I've always been a huge fan of Parliament-Funkadelic, I just didn't always know it. Growing up listening to my mom play old 45 records of bands like Earth, Wind & Fire and Kool & the Gang, I instinctively had some funky, r&b tendencies with my music selections later in life. I love music with a beat and a groove and a soul, which is why I'm still a huge fan of hip hop entering my early thirties. P-Funk was introduced to me in the summer of '92 in the form of Dr. Dre's The Chronic. You could not escape the heavy west coast bravado that Dre and Snoop were doling out and the undeniable catchy, head bobbing anthems that made up one of the greatest rap albums ever. Dre's production was lifted directly off of the Parliament-Funkadelic albums he grew up listening to, I was only able to connect the dots after watching the video for "Let Me Ride" at the end where it shows concert footage of P-Funk and George Clinton taking off in the "Mothership".
P-Funk is a large collective of talented musicians including: Bootsy Collins on bass, Eddie Hazel on lead guitar, Bernie Worrell on keys, Maceo Parker & Fred Wesley on horns, and ringleader/songwriter George Clinton on vocals who all had important contributions to the group and to music as a whole. Their albums bring abstract and concrete ideas about war, love and life and mix them all together with a psychedelic-rock, r&b, dance, and of course funk sound. In my opinion, they were the first "supergroup" of musicians (outside of Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Bill Evans). Besides "Maggot Brain" and maybe "Cosmic Slop", don't over-analyze the lyrics and just enjoy the party. Also, listen for any P-Funk you might have heard sampled by a more contemporary artist like De La Soul...
Your required listening:
- Funkadelic - Maggot Brain '71 and Cosmic Slop '73
- Parliament - Mothership Connection '75 and Funkentelechy vs. Placebo Syndrome '77
Maggot Brain is definitely an interesting musical journey. I like the intro to this album with what sounds like Tim Meadows telling us that, “Mother Earth is pregnant for the third time, for we all have knocked her up.” With an introduction like that I am not sure what I am getting myself into with this band. The guitar solo on Maggot Brain is awesome, and when I first heard it I thought it might have been Jimmie Hendrix. On doing my research I see that it was done by Eddie Hazel, whom is a guitar wizard in his own right. Unfortunately many have never heard of him, or given him the respect of so many other guitar phenoms. I love the slow tempo and how the guitar tells the story for you. This track was by far my favorite of the album. The next two tracks are very representational of what I consider soul music of the 70’s. They are upbeat and I love the baritone voice in “Can you get to that.” “Super Stupid” starts off like more of a rock song than a soul song. I am quite impressed at how versatile their music styling is, and once again Eddie tears up the guitar solo. “Back in our minds” was not one of my favorites, it kind of sounded like they just started making noises with whatever they had around at the time, and the singing is a little less than desirable. “Wars of Armageddon” was also a little bit too odd for me as well. Especially listening to the man in the background yelling at the baby to shut up. Just a little too out there for me. Parliament definitely is unique, and I am quite interested to see how their sound evolves.
ReplyDelete“Cosmic Slop” starts off with “Nappy Dugout” which sort of reminded me of some music that might be played in the background of some cheesy 70’s movie. It was quite catchy, and I couldn’t help but bob my head to the song. I liked the guitar in the background of “March to the Witch’s Castle” I thought it set the mood for the song quite well. The song overall was a little too long and repetitive for me though. “No Compute” was funny, I like when he said, “All hoes are not on crack, and of course you know spit don’t make babies.” I think only Parliament could have gotten away with saying something like that to such an upbeat tune. If you think about the year this came out, stuff like that was really not said. After hearing quite a few songs I can tell this is a group who liked to push the envelope a little bit. The only other song I really got any enjoyment out of was, “Lets make it last.” I think I just really liked the smooth voice, and the catchy beat. This album did not seem to show much growth for Parliament, here’s hoping things get better.
ReplyDelete“Mothership Connection” starts off clearly stating that this album is all about funk. “P Funk” for me can only be stated with one word, fun. It is humorous with George trying to sell this idea of Funk to the people, and who could resist with that catchy beat. I can see what Justin was saying about not knowing that he had been introduced to Funkadelic years ago but had no idea. “Mothership Connection” is the first instance where this comes in to play. I distinctly hear Dr. Dre’s “and let me ride” in this song. Although I do not listen to much rap music, I do remember Justin playing this album, and having heard “Let me Ride” on more than one occasion. I really like how artists dabble in older songs and use it as background for more modern music. “Give up the Funk” is a song I already had heard many times before but had never known who was singing it. It has been used in numerous commercials and movies. It is definitely my favorite song on the album, and I think it is because it makes me want to get up and dance. To me Parliamnent/Funkadelic is a true definition of funk, which I went ahead and got the definition for in case anyone was wondering what it is truly defined as.
Funk is a distinct style of music originated by African-Americans. Funk best can be recognized by its syncopated rhythms; thick bass line (often based on an "on the one" beat); razor-sharp rhythm guitars; chanted or hollered vocals, rhythm-oriented horn sections; prominent percussion; an upbeat attitude; African tones; danceability; and strong jazzy influences.
Going into the last album I have to say that I had hoped I would be able to find a track or two that I would enjoy. Alas, this album did not do much for me on any sort of level. I will however give it props for sounding more like something out of the eighties rather than the seventies, and still keeping the funk sound that they know how to bring so well. “Flashlight” was probably the track I liked the most off of the album. I may have to write more on this album tomorrow, I am having trouble concentrating because we are watching the Hurt Locker. I apologize and will finish up my thoughts tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteI have a feeling that this will be a difficult week for me. With the dates of these albums, I have a feeling that this group has inspired a lot of the artists today such as Lenny Kravitz. However, I don’t think that I really like any of those groups. Another than a few cool guitar solos and the title track, this was a pretty frustrating album. This wasn’t something that was good background noise and I couldn’t find myself really getting into the groove at all. So without lyrics that I can relate to or a beat that I can get lost in, I am really left with nothing but frustration. Back in our Minds and Whole lot of BS were the most painful tracks.
ReplyDeleteCosmic Slop starts out with Nappy Dugout that I feel could have just as well been on the last album. Really nothing new here. March to the Witch’s Castle was a pretty cool track with a catchy repetitive set of guitar chords that remind you of Jimi Hendrix, but also an occasional dark, deep spoken lyric that reminds me of Dani Filth from Cradle of Filth. Let’s Make it Last however reverts right back to what I dislike about the first album and has a very annoying vocal. Can’t Stand the Strain was a decent track, but primarily sounded like a church choir to me. Overall, I did not notice much growth or development with this effort.
Mothership Connection was a major leap forward for me. I guess I feel like the first two were trying to be gangster, while this album is now transitioning to that party feel that you hear with Kool and the Gang and Earth, Wind, and Fire. My mother tells me that I used to dance to her Kool and the Gang record when I was 3 so perhaps I am genetically predisposed to liking this form of funk. All of these tracks were actually quite enjoyable with the exception of Handcuffs. Throughout this week, I have been picturing the scene in ‘The Breaks’ where George Clinton came out in some type of dress and was shouting all sorts of nonsense. It turns out that the George Clinton song was none other than Give Up the Funk that appears on track 6 of this album. My favorite track was Unfunky UFO.
I think that Funkentelechy vs. The Placebo Syndrome requires a blunt for someone like me to find the funk. This was kind of in between for me where it wasn’t difficult to listen to, but I didn’t really ‘feel’ it as much with this one. Flash light was my favorite track due to how clever the lyrics were. The rest of the tracks were just some decent beats without much substance.
It was interesting to hear the transition from Funkadelic to Parliament. While I can tell that there is a big party going on with these tracks, I just don’t feel that this type of party is for me. I was quite surprised to see how few tracks there were on each album. Perhaps you can only sing about the funk so much, but I would have liked to see more tracks and some variety in those tracks. I thank you for introducing these guys to me and allowing me to give them a shot.
I was originally introduced to George Clinton with his appearance on the song "Synthesizer" on Outkast's 1998 album, 'Aquemini'. He seemed like some strange old jive-talking god to me then, and upon further research into his music, I was basically proved to be right with my first judgement. George Clinton and P-Funk have had a pretty profound impact on the music of the last 20 years or so, whether we really notice it or not, so this was definitely an excellent pick.
ReplyDelete'Maggot Brain' was the first full length Funkadelic album I ever listened to, and it's opening title track will forever be my favorite song by the collective. To me it sounds like Eddie Hazel's eulogy for the recently passed Jimi Hendrix....it's so slow and mournful, as Eddie just draws out every note for maximum soul-crushing impact. Of course, this mood is very rare for P-Funk, and everything changes immediately with "Can You Get to That". The acoustic guitar is rather a rarity with these guys, but it introduces the call and response vocals between the male and female singers that is so prevalent in their music. "Hit It and Quit It" is a great funk song that is closed out with an absolutely mind-melting guitar solo by Eddie Hazel....this album is where he shows that he was a force to be reckoned with, as his signatures are all over it. Elsewhere, "Super Stupid" sounds like a Jimi Hendrix song (these types of things were all over the place in the year or so immediately preceding his death), but also seems to be the inspiration for everything that Gnarls Barkley has done in the past few years. The second half of "Wars of Armageddon" is absolutely one of the strangest things I've ever heard, with it's fart noises and apocalyptic sounding heartbeat end, that may have inspired both Pink Floyd and the Notorious B.I.G.....that's pretty broad company.
'Cosmic Slop' to me is all about Bernie Worrell's amazing keyboard playing. Starting with the opening track "Nappy Dugout", Worrell's funky playing takes center stage, and the mix between that and the great bass playing is awesome. "March to the Witch's Castle" was a very political song, once again bringing back the epic guitar solos of 'Maggot Brain', to remind you that the Vietnam War was still happening in the time that this album was created. You could possibly call this a mood killer sequenced where it is in the album, but for me it's a way of reminding you that no matter how much fun you're having, you need to remember that there are places in the world where that fun isn't allowed to exist due to government intervention. For the second album in a row, though, my favorite song is the title track. "Cosmic Slop" has an unusually heartfelt vocal performance, seemingly about prostitution, and the guitar solo again is simply incredible. This album as a whole isn't much different than 'Maggot Brain', but artistic development isn't really a key when listening to P-Funk....it's all about the good time, and this album is certainly that.
Parliament's 'Mothership Connection' is a bit of a change from the Funkadelic albums, as it really takes the term "funk" to a whole new level. This album is all about the pimp superstar image, as the vocals are just a laid back form of what you might have heard on the front porch of any house in ghetto America in the 1970s. This is also the era that Dr. Dre took the most from for his epic G-Funk creations in the early 90s, most noticeably on the outstanding "Mothership Connection (Star Child)". Dre's "Let Me Ride" was ripped straight out of this song, and it's most interesting to me to listen to this song the way Dre may have listened to it himself and hearing it in relation to his music. "Unfunky UFO" brings in the synthesizer to great effect, and "Handcuffs" has a rather impassioned vocal performance. The real star of the show, however, and probably the most famous P-Funk song of them all is "Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof of the Sucker)". This song completely represents everything that George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic stands for in it's lyrics, and is one of the greatest party songs of all time. Once again Dr. Dre took straight out of the song for one of the hits off of Snoop Dogg's debut, "Who Am I (What's My Name)", to great effect. This album is the best of the pure funk albums by the group, and is definitely a joy to listen to every time.
ReplyDelete'Funkentelechy vs the Placebo Syndrome' was the only one of the four albums under review this week that I hadn't heard (other than the song "Flash Light", of course), so while I knew what to expect with it, I didn't EXACTLY know what to expect. To me it seems to me to have some disco elements to it, and was probably a huge influence on that scene which was exploding around the time of it's release. The horns are much more prevalent to me on this album than the previous ones, and nowhere is this more evident than on one of the title tracks, "Funkentelechy". This is the real find of the album to me, and has quickly become one of my favorite of all P-Funk songs.....the horns are simply amazing. "Wizard of Finance" is also a great song, with it's strange squelching synth noises, and the great interplay between the horns and the vocals. Finally, the previously mentioned "Flash Light" closes out the album, and the week. This is a great closing track, and is one of the best pure distillations of P-Funk's modus operandi. Like just about everything the group does, it's just a great time, as the entire week has been. There's really not much more that needs to be said about these guys than that.....they're just some of the most fun that can be had listening to great music.
I'd like to start off by saying this is pretty far out of the realm of my musical tastes, but that I've learned to appreciate the smooth funk and see what it's contributed to more modern sounds that might be more accessible for people like me over the years.
ReplyDelete"Maggot Brain," once I got past the weird intro, put me in a dream-like state and blew my mind with one of the creamiest guitar solos I have heard in a long time. Not what I expected from a band called Funkadelic, but definitely likable. I liked the second track too, but I can't really get into the really deep voice. It reminds me of that dude that was nominated for one of the "Golden Idol" joke awards during AI's finale last year. "Hit it and Quit it" was my favorite track with its catchy beat and uplifting spirit. Overall, I liked the first album a lot.
Moving onto "Cosmic Slop," things seemed to get a little more funky and a little more out of my league, but I still enjoyed the psychedelic ride. For the second time since we started Music Togetherness, I heard that rattle from "Chigger Nicken" on yet another classic track (this time, "Let's Make It Last.") Haha. I see what Justin was talking about when he said this makes for great party music. That's the easiest way to describe how I feel about this music. I think its a win lose for me on this one because I really dislike the voices and therefore find it hard to pay attention to the lyrics, yet the music is extremely enjoyable, "feel-good" if you will.
ReplyDeleteGetting into Parliament, it seemed like the psychedelic feel that I loved about "Funkadelic" went on vacation and the funk I wasn't so sure about completely took over. This album was definitely not as enjoyable as the first two. I feel like I'm watching Dolemite.
ReplyDeleteI can see how these beats would have been early influence for some of the hip hops acts around today, but as I've stated before I'm not much of a fan of hip hop. "Give Up the Funk" was my favorite track on "Mothership Connection" because it's familiar and widely-known in pop culture. I can imagine that while Funkadelic would make for good chill party music that this might make for a decent dance party, but I definitely didn't like it as much.
On "Funkentelechy," my favorite track was "Placebo Syndrome" for its more chill, laid back feel than the rest of the album. I also loved the spacey synthesizer in the background. For me, a lot of this music can be measured not by the sum of its parts, but by the parts themselves. It only takes a sound or two to draw me into a song (like the clapping in Radiohead's "15 Step") and for me, this song is the shit. The rest of the album would make a pretty decent dance soundtrack, but nothing I would listen to on a regular basis just to be listening to it.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, Music Togetherness is all about opening our minds to different sounds and I'd like to thank Justin for this one because I never would have ventured into these waters without a gentle push. I'm glad I've gotten the chance to become familiar because the next time I hear their influences on other artists, I'll know where the inspiration came from.
George Clinton is indeed a musical genius in his own right, but come on, what would it had been like without all of the gang that made up the P-Funk groove? Eddie, Bernie, Bootsy, Gary, Glen, Fuzzy......My hats off to all of you! The music lives on in my mind, even if some of you are no longer here. Best album? Motor Booty Affair. Best song? Tie between Cosmic Slop And Motor Booty Affair.
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