’t Even Steal The Show
Of all the guests to be deemed a natural inclusion Stevie Wonder – just off the back of his name alone – takes the cake. The musician bookends the album with his harmonica work on opener ‘Uptown’s First Finale’ and the final part of ‘Crack In The Pearl’ and yet both tracks stand as the albums weakest, albeit marginally. You could put that down to the songs simply acting as the short intro and outro, however they stand out the least out all of the producer’s compositions regardless of their length. While on face value a stronger influence from Wonder might have been hoped for, yet much like Ronson’s previous records no singular guest ever steals the show.
Ever The Genius Ronson Doesn’t Need To Rely On His Guests
There’s no doubt that Ronson’s work has succeeded throughout his career with a long guest list of incredible vocalists. But rather than the singers dominating the songs the producer’s talent enables him to work with just about anybody. And if you look at his rap sheet you’ll see that’s just what he’s done. Uptown Special is no different. The vocalists chosen are impeccable, however some of the standout moments of the record reveal themselves when the soundscapes are heard on their own. You can hear it in the electronic breakdown towards the end of ‘Daffodils’, the horn euphoria on ‘I Can’t Lose’ or the undeniable guitars of ‘Heavy And Rolling’.
Final Verdict
While the pop direction that Ronson takes is predictable his records always contain a sense of consistency. Each track flows into the next to ensure that as whole it’s greater than the sum of its parts. That hasn’t always remained true for the producer in the past though.
Just as the Winehouse featuring ‘Valerie’ and Merriweather’s turn on ‘Stop Me’ overruled much of Version the quality of ‘Somebody To Love’ and ‘You Gave Me Nothing’ stood further above their counterparts. That’s not to say that either those albums are particularly poor in their inconsistency, however it’s to say that Uptown Special is Ronson’s most well rounded effort so far.
In this sense the producer’s highly anticipated fourth record is one of the first great albums to be released this early in the game in 2015.
