Any Other Business (Life As A Chairman Of The Board)

Released as part of Sequel's wonderful Invictus/Hot Wax reissue campaign of 1999, the double-disc set Any Other Business: (Life As A) Chairman of the Board rounds up everything that didn't make either of the Chairmen of the Board two-fers, plus a host of solo recordings by the three members. In short, it breaks down to seven non-LP tracks by Chairmen of the Board; six selections from General Johnson's Generally Speaking, plus four non album tracks from him; eight tracks from Danny Woods' Aries; and seven tracks from Harrison Kennedy's Hypnotic Music. Needless to say, this is for devoted fans and serious listeners, since it does capture material that was marginal, even when enjoyable. Of these, the Chairmen rarities are naturally the closest to classic COTB material, but they are nevertheless a little uneven. Of the solo recordings, Johnson's is probably the weakest, which is strange since he's the group's biggest star and best singer; it's unfocused and lacks strong material, frequently delving into hazy neo-disco. Woods' is likely the best -- diverse, colorful, engaging -- and Kennedy's record strikes a similar note and is nearly as satisfying. That said, this still is music that is primarily for collectors, but anybody who takes Chairmen of the Board seriously enough to seek out these rarities and oddities will find enough here to make their search worthwhile. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine|