Zapp II is the second studio album by American funk band Zapp, released on 1982 via Warner Bros. Records. The album peaked at #25 on the US Billboard 200 chart and at #2 on the US Billboard R&B chart. Three singles were released from the album, "Doo Wa Ditty (Blow That Thing)" / "A Touch of Jazz (Playin' Kinda Ruff Part II)", "Dance Floor" and "Playin' Kinda Ruff" / "Do You Really Want an Answer?". "Dance Floor" was the biggest R&B hit from the album, peaking at #1. The album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on September 21, 1982.
| Zapp II | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 8, 1982[citation needed] | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 40:52 | |||
| Label | Warner Bros. | |||
| Producer | Roger Troutman, Zapp Troutman | |||
| Zapp chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Zapp II | ||||
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Release
editZapp II peaked at #25 on the US Billboard 200 chart and at #2 on the US Billboard R&B chart.[1] Three singles were released from the album, "Doo Wa Ditty (Blow That Thing)" / "A Touch of Jazz (Playin' Kinda Ruff Part II)", "Dance Floor" and "Playin' Kinda Ruff" / "Do You Really Want an Answer?". "Dance Floor" was the biggest R&B hit from the album, peaking at #1.[1] The album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on September 21, 1982.[2]
Reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [5] |
| Christgau's Record Guide | B+[4] |
| The Philadelphia Inquirer | [3] |
| Rolling Stone | [6] |
From contemporary reviews, Chip Stern of Rolling Stone, borrowed the styles of George Clinton, but that Zapp have "subsumed the "rap" to the dictates of the rhythm section – a twangy cubist mélange of rhyme, dance time and choruses of synthesized voices. No one's going to mistake this singing for that of the trendy syntho-pop bands" and declared it superior to their first album.[6] Stern recommended the album "For those who find the Sixties section of their record collections more danceable than the superficial R&B; of today, Zapp is a smart, brash alternative."[6] Ken Tucker of The Philadelphia Inquirer gave the album a five out of five star rating, noting that Roger Troutman has "managed to make his languid funk style sound devilshly sexy and urgent on [Zapp II]", declaring the album to be "the party record of the month".[3] Robert Christgau gave a positive review writing in Christgau's Record Guide: The '80s (1990), "— unlike its predecessor it is a real dance LP--side one will function your ass off. And you'll want to play "Playin' Kinda Ruff" again." He did however feel the album lacked some way in content saying, "This idly functional, playfully mechanical six-cut dance LP tested my tolerance for innocent mindlessness, especially after I realized that my favorite tune appears on both sides."[4]
Track listing
editAll tracks are written by Roger and Larry Troutman[5]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Dance Floor" | 11:09 |
| 2. | "Playin' Kinda Ruff" | 6:48 |
| 3. | "Doo Wa Ditty (Blow That Thing)" | 4:58 |
| 4. | "Do You Really Want an Answer?" | 6:36 |
| 5. | "Come On" | 5:11 |
| 6. | "A Touch of Jazz (Playin' Kinda Ruff Part II)" | 6:10 |
| Total length: | 40:52 | |
"Doo Wa Ditty" appears in its edited 7" form on CD reissues and streaming services.
Charts
edit| Chart (1982)[1] | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 | 25 |
| US R&B Albums (Billboard) | 2 |
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[7] | Gold | 500,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
edit- ^ a b c "Zapp - Awards - AllMusic". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved November 18, 2014.
- ^ "RIAA - Gold & Platinum Searchable Database - October 28, 2014". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved November 18, 2014.
- ^ a b Tucker, Ken (August 1, 1982). "New Albums". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 8-H. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
- ^ a b Christgau, Robert (1990). "Consumer Guide '80s: Z". Christgau's Record Guide: The '80s. Pantheon Books. ISBN 0-679-73015-X. Retrieved August 27, 2021 – via robertchristgau.com.
- ^ a b Birchmeier, Jason. "Zapp II - Zapp - Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards - AllMusic". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved November 18, 2014.
- ^ a b c Stern, Chip (October 14, 1982). "Zapp: Zapp II : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on March 23, 2009. Retrieved November 18, 2014.
- ^ "American album certifications – Zapp – Zapp II". Recording Industry Association of America.
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