''Zapp II'' is the second studio album by American funk band Zapp, released on 1982 via

Warner Bros. Records Warner Records Inc. (formerly Warner Bros. Records Inc.) is an American record label. A subsidiary of the Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division of the ...

. The album peaked at #25 on the US ''Billboard'' 200 chart and at #2 on the US ''Billboard'' R&B chart. Three

singles Singles are people not in a committed relationship. Singles may also refer to: Film and television * ''Singles'' (miniseries), a 1984 Australian television series * ''Singles'' (1992 film), written and directed by Cameron Crowe * ''Singles'' ...

were released from the album, " Doo Wa Ditty (Blow That Thing)" / "A Touch of Jazz (Playin' Kinda Ruff Part II)", " Dance Floor" and "Playin' Kinda Ruff" / "Do You Really Want an Answer?". "Dance Floor" was the biggest R&B hit from the album, peaking at #1. The album was

certified gold Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...

by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on September 21, 1982.

Release

''Zapp II'' peaked at #25 on the US ''Billboard'' 200 chart and at #2 on the US ''Billboard'' R&B chart. Three

by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on September 21, 1982.

Reception

From contemporary reviews, Chip Stern of ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'', borrowed the styles of George Clinton, but that Zapp have "subsumed the "rap" to the dictates of the rhythm section – a twangy cubist mélange of rhyme, dance time and choruses of synthesized voices. No one's going to mistake this singing for that of the trendy syntho-pop bands" and declared it superior to their first album. Stern recommended the album "For those who find the Sixties section of their record collections more danceable than the superficial R&B; of today, Zapp is a smart, brash alternative." Ken Tucker of ''

The Philadelphia Inquirer ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' is a daily newspaper headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The newspaper's circulation is the largest in both the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the Delaware Valley metropolitan region of Southeastern Pennsy ...

'' gave the album a five out of five star rating, noting that

Roger Troutman Roger Troutman (November 29, 1951 – April 25, 1999), also known as Roger, was an American singer, songwriter, record producer, multi-instrumentalist and the founder of the band Zapp who helped spearhead the funk movement and heavily influence ...

has "managed to make his languid funk style sound devilshly sexy and urgent on app II" Declaring the album to be "the party record of the month". Robert Christgau gave a positive review writing in Christgau's Record Guide: The '80s (1990), "— unlike its predecessor it is a real dance LP--side one will function your ass off. And you'll want to play "Playin' Kinda Ruff" again." He did however feel the album lacked some way in content saying, "This idly functional, playfully mechanical six-cut dance LP tested my tolerance for innocent mindlessness, especially after I realized that my favorite tune appears on both sides."

Track listing

"Doo Wa Ditty" appears in its edited 7" form on CD reissues and streaming services.

Charts

Certifications

References

1982 albums Albums produced by Roger Troutman Warner Records albums Zapp (band) albums {{1980s-R&B-album-stub