The Saga Continues... 1984 Album

Roger Troutman

Roger was Roger Troutman of Zapp and “More Bounce to the Ounce” fame, who tragically passed away at the hands of his brother in 1999, and along with his main gig he released a series of solo albums throughout the 1980’s. The Saga Continues… being the second in that series. Lest you think the man was only talk-box and gadget-obsessed, this album goes some way to refute those images of the man. On this album, there are more organic takes on the normal, synth-laden and robotic funk which Roger and Zapp imparted to their audience. Of course, the first three or four tracks gives one no indication of this, and why should it, when these are the calling card hit tunes designed for airplay and dance floors – especially “In the Mix”. Later on, Roger draws upon his roots during a cover of “The Midnight Hour”, which features gospel act Mighty Clouds of Joy, then delves even further into down-home sounds for the really authentic jam “Bucket of Blood”. Overall, this is no barn-burner, but pretty sly and varied enough considering the self-imposed limitations here.