Unfunky UFO

Parliament-Funkadelic discography Part 4: 1975-76 Funkadelic - "Let's Take It to the Stage" (1975) This record was the introduction of guitarist Michael "Kidd Funkadelic" Hampton. With Ron Bykowski missing in action, Eddie Hazel in and out of the band (often because of legal trouble), and Gary Shider primarily holding down the rhythm, Funkadelic needed a full-time lead guitarist and found it in a seventeen year old prodigy who they discovered at a party playing Maggot Brain note for note. Let's Take It to the Stage is another classic. "Good To Your Earhole", "Stuff and Things", and "Better By the Pound" are essential hard funk with Mosson killing it on the bass. "Be My Beach" features Bootsy on guest vocals and debuts his cartoonish, Hendrix-esque style. "No, Head, No Backstage Pass" features heavy guitars and haunting vocal melodies. "Get Off Your Ass and Jam" features a scorchin...

Parliament-Funkadelic discography Part 3: 1972-74  United Soul - "U.S. Music with Funkadelic" (1972) United Soul were the little brother band to Funkadelic. They recorded a one off single in 1972 featuring Funkadelic. This album is a compilation of both of songs from the single along with five other songs recorded with Funakdelic. United Soul's lead vocalist and guitarist, Gary Shider sung back-up vocals on Maggot Brain and was later brought in as a member of Funkadelic along with bassist Cordell Mosson after the departure of Funkadelic's original guitarists and bassist. Most of these songs were later reworked as Funkadelic songs or for other P-Funk projects. Essentially, this sounds like Funkadelic as members past and present play on this album and half the songs are written by George Clinton. The stand out track for me is the heavy psychedelic rocker, "Rat Kissed the Cat". 3.5/5 Funkadelic - "America Eats Its Young" (1972) Withi...

Parliament-Funkadelic discography Part 2: 1970-1971 Funkadelic- “Funkadelic” (1970) Swampy country blues drenched in heavy psychedelia. The first 3 Funkadelic albums are all book ended by longer songs with shorter ones in the middle. The opening track is one long groove with George rapping as funk personified - “My name is Funkadelic, I am not of your world.” “I Bet You” was a song Clinton wrote for Motown that the Jackson 5 used. Here it is played much more psychedelic. There aren’t any bad songs but “Good Old Music”, a cover of an earlier single when they were the Parliaments and the generic electric electric blues song, “Qualify and Satisfy” are underwhelming compared to the superior tracks surrounding them. “I Got A Thing” is probably the most popular song on the album, using heavy wah-wah guitar. The highlights for me are “Music For My Mother” and the closing song “What Is Soul” which both seem to spell out what Funkadelic is all about musically and philosophically....

Parliament-Funkadelic discography  Part 1: Intro The funk is more addictive than any drug. “Getting funky” was a term jazz and blues players had used when they were really getting in a groove, keeping it in the pocket, and jamming rather than rigidly sticking to the song’s structure. In New Orleans, musicians combined jazz, blues, gospel, and other styles giving birth to funk as a distinctive genre. James Brown honed in on the funk and stripped it down to a style of dance music with an emphasis on the first beat of every measure. Years later, George Clinton helped invent his own style called P-Funk. George Clinton started the Parliaments in the 50’s when he was in middle school singing doo-wop with neighborhood kids. Eventually they tried their luck at Motown but blew it, although the audition got Clinton a job as a songwriter. Eventually they had a minor hit in the mid-60's with “I Want To Testify” but after a couple more years they got tired of the Northern Soul scen...