Although there was more than a touch of the Return Of The Prodigal Son about the release of CODY CHESNUTT’s ultra long-awaited second (or is that third?) full length record ‘Landing On A Hundred’ when it finally appeared two years ago, it nevertheless proved itself to have been be well worth the ten year wait.
This seven track follow-up is a mini-collection of remixes and B-sides that not only underscores the much deserved critical acclaim that Chesnutt was long overdue in receiving, it also serves as a practical demonstration of the respect that the Atlanta soul maestro has always enjoyed from his contemporaries.
The gravity-defying superlative cool of funk-oriented R&B opener ‘Let’s Go POP (Let’s pimp The Ghetto)’ immediately sets the highest of standards, but what follows is just about as as soulful and sincere as it gets.
‘Gunpowder On The Letter’ showcases the collaborative Grammy award-winning talents of Gary Clark Jr., whilst a jazzy remixing of the initial album’s finale ‘Scroll Call’ comes courtesy of Danny Swain.
Further remixes from the original Landing On A Hundred track listing include a smooth Questlove reworking of ‘What Kind Of Cool’ that deepens the love from top Philly hip hoppers THE ROOTS, whose blistering 2007 cover of Chesnutt’s raw funk ballad ‘The Seed’ charted at #31 to catapult the man himself firmly into public consciousness thanks to his own ‘guest’ vocals and a much-played promo video.
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Despite the ‘nu-soul’ tagging that Chesnutt’s music has attracted in leiu of its fresher hip-hop/R&B flavours, here, as always, it still seems to leave a lasting impression that puts one in mind of classic 7T’s soul and funk sounds, something that he pulls off with consummate ease. Cue solo acoustic ode to ‘The Average Working Man’, the heartfelt ditty in original protest mode that arguably steals this show at the halfway point.
If you aren’t yet convinced of either Chesnutt’s impeccable credentials, or his rightful place amongst the all time giants of soul, then this all-too-brief reminder of his unfathomable capabilities will surely win you over
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