Morris Day - It's About Time (2004)

Morris Day is back 12 years after his last new record, but It's About Time isn't entirely new. It's mostly live, and considering the man's still got it on-stage, it should be good, right? Day's goofy-sexy swagger is still believable, when playing old Time tunes the band re-creates the perfect Prince production fairly well, and at least one of the new tunes is worth keeping, maybe two. The problem is Hollywood Records or somebody decided it was a good idea to edit out Day's curse words on the live cuts. So now you're treated to "Come on people! I wanna see you shake your...," and then nothing. It sounds silly, it makes you wonder if anyone in charge understands the target audience, and it totally breaks up the flow of the album. The excitement of the live tracks is nearly ruined by quick fade-outs to avoid audience noise or the next song coming in. The only bad thing you can say about the actual performances is that the band stumbles a bit on the intricate rhythm of "777-9311" (here just "777"). Otherwise, this is a hot show with Day adding a more James Brown feel to the Time's slick funk. How cool it would have been to hear the show unedited. The new tracks are moderate -- save an excellent partnering with the quirky-cool rapper E-40 for "In My Ride" -- but the chopping and hacking of the live show makes this collection "for hardcore fans only."