LP Review: Secrets
Released: 1977
LP Charts: #6 R&B, #51 pop
Look, many bands ripped off Earth, Wind & Fire, but few had the chops to do what Con Funk Shun did on Secrets. Sure, it’s a knockoff, but it’s a highly credible knockoff! With an awesome album cover, too.
From the opening “DooWhaChaWannaDoo” this album is filled with some great stuff. Even Con Funk Shun’s heretofore languid slow material is pepped up (“Who Has the Time” and “I’ll Set You Out O.K.”) although not in every case.
It wouldn’t be a Con Funk Shun album without slow and boring Pilate ballads. This album’s entry in that collection is “Tears in My Eyes”. But even here, Pilate’s boring ballad manages to muster itself to the level of fair listening. Still the weakest song on the album by a mile, though.
Okay, back to really good stuff on this really good album
“Ffun” (#1 R&B, #23 pop) was Con Funk Shun’s first hit single… and the biggest of their entire career. The gold-selling smash has hooks out the wazoo, the most compelling of which is a horn riff that rides out on an otherwise a capella outro.
“Secrets” is an outstanding ballad that really leans into the band’s groovy funk, but also has an appropriately whimsical feel. Con Funk Shun also does the ultimate flex by essentially making a song about themselves—“ConFunkShunizeYa”—that absolutely funks and funks hard. Imagine having a song about yourself that sucks? Couldn’t be Con Funk Shun.
The album concludes with the synthesizer and keyboard driven instrumental “Indian Summer Love”. A nice cooldown track… and cool track in general.
ALBUM GRADE: B+
This isn’t a groundbreaking album by any means, but it’s certainly entertaining with the right mix of tempos and styles. The majority of the album is uptempo funk, but it has enough mid-and-low tempo R&B/soul thrown in to keep your musical brain active.
Absolute must-have for any ‘70s funk fan and even those who merely dabble in the funk can get down with “Ffun”.
Song Scores
DooWhaChaWannaDoo: 7.5/10
Who Has the Time: 7/10
Tears In My Eyes: 6/10
Ffun: 9/10
Secrets: 8/10
ConFunkShunizeYa: 8/10
I'll Set You Out O.K.: 7/10
Indian Summer Love: 7.5/10