| Synkronized | ||||
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| Studio album by Jamiroquai | ||||
| Released | 8 June 1999 (U.S.) 14 June 1999 (UK) |
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| Recorded | 1998–1999 | |||
| Genre | Acid jazz, disco, funk | |||
| Length | 53:06 | |||
| Label | Sony Soho Square (UK) Work (U.S.) |
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| Producer | Al Stone / Jason Kay | |||
| Jamiroquai chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Synkronized | ||||
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Synkronized is the fourth studio album released by Acid Jazz band Jamiroquai. Released in 1999, the album contains funk, disco, and acid jazz elements. It is also known for being the last Jamiroquai album featuring the band's more traditional line-up and sound.
Contents |
"Where Do We Go From Here?" was described as the point of change within the group's sound, using rocks with a leap-frogging blues piano and tangy bongoes. The final song on the album "King For A Day", is a regal rock-operatic excursion embellished with fully orchestrated piano and strings, with lyrics relating to Stuart Zender, the band's bass player for their first three albums, who left the band during the making of Synkronized. It is noticeable that there is no bass guitar or bass synth sound within the song. Recording sessions for the album began with Zender installed on bass, but he left partway through the recording in mid-1998, and rather than credit Zender for the tracks he had played on, Jay Kay decided to scrap all the tracks and start again. Clips of two of these tracks were shown on MTV and have been bootlegged, although not in their full form. The clips display a much more Latin and fusion sound than the songs that made it on the final album tracklisting. An outtake from Synkronized, "Snooze You Lose", was later released on the mini-album "An Online Odyssey". The bass on the album is played on a synth bass by new recruit Nick Fyffe, in a style that is basically an imitation of the departed Zender. Didgeridoo player Wallis Buchanan made his last appearance on the song "Supersonic".
| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic | [1] |
| Entertainment Weekly | (B-) [2] |
| Rolling Stone | [3] |
Rolling Stone gave the album 3 out of five stars, claiming "Synkronized is fifty minutes of sleek, sexy fun, a party album delivered with something like conviction. It's not exactly irresistible, but, really, what's the point of resisting it?"[3] Spin gave the album the same rating, claiming "...redirects the band's British tendency toward smoothed-out old black jams....soaring strings, gyrating congas, hell-bent wah-wah's, and an undeniably live rhythm section that'll hustle your muscles and make you freak to the beat..." Entertainment Weekly claimed "Imagine if [Stevie] Wonder had made a disco album in 1977!....Synkronized is a hat trick done with the sharpest chapeau in the store."[2] College Music Journal claimed "This incessantly upbeat expedition travels into the regions of Travolta-era disco...feverish funk...and instrumental iridescence...keeping your ears tuned to their funktastic audio adventures." Mojo claimed "Synkronized proves Jamiroquai...are capable of knocking up fluid and thrilling grooves at the drop of an enormous hat....Jay's voice is wonderful throughout, delivering his admittedly toe-curling lyrics with...conviction." Q magazine claimed the album was one of the "50 Best Albums of 1999".[4]
| Chart (1999) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA Albums Chart | 1 |
| UK Albums Chart | 1 |
| Preceded by Californication by Red Hot Chili Peppers |
Australian ARIA Albums Chart number-one album 21 June 1999 |
Succeeded by Songs from Dawson's Creek by various artists |
| Preceded by By Request by Boyzone |
UK Albums Chart number-one album 26 June 1999 |
Succeeded by Surrender by The Chemical Brothers |
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