Home Cookin’ – Mmm, Mmm, Mmm
A snapshot of Home Cookin’ at the height of its funk-with-a-live-horn-section greatness, Mmm, Mmm, Mmm may not make a big splash with those who weren’t there when this kind of music was all over the radio. For those of us who did grow up in the ’70s, this is the big, orchestrated sound of funky soul, and it was good to find someone still keeping that alive in the ’90s. Had A Feelin’ and Home Cookin’s signature single “X-Rated Superstar” may well be the best examples of that sound on here. “All Talk” soft-pedals the funk elements in favor of an almost Caribbean sound complete with steel drums, while “Golden Rule” has a nice simple message about not treating people badly – a neat little number that puts Home Cookin’s pedigree as purveyors of true ’70s-style feel-good soul on proud display.
In the wake of the band’s break-up, many of the rhythm section players have reformed as Mo’ Friction, and while I’m sure they’re at the top of their game, there was nothing quite like Home Cookin’ blasting away at full 
volume with a real live horn section. Sure, maybe it made the band large, top-heavy and hard to keep together as a unit, but that sound – you know, the one we rarely hear these days outside of modern acts sampling the hell out of real vintage ’70s soul – has almost got to be worth the logistical headaches. And if only for that sound, I miss Home Cookin’. Maybe we need a reunion gig or two, guys?
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- X-Rated Superstar (3:34)
- Hold Tight (3:08)
- Against The Grain (3:10)
- All Talk (2:38)
- Somebody (2:54)
- Needle’s Sting (4:15)
- Golden Rule (4:54)
- Had A Feelin’ (4:41)
- Soul Space Express (4:17)
- Words (3:27)
- Rock It Man (4:48)
- Cricket (3:40)
- Shine It On (4:17)
- Second Guess (4:56)
Released by: Fly Records
Release date: 1997
Total running time: 54:39
The second entry from Las Vegas-based funk/R&B group Home Cookin’ shows a group that is evolving rapidly. Home Cookin’ still pays tribute to the rhythm-and-bluesier side of 70s disco – think James Brown backed by a big horn section – but there’s also a growing acceptance of some slightly more modern sounds, a couple of samples and some electronic percussion (primarily heard in “City Of Sin” and the “X-Rated Superstar” remix).
making “City Of Sin”, a tribute to the dark, seamy and seductive underbelly of Las Vegas. It’s a perfect example of the right song coupled with the right production style (it sounds unlike anything Home Cookin’ has done before), but the rest of the CD isn’t a slouch either.