A fairly big seller overall, and a huge hit on the R&B market in 1980, Cameosis is a moderate leap from the first group of Cameo albums. Not only is the group slowly embracing New Wave and related 80's sounds, but it seemed to really glue together the group into a unique commercial and critical force. "Shake Your Pants" was the lead single and a great example of the updated Cameo - featuring a band reveling in riffing off each other over a ridiculously catchy groove that refuses to quit. Furthermore, Larry Blackmon starts to move to the forefront as vocalist, showcasing the personality which would eventually bring him mainstream stardom. Elsewhere, the group is still in the remake game ("Why I Lost You" is the winner this time), and it's essentially a record for the dance floors, but hard to imagine any other group doing it with this much class and pride than these guys.

Definitely back to the up-tempo funk and disco beats which marked the debut record. In fact, they re-make "Find My Way", adding in a real string orchestra feel, and doubling the run time. "I Just Want To Be" was the dance floor hit, while "Sparkle" ambled into ballad territory.

The one thing about Cameo's sound at this time was that it was anything but ugly. They diversify into more mid-tempo and ballad formats while still developing the big band funk sound they would soon be known for. Another solid if unspectacular effort.

Essentially, Cardiac Arrest part 2, and you will probably find this album packaged together with the previous one. The ballad "Why Have I Lost You" would be re-recorded for the 1980 album Cameosis. The lengthy dance-floor jam "It's Serious" was serious filler.

Cameo's initial offering is a refreshing, adventurous take on the P-Funk formula of butt-shaking, horn-heavy grooves, and socio-political humor. The single "Rigor Mortis" seems like a dead ringer for the P-Funk camp, but in reality it's a more mischievous ride through New York's discos and street scenes. The only thing working against them is the group feels little more than a raucous party machine with a goofy sense of humor, and it would remain to be seen how that would play out.