The hot and heavy
Boneshakers were (not were) with
Was (Not Was) throughout the excellent '80s, whipping out records and touring extensively with just about everybody. The band expanded over two decades into a dozen directions, all bountiful, dipping in and out of radio rotation although remaining consistently on international tour.
Boneshaker vocalist
Sweet Pea Atkinson (who out-silk-suits
Morris Day in the stage fashion department) and jaw-dropping guitarist
Randy Jacobs worked steadily with
Brian Wilson,
Bonnie Raitt,
Elton John,
Lyle Lovett,
Iggy Pop,
Ofra Haza, and
Coolio, among scores of other A-list playfolk. Their 1999 release
Shake the Planet is a hardwood floor-trembler, explosive with five times as much funk as rock, and ten times as much soul on top of it. A rare record that feels almost as good as a live show, the
Shakers' stamp of diversity is all over it: "Ball and Chain" is a lowdown funky marvel, as is "Water in the Well" and "Hand Over Fist, Heart Over Mind," thanks in particular to the earth-funky contributions of bassist
Michael Henderson. "Teach Me How to Stay" and "Compromise, Communicate" are soul-searching pleas by hip adult men looking for an enlightened attitude in the romance department, and "Pouring Gasoline on a Burning Man" is just straight-up tight and on-time work on the part of everyone. Hopefully this CD marks the recorded resurgence of a fine band who sounds even better on their own than beside the royal company they consistently keep. ~ Becky Byrkit