Kings of the groove

By MIKE ROSS --

Forget a "little" knowledge. When you're talking about music, it's too much knowledge that can be the dangerous thing.

The Philosopher Kings, a band of college-educated, big city musicians who have sometimes been accused of being too intelligent for their own good, were at least smart enough to realize that brains can be a detriment to making music that originates a little bit lower in the body.

It's called "soul." And if you asked James Brown to analyse the deep philosophical implications found in I Feel Good, you'd get a blank look or a punch in the nose - or both. There is no better explanation than this: it just feels good.

So does the Philosopher Kings' latest album, Famous, Rich and Beautiful, in stores today. According to singer Gerald Eaton, the band's second release is the result of "turning off the brain and trying to turn on the heart."

It seems to have worked. While retaining the amazing musicianship the band is known for, the songs are direct, visceral and rich in groove. It took a lot or work to make it sound this easy, Eaton admits. "We wanted to be more aggressive, we wanted to be more in your face, we wanted to be less understated. It was really hard to get to that state, but once we did, the songs came very easily."

Bassist Jason Levine adds, "A good example was when we recorded Hurts To Love You, which was written in about a day. It was the last thing we did on the album. (Pianist Jon Levine) just started playing this piano riff and Gerald just started singing the melody. The next thing you know, we were playing this groove. And my first thought was, `Wait, this groove is a little too fluffy. It's making me feel good. We'd better stop and do something intellectual.' And in the first take, it was down and we love it. It's my favorite song on the album. It feels great. It's a no-brainer."

Perhaps it's because the Philosopher Kings have been touring the U.S. during the last year, but the group has also gained aggression and a confidence that never used to fully come across on stage. The Philosopher Kings might've rationalized their way out of releasing a song called I Am the Man three years ago, but not today. It's the first single from the new album - loud, proud and in your face.

" `Who the hell do they think they are?' That's the reaction I'm expecting from a lot of people," Eaton says. "Where do they get off thinking they're the man? And I'll tell you, I am the f---ing man. And I'll tell anyone that, right to their goddamned face. And that's the attitude that we want to have."

For his part, Levine says the burden he had to overcome was vast musical knowledge. Over the course of five years, he attended no less than three prestigious music colleges in Canada and found them all to be "a horrible experience ... horrible ... horrible ... I'm so against jazz school. All the kids out there: don't go to school!

"Personally, I think I'd rather be in the position of where I was at when I was 16, being able to get that pure emotion without being bogged down with intellectual bull---t. I did learn a lot, but I really think that I could've learned that through a private teacher. If I knew what I know now, I'd go to a private teacher that I respect and admire. Not jazz school. I can't help it. I just hated the whole experience."

You can't teach soul, he adds, "but you can teach it out of you."