Zapp mines the same groove of disco, space funk, progressive jazz, street blues and second-line syncopation as its mentor, George Clinton. But what sets Roger and Zapp Troutman apart is that they've 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, but such use of technology has given Zapp II more bounce to the ounce than its predecessor. All those synth sounds make for some cooler-talking drums, and Roger Troutman's imitations of B.B. King and George Benson have the ring of authority, as do the inner-city chain-gang pickups of "Playin' Kinda Ruff," the street-corner harmonizing of "Doo Wa Ditty (Blow That Thing)" and the cruising power of such long jams as "Dance Floor" and "A Touch of Jazz (Playin' Kinda Ruff Part II)." Even a pleading, take-me-back-baby torcher like "Do You Really Want an Answer?" is resolutely upbeat. 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. (RS 380)

CHIP STERN