The Force (Kool &amp; the Gang album)The Force (Kool &amp; the Gang album) The Force (Kool & the Gang album) The Force is the ninth studio album by the funk band Kool & the Gang, released in 1977. The album peaked at No. 142 on the "Billboard" 200. Critical reception. "The Globe and Mail" wrote that "it's strange that to this day, black soul musicians are trying to say it better than Sly [Stone] did a decade ago and failing miserably." The "Bay State Banner" wrote that the album "lacked the excellent jive vocals, hot horn lines and boogie beat arrangements Kool made famous." The Force (Kool & the Gang album) The Force is the