Out Of The Dark (O.G. Funk: 1993)
One of the leadoff releases from Bill Laswell's Black Arc label, this
reunites original Funkadelic bassist Billy Bass Nelson with Bernie
Worrell, Parliament drummer Jerome Brailey, and a few new faces,
prominently including guitarist Spacey Singleton. The intention was to
recapture the lowdown funk of the earliest Funkdaelic records, and it
ends up sounding completely derivative: they don't help matters by
copying two Funkadelic numbers note for note, changing the titles, and
copyrighting them as band compositions. Since no one will buy this disc
who doesn't already have the early LPs, I don't know who they thought
they were fooling. Singleton doesn't have anything up his sleeve that
Eddie Hazel didn't do better, and on the few occasions Nelson restrains
himself from reusing old licks, he comes up with power ballads with a
frighteningly early 80s sound to them ("Angie"). Not recommended unless
the original Funkadelic releases are illegal in your area. (DBW)
Hey Man... Smell My Finger (George Clinton: 1993)
A batch of hip-hip influenced tracks ("Rhythm And Rhyme," "Dis Beat Disrupts" - the single "Paint The White House Black" opens with a cameo from Dr. Dre) and whatever else
Clinton had lying around (the pop chorus of "High In My Hello"). When it works, as on "Martial Law," it really works, but most of the time
it's incoherent and diffuse ("The Flag Was Still There," "Hollywood" produced with Dallas Austin).
The long-awaited collaboration with Prince, "The Big Pump," is an amazingly banal aerobics soundtrack.
Bootsy drops by for the silly "Maximumisness," and there are a zillion other guests from Flea to
Ice Cube to Herbie Hancock, but good luck picking them out in the
overcrowded mix.
(DBW)
Greatest Hits Live (Funkadelic/Parliament/George Clinton & P-Funk All Stars: 1993)
The live set P-Funk's always deserved: 4 CD's of occasional excess, but more brilliance, recorded from 1972 to 1993.
(DBW)
George Clinton's Family Series Volume One: Go Fer Yer Funk (Various Artists: rec. 1978-84, rel. 1993)
In the early 90s George flooded the market with a five-volume "from the vault" set, featuring tracks by virtually every artist he
ever worked with. (I have the US versions of all five; the European set contains the same tracks, but spread differently across the five
volumes.) The first volume has the heaviest lineup of artists, but it's not what it seems: Sly Stone's one track is
a tossed-off demo ("Who In The Funk Do You Think You Are"), Bootsy's "The Chong Show" is really an undercooked
David Spradley keyboard exercise, and though James Brown supposedly guests on Parliament's fine title track,
I can't hear him anywhere. The backbone of the album is extended workouts by two acts that never had full length releases: Sterling Silver
Starship, a front group for third-string bassist Donnie Sterling, contributes the dull "Funk It Up," while Traylewd's Flastic Brain Flam,
a rock outfit led by George's son Tracey Lewis on lead guitar, whose 12-minute ballad "Michelle" is almost unbearable.
The disc is padded out with toss-offs like a sappy Jessica Cleaves love song ("Send A Gram"), and Blackbird
McKnight's one-man-band rendition of "Sunshine Of Your Love," which may have been a fun way to
kill an afternoon in the studio, but isn't much to listen to.
Like most volumes in the series, the disc ends with ten minutes of intermittently amusing Clintonian rambling about the represented artists.
(DBW)
George Clinton's Family Series Volume Two: "P" Is The Funk (Various Artists: rec. 1976-1981, rel. 1993)
A step up from the first volume. There are two solid Parliament outtakes ("Every Booty (Get On Down),"
with Bootsy, Bernie and Maceo, and "Does Disc Go With D.A.T."), and Funkadelic's "In The Cabin Of My Uncle Jam (P Is The Funk" is a
wonderful groove, though overlong. The Funkadelic fan club cut ("Clone Communicado") is fun too, though the basic track had already
appeared on an Eddie Hazel album. The rest of the album is nowhere near that standard, though, with an overdose of love songs:
two by the Brides ("Love Is Something" and "Think Right") and a Jessica Cleaves cover of McCartney's
"My Love." There's also another unlistenable Treylewd tune ("Personal Problems"), a demo by the Ali brothers ("She's Crazy") and two
bizarrely boring cuts by Ron Ford ("Bubblegum Gangster," "Rock Jam").
(DBW)
George Clinton's Family Series Volume Three: Plush Funk (Various Artists: rec. 1972-1981, rel. 1993)
If you want to check out one volume from the series, make it this one. The Funkadelic outtake ("May Day (S.O.S.)") is as good as anything
on the record it was cut for (Electric Spanking). The Horns Horns outtake ("Lickety Split," also released on
The Final Blow) is powered by a clever Bootsy bass line. Michael Hampton rocks out on
his solo piece "We're Just Funkers." The 1972 Flo recording "Common Law Wife" is brilliantly
raw, a piece of funk history. But the surprising high point is "Funkin' For My Mama's Rent" by the otherwise unknown Gary Fabulous & Black
Slack, with a great bass groove from Lige Curry and hilarious, way over the top vocals from Fabulous.
Even the toss-offs are better than usual: the Sterling Silver Starhip's "Booty Body Ready For The Plush Funk" is the kind of funk exercise
Clinton cranked out in his sleep, but at least it's better than "Funk It Up," and "I Envy The Sunshine" is the best of the Clinton-produced
Cleaves ballads.
(DBW)
George Clinton's Family Series Volume Four: Testing Positive 4 The Funk (Various Artists: rec. 1975-1981, rel. 1994)
If you want to skip one volume from the series, make it this one.
The Parliament track, "Live Up (To What She Thinks Of Me)," is an unsuccessful 1975 attempt to revive an early Clinton soul ballad, while
Funkadelic's "I Angle" is memorable but annoying.
The only song in the series from funk pioneer Sidney Barnes is a 1980 synth mess, "Secrets." There are three flat love songs by the
Brides - "Twenty Bucks" is the only one that's even vaguely enjoyable. A song Ron Ford produced for the Four
Tops is soulless disco-y pap ("To Care").
The biggest disappointment is Maruga & The Soda Jerks, which had never released anything but had achieved an almost mythical status among
fans - "Superstar Madness" is a strange concoction, to be sure, but flavorless. There's one tune each by Junie (the funky "Triune"),
Cleaves (the irritating synth dance "Off The Wall," also by Junie), Jimmy G ("Get It On") and obscure retro-rockers Nick Savannah & Dwarf ("Comin' Down From Your Love").
(DBW)
George Clinton's Family Series Volume Five: A Fifth Of Funk (Various Artists: rec. 1972-1981, rel. 1994)
A bit of a rebound: Parliament's "Flatman And Bobin" (redone for 1997's T.A.P.O.A.F.O.M.) is a pleasant
excuse for the Horny Horns to blow. The Brides redo the early Parliaments tune "Ice Melting In Your Heart" (Clinton revived the song again for the early 90s Otis Day project,
which I really should review someday), and sing "Up Up And Away," plus add backing vocals to Dr. Funkenstein's "Rat Kissed The Cat."
Clinton, Diane Brooks and Funkadelic cover Brenda Holloway's "Every Little Bit Hurts." But the disc is far from great: Funkadelic is represented by "Too Tight For Light"
by Junie Morrison, a synth mess that sounds like a demo, but with Junie you can never be sure.
Perhaps by coincidence, most of the artists here are singing their own compositions: Cleaves wrote the bossa nova "Eyes Of A Dreamer," Phillippe Wynne wrote the sluggish
"I Found You," Ron Ford wrote "Thumparella (Oh Kay)," Bernie wrote the disappointing love song "Who Do You Love," Junie wrote "Can't Get Over Losing You," Tracey
Lewis wrote "Clone Ranger," and even unknown Lonnie Greene wrote the amusing funk-rocker "I Didn't Know That Funk Was Loaded (Count Funkula)."
(DBW)
Funkronomicon (Axiom Funk: 1995)
A Bill Laswell compilation that seems like an answer to Family Series, with a number of old tracks by P-Funk alumni that Clinton
apparently didn't have access to or passed over: three lengthy Eddie Hazel solos with Bernie Worrell on organ ("Orbitron Attack"),
a churchy Sly/Bootsy/Maceo collaboration with Godmoma on backing vocals ("Tell The
World"). There are also a number of recent Laswell production, some
featuring P-Funk personnel - two wild free-bass experiments from Zillatron ("Jungle Free-Bass"),
"Hideous Mutant Freakz" and "Under The Influence" reuniting Clinton, Bootsy and Bernie
- and some not: Nicky Skopelitis's "Telling Time."
Then, unforgivably, Laswell pads the project out to two discs with previously released material like "Animal Behavior" by Praxis and Maceo Parker's "Sax Machine," and a couple of forgettable covers (a Bootsy/Bernie
remake of "Cosmic Slop," Bootsy singing "If 6 Was 9" over a drum loop).
Nearly all of Laswell's usual suspects show up on one track or another: Anton Fier, Aiyb Dieng, Daniel Ponce, Herbie
Hancock, DXT, Sly and Robbie.
Despite the title concept, hallucinatory cover art and insert by Pedro Bell, there's precious little actual funk here, and it's
best left to Laswell disciples.
(DBW)
Dope Dogs (P-Funk All Stars: 1995)
I had a hard time finding a copy of this that wasn't an overpriced
import. If, like me, you've felt that George has been too focused on
electronic gimmicks and trying to keep up with trends, and wished he
would go back to live instruments, nasty funk jams and loud guitars, you
should pick this up. There are a lot of interesting tunes ("US Custom
Coast Guard Dope Dog" - with his best socially-relevant lyrics since the
Westbound days, "Pepé") and plenty of contagious chanting ("Some
Next Shit," "Just Say Ding"). The opening guitar showpiece "Fly On (Dog
Star)" is a thrilling ride, and "Sick'Em" is a freaky, brilliant Eddie
Hazel workout over backwards instrumentation. Parts of the album
drag ("Help Scottie" is dull, "Dopey Dope Dog" is one long sample
of "I Knock The Bottom Outta Mine" written for Otis Day), but
overall this is an enjoyable and welcome return to form. (DBW)
Giant Shirley (Tal Ross: 1995)
Original Funkadelic Ross was sidelined for two decades, reportedly after
a bad acid trip, and he returns with a hybrid of country blues and house
music. It's really strange, and often interesting, but you keep wishing
you could hear Ross better. Producer Peter Wetherbee layers on "ambient
textures, beats, loops and programming" like a cut-rate Bill Laswell,
and drowns Ross' arresting acoustic guitar stylings in a horde of
electric guitar tracks. Tal's not much of a lyricist either (when he not
incomprehensible, he's often ripping off someone like the Zombies), and by the end of the hour-long
runtime, you'll probably be pretty bored. Fellow P-Funk alum Jerome
Brailey is on drums, but you can hardly find him among all the ambient
textures. (DBW)
T.A.P.O.A.F.O.M. (1996)
The title stands for "The Awesome Power of a Fully Operational
Mothership," referring to the fact that practically every surviving
member of the Funk Mob is somewhere on the record. Many of the tracks
are "funk contemporary" - slow tunes with repeating, mellow bass lines
and simple drum parts, like many of the West Coast rappers who've been
looping up P-Funk licks. The tunes work pretty well, including the
single "If Anybody Gets Funked Up (It's Gonna Be You)," the propulsive
chant "Funky Kind (Gonna Knock It Down)," but after a while the
similarity of the approach begins to get to you.
The low points are "Hard As Steel," yet another dirty nursery rhyme,
this time with no decent riff, and the title tune, which just repeats
one theme for seven minutes, with atmospheric but dull, almost wordless
backing vocals. The best tracks, though, are where George departs from
the formula: "Sloppy Seconds" featuring Bernie and Bootsy improvising
brilliantly over a minimal backbeat; a edited, revised version of
"Flatman & Bobbin" from Family Series Vol. 5 featuring the Horny
Horns (uncredited); and the spooky, melodic slow grind of "Rock The
Party," which has the funkiest string arrangement you will ever hear
(courtesy of Paul Riser). (DBW)
Greatest Funkin' Hits (1997)
Hip hop remixes of familiar Clinton tunes, with guest appearances by a number of rappers (Coolio on "Atomic Dog").
In other words, halfway between a remix album and a greatest hits, two formats I generally
consider ripoffs, but the rappers do add some interest (Digital Underground's two versions of "Knee Deep,"
the amusing "Flashlight featuring Ol' Dirty Bastard, Q-Tip and Busta Rhymes). In most cases the remixing is nominal (the second "Knee Deep" is an exception, pared down
to just piano and distorted guitar). Ice Cube's "Bop Gun (One Nation)" is the only song that wasn't
originally released by the P-Funk camp, though it is based on P-Funk samples. The original extended version of "Atomic Dog" is a nice find
for collectors, though I find the four-minute single sufficient and the nine-minute version rather excessive. And for some reason, Clinton
seems hellbent on reclaiming his abysmal mid-80s electrofunk period, featuring two tracks from R&B Skeletons
("Hey Good Lookin'," "Do Fries Go With That Shake") and even a cut from the unbelievably boring Jimmy G. and the Tackheads
effort ("Break My Heart") - all nominally remixed but not featuring rappers or anything else that might make them bearable. I guess I
should be grateful there's nothing from Our Gang Funky.
(DBW)
Live... And Kickin' (George Clinton & The P-Funk All-Stars: 1997)
How many versions of "Cosmic Slop" does the world need? Recorded with Clinton's regular touring crew, this is a two-disc
set of ancient tunes already comprehensively covered on Greatest Hits Live and Beverly Theater: "Bop Gun,"
"Atomic Dog," "Flashlight," "Maggot Brain," etc. As usual, the band plays at great length - "Funkentelechy" lasts 24
minutes, "P-Funk" 12, "Mothership Connection" nearly 17 - but without the brilliant soloing and inspired collective
improvisation that made earlier lineups so entertaining. Instead you get endless vamping, crowd call and response, and
drum/percussion solos ("Standing On The Verge Of Getting It On"). Bizarrely, one of the only rarely-recorded
tunes in the set - Funkadelic's fabulous "Funk Gettin' Ready To Roll" - is savagely edited down to four minutes. There
are two new studio recordings - the Cool Jazz instrumental "Good Love" and the mellow love song "State Of The Nation" -
but both are throwaways.
You get the feeling that Clinton's happy to release a disc whenever a label's willing to have him, and what's good for
the artist is not necessarily good for the consumer. Still, if you can't afford Greatest Hits Live, can't
find Beverly Theater or P-Funk Earth Tour, and can't make it to a show, this will give you some idea what P-Funk is like live.
(DBW)
How Late Do U Have 2B B4 UR Absent? (George Clinton & The P-Funk All-Stars: 2005)
An exhausting double-CD of new studio recordings; I'm not sure but I think this release has even less going for it than R & B Skeletons In The Closet did.
Clinton's formula is sluggish funk vamps with programmed drums, synth bass and endlessly repeated chants; it gets dull during the opening "Bounce 2 This" and doesn't get any better thereafter. Apart from the semi-soft funk, there are lots of love songs ("Saddest Day"), many of which are covers (Curtis Mayfield's "Gypsy Woman").
Nearly every Funk Mobster, from Bernie through Belita Woods (a typically overwrought cover of "More Than Words Can Say") turns up somewhere (Bootsy excepted), but none of them get anything much to do.
Prince is similarly wasted on "Paradigm," another half-witted groove that starts with promise but never develops.
Apart from a brief cover of the Beatles' "Because" (illustrating Wilson's Law Of Beatles Covers), there's one high point, the tender acoustic ballad "I'll Be Sittin' Here" with Joi. Low points are countless, but let's start with the brain-deadening, fifteen-minute "I Can Dance."
(DBW)
Radio Friendly (Clinton: 2008)
Due in September, this is supposed to be a collection of oldie covers (Johnny Ace's "Pledging My Love"; Marvin Gaye's "Ain't That Peculiar")
with guests including Sly Stone, Santana, Red Hot Chili Peppers and
others.
(DBW)
