Chaka Khan-Funk It

Chaka Khan-Funk It
SONY/BMG
Veteran diva returns with all guns blazing.
Chaka Khan's glass-shattering, high-decibel delivery has not always been everyone's cup of tea, but that hasn't stopped her racking up a few major pop hits over the last 30 years. The chart-topping glory days of I Feel For You may be just a distant memory, but on this evidence - her first release of new material since 1998 - the 54-year-old ex-Rufus singer is far from washed up. In fact, Funk This is the best thing she's done in ages. Those distinctive declamatory tones still possess the capability to send shivers down the spine, especially on the stupendous One For All Time, a catchy number that recalls her early Warners LPs. The ballad Angel shows Chaka's sensitive side while a cover of Hendrix's Castles Made Of Sand explores the latent rock chick facet of her musical psyche.
Charles Waring