Originally Posted by
XHooker
Nice call with TOP (I grew up a couple of blocks from Oakland in the 70s). Unfortunately, their heyday was in the 70s (when "What is Hip" was released), proving James point about the 90s. I still say the 80s (IMO, the nadir of music over the last half century) were way worse than the 90s... but I liked the grunge evolution (AIC, Soundgarden, etc.).
I'm a Bay Area native myself, and have heard every phase of their 45 year longevity. Urban horn-driven soul, then Warner Bros made them try some disco-like crap, but they have been back into their roots with all their old plus a bunch of new stuff. ToP's sound was something that was (and still is...200 shows a year, all over the world...still!) pretty different, and I think unappreciated.
I saw them at Yoshi's Oakland last month. They put on a million-watt show, tighter than a clenched fist.
TW