Review: Joyous Craft is the by third album by Portlandian funk outfit Pleasure, active from 1974 to 1982. They were discovered by Wayne Henderson of The Crusaders, who produced their first three albums, including this one. The consensus among Pleasure fans is that this is their masterpiece. Not only is it a prominent torch-bearer on the front of transitioning funk into hip-hop - the title track is anthemic, having been enduringly sampled by many pioneering hip-hop artists including De La Soul, Janet Jackson and Madlib - the bulk of the music here is essentially the sonic expression of the band's name, delivering endless promises of happy living, gilded proclamations of love and movement via regal brass sections and bulbous drumming, and even future-facing synthfunk fusions (e.g. 'Can't Turn You Loose').
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