1988’s Kickin‘ was an attempted comeback for the Brothers Johnson after a four-year hiatus during which co-founders and real-life brothers George and Louis Johnson pursued solo projects. Unfortunately, the album and singles failed to make a mark on the charts, a far cry from the Brothers’ previous platinum album sales throughout the late ’70s.
Certainly, Kickin’ does not hold up to the Brothers’ earlier music, such as hits “Strawberry Letter 23,” “I’ll Be Good to You,” and “Stomp!,” yet the album retains the signature cool funkiness of the Brothers Johnson’s sound.