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Motivation Too

(Nervous; US: 20 Oct 2009; UK: 12 Oct 2009)

Frankie Knuckles is a legend, an architect of the original Chicago house sound. He’s hardly into innovation these days, though. The first Motivation was released to provide some uplifting music in the wake of 9/11. Nearly a decade on, Motivation Too is a smooth, continuous mix of a dozen soul and gospel-inflected house tracks. Upbeat and energetic, it is. However, aside from Twinkie Clark’s heartfelt emoting on Timmy Vegas’ “Timmy’s Choir”, it’s all a bit too clean to really sink in. This style of music hasn’t changed much in the last 15 years, but that’s not the point here. Still, Motivation Too works better at the gym than it does on the heart.

Rating:

John Bergstrom has been writing various reviews and features for PopMatters since 2004. He has been a music fanatic at least since he and a couple friends put together The Rock Group Dictionary in third grade (although he now admits that giving Pat Benatar the title of "first good female rocker" was probably a mistake). He has done freelance writing for Trouser Pressonline, Milwaukee's Shepherd Express, and the late Milk magazine and website. He currently resides in Madison, Wisconsin with his wife and two kids, both of whom are very good dancers.


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