An excellent retrospective that captures Jamiroquai's many moods

I remember the exact moment my love affair began. I was making a PVC didgeridoo for a university course on non-Western music when my roommate said, "hey, you have to hear this!" and played "Didgin' Out" from "Emergency on Planet Earth." This naturally appealed to me, seeing as I've collected didgeridoo music for over a decade. I was curious to see how an ancient Australian Aboriginal instrument would mesh with modern pop, and Jamiroquai didn't disappoint.

I soon snapped up their subsequent albums, although the didgeridoo I loved took a back seat on later releases. Jamiroquai is fronted by Brit Jason Kay, and the name is a combination of "jam" and the Iroquois tribe, whom Jay respected for their reverence of the earth. Many have compared his vocals to Stevie Wonder, and Jamiroquai's music is steeped in 1970's musical conventions (funk, soul, acid rock, a little disco), sounding like a retro party.

"High Times" collects singles from all of Jamiroquai's albums. Emergency on Planet Earth (1993: When You Gonna Learn, Too Young To Die, Blow Your Mind, Emergency on Planet Earth), The Return of the Space Cowboy (1995: Space Cowboy), Travelling Without Moving (1996: Virtual Insanity, Cosmic Girl, Alright, High Times, Synkronized (1999: Canned Heat), A Funk Odyssey (2001: Little L, Corner of the Earth, Love Foolosophy), and Dynamite (2005: Feels Just Like It Should, Seven Days in Sunny June, Don't Give Hate A Chance).

It's a fascinating, groovy journey back to Jamiroquai's beginnings and evolving sound (the didgeridoo disappeared largely after 1996's Travelling Without Moving, and on 2005's Dynamite, the album takes on a much more modern techno/electronic vibe in place of funk and soul), blending socially conscious themes with funk and soul. All of the major Jamiroquai hits are represented along with sometimes overlooked gems, and two new songs, Runaway and Radio, are featured as bonus tracks. Both longtime fans and those new to Jamiroquai will appreciate this compilation.