Galactic Grooves: The Best of Lakeside

Though best remembered as the act whose "Fantastic Voyage" was transmogrified into Coolio's mid-'90s plea for urban peace, Ohio-based funksters Lakeside deserve to be recalled for more. For instance, their album covers usually pictured them in some movie-inspired getup or another--see 1982's Untouchables, which even backed up its Capone-era gangster concept for more than one song. This collection gets a little dull when they slow down, except for an inspired ballad rendition of the Beatles' "I Want to Hold Your Hand." But if you're looking for something entertaining to complement your James Brown, P-Funk, and Earth, Wind & Fire discs, you could do worse. --Rickey Wright