Funkadelic


Band members               Related acts

- Bill Bass - 

- Jason Braley - drums, percussion

- Gary Bronson - drums (1974)

- Ron Bykowski - guitar

- Jimmy Calhoun - bass (1974)

- George Clinton - vocals

- Bootsy Collins - bass, vocals

- Gary Cooper - 

- Raymond 'Sting Ray' Davis - bass, vocals

- Glenn Goins - vocals, keyboards (1976)

- R. Tiki Fulwood - drums, percussion

- Mike Hammonds - guitar

- Michael Hampton - guitar (1976)

- Clarence Haskins - vocals (1974-)

- Eddie Hazel - guitar

- Tyrone Lampkin - percussion (1973)

- Reggie McBride - 

- Cordell Boogie Mosson - bass, vocals

- Leon Patillio - keybaords (1974)

- Garry Shider - guitar, vocals

- Cool Cal Simon - vocals, percussion

- Grady Thomas - vocals (1974)

- Paul Warren - 

- Bernie Worrelll - keyboards, vocals

   

 

 


 

 


 

Genre: funk

Rating: *** (3 stars)

Title:  Cosmic Slop

Company: Westbound

Catalog: WB 2022

Year: 1973

Country/State: --

Grade (cover/record): VG/VG

Comments: gatefold sleeve; small tear on front cover

Available: 1

GEMM catalog ID: 4338

Price: $25.00

Cost: $66.00

 

1973's "Cosmic Slop" won't disappoint the converted, but at the same time, it's unlikely to attract new legions of fans ...  Musically the set's kind of schizophrenic in that it's divided between a series of fairly conventional soul numbers ('Let's Make It Last' and 'Can't Stand the Strain') and a more activist agenda.  At least to my ears this album's kind of a revelation in that Clinton and company take on some surprisingly social and political stances. 'March of the Witch's Castle' seems inspired by the recent release of the Vietnam POWs and the problems of readjustment their facing, the extended title track (one of their hardest rockers and an in-concert staple) seems to be a eulogy to a broken family, and "Trash A Go-Go" is apparently the story of a guy on trial for pimping his girlfriend.   Geez, George Clinton is such a goofball.  Why would he start an album off with one of the collection's least interesting tracks - in this case the throwaway 'Nappy Dugout'?  Oh well, it doesn't really matter since the rest of the set is so much more impressive.   (This is also the first Funkadelic release to featured Pedro Bell's instantly recognizable art work.)

 

"Cosmic Slop" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Nappy Dugout   {George Clinton - Garry Shider - Cordell Mosson} - 4:33 

2.) You Can't Miss What You Can't Measure   {George Clinton - Sidney Barnes} - 3:03

3.) March to the Witch's Castle   {George  Clinton} - 5:59

4.) Let's Make It Last   {George Clinton - Eddie Hazel} - 4:08 

(side 2)

1.) Cosmic Slop   {George Clinton - Bernie Worrell} - 5:17 

2.) No Compute   {George Clinton - Garry Shider} - 3:03 

3.) This Broken Heart   {W. Franklin} - 3:37 

4.) Trash A-Go-Go   {George Clinton} - 2:25 

5.) Can't Stand the Strain   {George Clinton - Eddie Hazel} - 3:27

 

 


Genre: funk

Rating: **** (4 stars)

Title:  Standing On the Verge of Getting It On

Company: Westbound

Catalog: WB 1001

Year: 1974

Country/State: --

Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+

Comments: gatefold sleeve

Available: 1

GEMM catalog ID: 4358

Price: $30.00

 

One of the things about a Funkadelic album (or any George Clinton product for  that matter), is you never know what you're going to get.  This time around Clinton and the extended Funkadelic family surprise by turning in a near classic rock effort.  Yes, I said rock album.  Propelled by Eddie Hazel's sizzling guitar, "Standing On the Verge of Getting It On" may be the closest Clinton and company have ever come to recording a rock album.   Starting with the blazing 'Red Hot Mamma' (a remake of a track from Parliament's "Osmium" album), through the extended closing sermon 'Good Thoughts, Bad Thoughts'  the album seldom lets up.  Guitarist Hazel is clearly the star this time around.  On material such as 'Alice In My Fantasies', 'Good Thoughts, Bad Thoughts' and the title track he turns in molten leads that would shame most rock players.  Elsewhere, if I'm not mistaken the pretty, old school-ish ballad 'I'll Stay' is another Parliament remake.  

 

(In case anyone cares, the Grace Cook who co-wrote three of the selections was actually Hazel's mother.  The theory is that Hazel either wanted to ensure a small source of income for his mother, or he was trying to avoid tax on the resulting royalties.)

 

"Standing On the Verge of Getting It On" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Red Hot Momma   (George Clinton) - 4:56

2.) Alice In My Fantasies  (George Clinton - Eddie Hazel) - 2:30

3.) I'll Stay  (George Clinton - Eddie Hazel) -7:18   

4.) Sexy Ways   (George Clinton - Grace Cook) - 3:08

(side 2)

1.) Standing On the Verge Of Getting It On   (George Clinton - Grace Cook) - 5:10

2.) Jimmy's Got a Little Bitch Bitch In Him   (George Clinton - Grace Cook) - 2:33

3.) Good Thoughts, Bad Thoughts  (George Clinton - Eddie Hazel) -12:17

 

 


Genre: funk

Rating: *** (3 stars)

Title:  Let's Take It To the Stage

Company: Westbound

Catalog: W-215

Year: 1975

Country/State: --

Grade (cover/record): VG/VG

Comments: gatefold sleeve; promo sticker on back side

Available: 1

GEMM catalog ID: 4324

Price: $25.00

Cost: $66.00

 

Clearly George Clinton and the Funkadelic/Parliament family are not for everyone.  I'll admit that there are plenty of times when I don't want to get within a mile of their catalog.  That said, 1975's "Let's Take It To the Stage" stands as a wonderful example of what makes them simultaneously a great band and one of music's biggest frustrations.

 

I guess if I had to explain why this is one of my favorite Funkadelic sets it would have something to do with the fact tracks like 'Better By the Pound' and the title track (with its slaps at other bands - 'Fool and the Gang, 'Earth, Hot Air and No Fire', 'Slick and the Family Brick')  found Clinton and company largely abandoning their earlier love of extended jams in favor of shorter, somewhat more commercial song structures. That and the fact guitarist Garry Shider turned in some killer fuzz guitar leads.  Anyone doubting these guys could rock need only check out the blazing opener 'Good To Your Earhole' or 'Get Off Your Ass and Jam' (the latter guaranteed to never get within a mile of commercial radio).  The album also has it's requisite set of goofiness.  Check out Bootsy's 'Be My Beach', the hysterically inappropriate 'No Head, No Backstage Pass', or Bernie Worrell's extended keyboard meltdown 'Atmosphere'.  By the way, in case anyone wondered, 'G. Cook' was apparently a pseudonym for  Eddie Hazel. 

"Let's Take It To the Stage" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Good To Your Earhole   (George Clinton - Cook - Clarence Haskins) -  4:30

2.) Better By the Pound   (George Clinton - Cook) - 2:40

3.) Be My Beach   (George Clinton - Bootsy Collins - Bernie Worrell) - 2:35

4.) No Head, No Backstage Pass   (Ron Bykowski - George Clinton) - 2:36

5.) Let's Take It to the Stage   (George Clinton - Bootsy Collins - Garry Shider) - 3:32

6.) Get Off Your Ass and Jam   (George Clinton) - 2:00

(side 2)

1.) Baby I We You Something Good   (George Clinton) - 5:43

2.) Stuffs and Things   (George Clinton - Cook) - 2:11

3.) The Song Is Familiar  (George Clinton - Bootsy Collins - Bernie Worrell) -3:05

4.) Atmosphere   (George Clinton - Garry Shider - Bernie Worrell - 7:05

 

 

 

 

 

 


Genre: funk

Rating: *** (3 stars)

Title:  Tales of Kidd Funkadelic

Company: Westbound

Catalog: W-227

Year: 1976

Country/State: --

Grade (cover/record): VG/VG

Comments: gatefold sleeve

Available: 1

GEMM catalog ID: 4335

Price: $20.00

 

1976's "Tales of Kidd Funkadelic" tends to get slammed by critics, but once you know the album's history, that becomes understandable.  

 

The basic story is one you've probably heard dozens of times before.  In 1976 George Clinton ended his longstanding business relationship with Westbound Records.  With Clinton and company moving over to Warner Brothers, Westbound executives wasted no time in rummaging through their corporate vaults to identify previously unreleased material - much of it apparently recorded and discarded during the "Hardcore Jollies" sessions.  Released with little or no participation from Clinton, the album pulled together a rather haphazard collection of seven previously unreleased efforts.  In terms of quality, the set was all over the spectrum, ranging from the seeming endless instrumental title track (basically Bernie Worrell noodling away on synthesizers for some 12 minutes) to the all too short rocker 'Let's Take It To the People'.  I'm not sure there's a true standout here, but if forced to pick I'd say check out 'How Do Yeaw View You?' and the vaguely reggae flavored 'I'm Never Gonna Tell It' (which The Spinners' Phillipe Wynne redid on his first solo album).

 

"Tales of Kidd Funkadelic" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Butt-to-Butt Resuscitation   (George Clinton - Eddie Hazel - Bernie Worrell) - 3:51

2.) Let's Take It To the People   (George Clinton - Eddie Hazel - Garry Shider) - 1:48

3.) Undisco Kid   (George Clinton - Bootsy Collins - Bernie Worrell) - 7:16

4.) Take Your Dead Ass Home! (Say Som'n Nasty)   (George Clinton - Goins - Garry Shider - Bernie Worrell) - 7:16

(side 2)

1.) I'm Never Gonna Tell It   (George Clinton - Bernie Worrell) - 3:29

2.) Tales of Kidd Funkadelic (Opusdelite Years) (instrumental)  (George Clinton - Bernie Worrell) - 12:52

3.) How Do Yeaw View You?   (George Clinton - Bootsy Collins - Bernie Worrell) - 3:40

 

 

 

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