P.Funk Discog VI: Axiom Funk to Mutiny
rob clough
November 8, 1995
***Other miscellaneous P.Funk Mob Listings, in alphabetic order:***
**Axiom Funk to Mutiny**
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These ratings are 'within P-Funk' on the 1 to 5 star scale.
***** Essential, not allowed on the Mothership without it.
**** Mostly excellent cuts
*** A few weak tracks, or a concept which doesn't hold up
** One or two good tracks
* Relatively weak
GZ: Note that the lower rated albums, still rate high compared to
unfunk!
RC: A note on writing credits. For each particular album, I will list
the first and last name of the writer only when it is their first
appearance on that album. Thus, Garry Shider's first appearance on
an album will earn him that full listing, but he will be listed as
G Shider if he has any other songs on that particular album. There
are three notable exceptions: George Clinton, William "Bootsy" Collins,
and Bernie Worrell, who will be listed as G Clinton, W (or B) Collins,
and B Worrell, respectively, for every album's track listing. The reason
is because those three wrote the bulk of the P.Funk catalog. If a
writer's full name is not listed, it's probably because I don't know it,
in which case I would appreciate being given that information.
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Axiom Funk
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_Funkcronomicon_ (1995)
Track Listing:
Disc 1:
Order Within The Universe {B Worrell, Bill Laswell} 3:17
Under The Influence (Jes Grew)
{G Clinton, B Laswell, B Collins, Sly Dunbar, Robbie Shakespeare} 5:45
If 6 Was 9 {Jimi Hendrix} 6:00
Orbitron Attack {Grace Cook} 12:29
Cosmic Slop {G Clinton, B Worrell} 5:15
Free-Bass (Godzillatron Cush) {B Laswell, B Collins, Dennis Weeden} 5:43
Tell The World {B Collins, Maceo Parker, Sylvester Stewart} 3:53
Pray My Soul {G Cook} 5:08
Disc 2:
Hideous Mutant Freekz {G Clinton, B Collins, B Worrell, B Laswell} 7:25
Sax Machine {B Collins, M Parker, Bobby Byrd} 7:47
Animal Behavior {B Laswell, B Collins, Buckethead} 7:09
Trumpets And Violins, Violins {J Hendrix} 3:38
Telling Time {Nicky Skopelitis} 4:57
Jungle Free-Bass {B Laswell, B Collins} 5:38
Blackout {DeWayne McKnight} 3:44
Sacred To The Pain {G Cook, Umar Bin Hassan} 4:54
Personnel:
Producer: Bill Laswell
"Order Within The Universe"
Organ: Bernie Worrell
Turntable: DXT
Bass, Beats, Sound EFX: Bill Laswell
"Under The Influence"
Vocals: George Clinton, Gary Cooper, Bootsy Collins, Michael Payne,
Debra Barsha, Zhana Saunders
Guitar: Bootsy Collins
Piano: Herbie Hancock
Bass: Robbie Shakespeare
Drums: Anton Fier
Drum Programming: Sly Dunbar
Congas: Daniel Ponce
Cowbell, Percussion: Aiyb Dieng
Tuba: Edwin Rodriguez
Baritone Horn, Euphonium: Joe Daly
Trumpet, Flugelhorn: Ted Daniel
Bassoon: Janet Grice
Tenor Saxophone, Flute: J.D. Parron
Horns arranged: Henry Threadgill
"If 6 Was 9"
Lead Vocals, Space Bass: Bootsy Collins
Guitar: Blackbyrd McKnight, Nicky Skopelitis
Backwards Guitar: Robert Musso
Intro Guitar: Buckethead
Violin: Lili Haydn
"Orbitron Attack"
Guitar: Eddie Hazel
Space Bass: Bootsy Collins
Organ: Bernie Worrell
Drums: Jerome "Bigfoot" Brailey
"Cosmic Slop"
Vocals: Garry Shider, Gary "Mudbone" Cooper
Guitar: Garry Shider, Bootsy Collins, Michael Hampton
Organ: Bernie Worrell
Fairlight: Nicky Skopelitis
Bass: Robbie Shakespeare
Drums: Sly Dunbar
Congas: Aiyb Dieng
Material Strings Arranger & Conductor: Karl Berger
"Free-Bass"
Free-Bass: Zillatron (Bootsy Collins)
Stun Guitar: Menace (the Dawg of the C)
"Tell The World"
Vocals: Maceo Parker, Bobby Byrd, Godmoma
Keyboards, Voice: Sly Stone
Other Music: Bootsy Collins
"Pray My Soul"
Guitar: Eddie Hazel
Organ: Bernie Worrell
"Hideous Mutant Freekz"
Vocals: George Clinton, Garry Shider, Gary "Mudbone" Cooper, Bootsy Collins
Guitar, Space Bass: Bootsy Collins
Guitar Solo: Buckethead
Synth: Bernie Worrell
Drum Loops: Anton Fier
"Sax Machine"
Vocals: Maceo Parker, Bobby Byrd, Bootsy Collins
Alto Sax: Maceo Parker
Trombone: Fred Wesley
Guitar, Bass: Bootsy Collins
Low Bass: Bill Laswell
Synth: Bernie Worrell
Percussion: Timothy "T-Bone" David
"Animal Behavior"
Lead Vocals, Space Bass: Bootsy Collins
Organ: Bernie Worrell
Guitar: Buckethead
Turntables: Af Next Man Flip
Drums: Brain
Samples: Bill Laswell
"Trumpets and Violins"
Voice: Abiodun Oyewole
Guitar: Blackbyrd McKnight, Nicky Skopelitis, Robert Musso
Processing: Robert Musso
Intro Guitar: Buckethead
Violin: Lili Haydn
"Telling Time"
6 & 12 String Guitars: Nicky Skopelitis
Organ: Amina Claudine Myers
Bass: Bill Laswell
Drums: Joseph "Zigaboo" Modeliste
Congas: Guilherme Franco
"Jungle Free-Bass"
Jungle Bass: Bootsy Collins
Dub Bass: Bill Laswell
Vocal Sounds: Torture
"Blackout"
Guitar, Bass, Drums: Blackbyrd McKnight
"Sacred To The Pain"
Guitar: Eddie Hazel
Organ: Bernie Worrell
Voice: Umar Bin Hassan
Rating: RC: ****
Comments:
RC: This is a compilation of assorted rare, unreleased & previously
released P.Funk songs from the Axiom label. The previously released
tracks include "Cosmic Slop" (from Material's _The Third Power_),
"Pray My Soul" & "Sacred To The Pain" (from the Axiom Ambient collection),
"Sax Machine" & "Tell The World" (from Maceo Parker's _For All The King's
Men_) "Animal Behavior" (from Praxis' _Transmutation_) and "Telling Time"
(from Nicky Skopelitis' _Ekstasis_). Also, "Hideous Mutant Freaks" was
recorded for the film _Freaked_, but no soundtrack was released for that
film. Lastly, I believe "Order Within The Universe" is taken from
the first part of a Praxis song called "Seven Laws Of Woo". All in all,
this is an excellent, coherent collection of songs that are pretty heavy
in the funk department, with a touch of the Laswell ambient/noise effect.
"Order Within The Universe" is an odd intro, touching on hip-hop,
noise and good ol' funk from Bernie Worrell. The title refers to the
liner notes of _Standing On The Verge..._ from Funkadelic. "Under
The Influence" sounds like an outtake from around the _Smell My Finger_
era of George Clinton. It's an excellent song that tackles Clinton's
'Martial Law' concept much more coherently than the song on the SMF album.
The horn hooks keep the thang funky, and Clinton's vocals are excellent.
The whole thing is pretty mellow, with the 'Funk em just to see the look
on their face' chant used extensively. "If 6 Was 9" is a wacked-out
cover of the Hendrix tune, featuring Bootsy Collins on vocals. It's
very weird and ambient sounding, with subtle Space Bass work. "Orbitron
Attack" is a hardcore Eddie Hazel guitar assault that features the hardest
riff I've ever heard from Mr. Hazel. Despite the intensity, it's still
a groove, and it features a majestic organ intro from Bernie Worrell. The
title is another reference to the liner notes of _Standing On The Verge..._.
"Cosmic Slop" is a truly bizarre cover, featuring Garry Shider once again
doing vocals and guitar, but made amazingly strange by the use of the
Material Strings. This is an extremely successful ambient-funk experiment.
"Free-Bass" is a sort of dull Bootsy jam, done much better later on the
album. "Tell The World" is reviewed elsewhere, but while it sounds good,
it also sounds clearly like an outtake. "Pray My Soul" may be the best
thing here, a brilliant duet with Eddie Hazel and Bernie Worrell, summoning
the original spirit of Funkadelic. Eddie's long solo ranks up there with
"Maggot Brain" and "Good Thoughts, Bad Thoughts". Bernie matches up with
him perfectly. "Hideous Mutant Freekz" is a great song that would have
been better with acoustic drums. Still, Bootsy's Space Bass is so deep
that it matters little. The lyrics and singing are all great here, and
it's just a lot of fun to see the Clinton-Collins-Worrell reunion at
work. "Sax Machine" is reviewed on the Maceo album, _For All The King's
Men_ and "Animal Behavior" is reviewed on the Praxis album, but both
work extremely well here, almost better than on the original albums.
Whoever did the song sequence on this album is a genius. "Trumpets and
Violins" falls a little flat musically, despite the empassioned reading.
"Telling Time" is the sole track with no P.Funk connection, and it's
mildly interesting though not essential. "Jungle Free-Bass" is a great
Bootsy freak-out, along Zillatron lines, but still in a straight groove.
The pace is frantic, almost hardcore. "Blackout" is a good one-man showing
from Blackbyrd, who concentrates on his guitar soloing but spaces it well.
"Sacred To The Pain" is basically the same track as "Pray My Soul", only
Umar Bin Hassan does a great poetry reading over it. Overall, this has
lots of funk goodies collected in one convenient place. Any Funkateer who
doesn't have the source materials already, or is dying to hear some
interesting unreleased material, should definitely pick this one up.
The album features a great cover from Pedro Bell, punning on the
album's title (Funkcronomicon/Necronomicon, the book mentioned by
H.P. Lovecraft as summoning the evil elder gods). A high priestess
type is looking to the storm-filled skies, where the old Funkadelic
logo has been crossed out with "Axiom Funk". Inside, there's a hilarious
cartoon about a female demon devouring assorted members of Axiom.
MT: The album boasts to contain new performances by Sly - when all the
sessions with Sly were done more than ten years ago (almost fifteen).
This is specifically in reference to the song "Tell The World". See
the review for Maceo Parker's _For All The King's Men_ for further details.
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Brides Of Funkenstein
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_Funk Or Walk_ (1978)
Track Listing:
Disco To Go {G Clinton, W Collins} 5:03
War Ship Touchante {G Clinton, B Worrell, Archie Ivy} 5:27
Nappy {G Clinton, B Worrell, Jim Vitti, Garry Shider} 4:29
Birdie {G Clinton, Rodney Curtis, Ron Dunbar, G Shider} 5:39
Just Like You {G Clinton, G Shider} 9:11
When You're Gone {G Cooper, R Dunbar} 5:19
Amorous {G Shider, R Dunbar, R Curtis} 4:54
Personnel:
Producer: George Clinton
Producer on "Disco To Go": George Clinton, William Collins
Brides of Funkenstein are: Lynn Mabry and Dawn Silva (vocals)
Guitars: Phelps Collins, Garry Shider, Michael Hampton
Keyboards: Bernard Worrell, Joel Johnson
Bass: William Collins, Rodney "Skeet" Curtis
Drums: William Collins, Gary Cooper, Frankie "Kash" Waddy, Tyrone Lampkin
Percussion: Larry Fratangelo
Horns: Wayman Reed, George Minger, Danny Turner
Strings: Detroit Symphony
Background Vocals: The Brides, Ron Banks, Larry Demps
String Arrangements on "When You're Gone": Bernard Worrell
String Arrangements on "Amorous": Dave Van De Pitte
Horn Arrangements: Fred Wesley, Bernard Worrell
Rating: RC: ***1/2
Comments:
TK: "Disco To Go" was supposed to be used as the title track for _Ahh...
The Name Is Bootsy, Baby!_
RC: This was one of the first P.Funk side projects. At the same time
George Clinton was organizing Parlet, he also created the Brides, with
a similar concept. The Brides would do some heavier, funkier numbers,
as well as some ballads, and Parlet would do more dance-related songs.
Clinton took a number of already existing unreleased tracks and had Lynn
Mabry and Dawn Silva sing over them. Some of these were Parliament tracks,
others were by the Rubber Band. The result is an interesting, suprisingly
coherent album, held together by the musicial skill of the P.Funk session
men and the riveting vocals of Mabry and Silva.
"Disco To Go" was the best known tune, a song that Clinton wrote to make
fun of disco. Despite its simple disco beat, it's layered by funky horns,
guitar riffs, and a meaty bassline courtesy of Bootsy. The lyrics are
incredibly silly, talking about funkin' on a barnyard that somehow doubled
as a disco. The intro and close, a frantic horn/bass/drum collision,
are still used live by both the P.Funk All-Stars and Bootsy. "War Ship
Touchante" ranks as one of the all-time weirdest P.Funk songs, with
spacy vocals, lasergun-sounding keyboard sounds, and hyper percussion.
Skeet's bass playing stands out. The Brides are in outer space, requiring
us to do 'the dance of sensitivity.' "Nappy" is a horn-oriented tune
that dips into ragtime, with the Brides singing about hairstyles.
"Birdie" is a song with a heavy riff somewhat reminiscient of "Cookie Jar"
that is one of the album's best songs. A strong horn arrangement backs
up the excellent guitar riff and great bass playing. Clinton can be
heard doing backup vocals. The Brides' singing is especially sharp.
"Just Like You" is a string-laden ballad that goes on for way too long
and features little variety. "When You're Gone" features more strings
and a disco-ish beat. The lyrics are more of the same, another love gone
sour. Another forgettable track. "Amorous" is a much better love song,
featuring a great horn riff and rhythm section. The Brides are at their
best here, both together and with Lynn & Dawn taking solo turns. Strings
are used to good effect here.
This album is out of print, not appearing on CD either, but is definitely
a necessity for any serious P.Funk fan. It can be found for anywhere
between $10 and $30, with its availability being generally OK. The cover
features Lynn & Dawn drawn as bionic women.
MT: As a saxophonist, I can say that this album unquestionably features the
blowings of Maceo Parker - though he and the other members of the Horny
Horns (who also sound to be present) were not credited on the back cover.
The mystery is why the hell weren't they credited? They were signed to
Atlantic Records (who released this Brides album) as "Fred Wesley & The
Horny Horns" at the time this album was released!
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_Never Buy Texas From A Cowboy_ (1979)
Track Listing:
Never Buy Texas From A Cowboy {G Clinton, Ron Dunbar} 15:15
I'm Holding You Responsible {G Clinton, Eddie Hazel} 5:30
Smoke Signals {W Collins, G Clinton} 6:40
Mother May I? {G Shider, Tracey Lewis, Jim Vitti} 5:35
Party Up In Here {G Clinton, Rodney Curtis} 5:33
Didn't Mean To Fall In Love {R Dunbar, Pete Bishop} 4:00
Personnel:
Producer: George Clinton
Producer on "Smoke Signals": Bootsy Collins, George Clinton
Producer on "Didn't Mean To Fall In Love": Ron Dunbar
Vocals: The Brides of Funkenstein (Dawn Silva, Sheila Horn, Jeanette McGruder)
Keyboards: Gary Hudgins, Bernie Worrell, Ernestro Wilson, Jerome Rogers,
Rudy Robinson
Bass: Jeff Bunn, Bootsy Collins, Rodney Curtis, Donnie Sterling,
Bruce Nazarian
Guitar: DeWayne McKnight, Garry Shider, Michael Hampton, Eddie Hazel,
Rodney Crutcher, Bruce Nazarian, Bootsy Collins
Drums: Dennis Chambers, Bootsy Collins, Kenny Colton, Jerry Jones
Percussion: Larry Fratangelo, Carl "Butch" Small
Additional Vocals: Jessica Cleaves, Ray Davis, Mallia Franklin, Dr Funk,
Tracey Lewis
Rating: RC: ***1/2
Comment:
RC: The second Brides album sees Lynn Mabry departing, and the addition
of Sheila Horn and Jeanette McGruder as new co-lead singers. This
time, there were more tracks recorded especially for them, featuring
four of their touring band's members: bass player Jeff Bunn, guitarist
DeWayne McKnight, keyboardist Gary Hudgins and drummer Dennis Chambers.
All of these men would end up staying with the P.Funk Mob for years to
come, in all of its various incarnations. Other assorted session men
and P.Funkers popped up as well. New P.Funk member Ron Dunbar worked
extensively with the three Brides, writing and producing many of the songs.
The result is another extremely solid album, with a number of dance tracks,
funky numbers and ballads, balanced well.
The opener is the epic dance track "Never Buy Texas...", a remarkable
song which was undoubtedly inspired by "Knee Deep". It features an incredibly
funky keyboard line and clever lyrics, with numerous solos throughout.
It's a bit repititious at times, as most long dance tracks are, but rarely
loses focus. "I'm Holding You..." is a decent string and horn dominated
number that is most notable for great singing. "Smoke Signals" is a good
tune that sounds Rubber Band-ish, with a solid Bootsy rhythm and backup
vocals from Clinton. It's a dance tune that spotlights the vocalists, and
stays in a basic groove musically. Chuck Brown's "Bustin' Loose" is heard
as a brief snippet. "Mother May I" starts off with a fine guitar solo
and interesting percussion that spices up the standard harmonies of the
singers. Its tempo sounds almost upbeat, but the vocals are more suited
to a ballad. Strings help layer the standard rhythm and the excellent
guitar solo that comes later in the song. "Party Up In Here" is one of
the funkiest numbers on the record, with a doubled up guitar/bass riff
that also matches up with the horn riff, and excellent singing that gets
down and dirty while also producing some beautiful harmonies. "Didn't
Mean To Fall In Love" is the only pure love ballad on the album, and the
singing carries it. The string and rhythm arrangements are both standard.
This album is out of print, not appearing on CD either, but is definitely
a necessity for any serious P.Funk fan. It can be found for anywhere
between $10 and $30, with its availability being generally OK. The cover
features a drawing of the Brides' legs under a giant cowboy hat.
MT: In addition to Blackbyrd and Cherokee - Dennis Chambers also got his start
in P-Funk as a member of the Brides touring band (and was featured on this
album too).
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_The Brides of Funkenstein Live_ (1994)
Track Listing:
Introduction 1:09
War Ship Touchante {G Clinton, B Worrell, Archie Ivy} 7:41
Birdie {G Clinton, Ron Dunbar, G Shider, Rodney Curtis} 8:18
Ride On {G Clinton, W Collins, B Worrell} 4:26
Brides Maids {G Clinton} 1:38
Vanish In Our Sleep {W Collins} 5:18
Together {G Clinton, W Collins, B Worrell} 7:44
Disco To Go {G Clinton, W Collins} 7:34
The James Wesley Jackson {James Wesley Jackson} 9:45
Personnel:
Producer: George Clinton
The Brides of Funkenstein: Lynn Mabry, Dawn Silva (vocals)
Drums: Frank Waddy
Keyboards: Joel "Razor Sharp" Johnson
Sax, Flute: Maceo Parker
Trumpet, Band Leader: Richard "Kush" Griffith
Trombone: Fred Wesley
Bass: Jeff "Cherokee" Bunn
Guitar: DeWayne "Blackbyrd" McKnight
Rating: RC: ***1/2
Comments:
TK: The Japanese version of this CD contains pictures from the time
they toured Japan as a new wave act in 1981.
RC: The album was recorded at the Howard Theatre in Washington, DC,
Nov 1 & 2, 1978. The Brides were one of the opening acts for the
big P.Funk show. The James Wesley Jackson track is actually a comedy
routine done by the "Environmedian", and it's pretty good. Jackson had
a few bit roles on some early Funkadelic albums.
The Brides were still Lynn Mabry and Dawn Silva at this time, although
they added some backup singers known as the 'Bridesmaids' to help
recreate the layered vocal effect found on their albums. The band had
several members of the Rubber Band and Horny Horns in it, as well as
bass player Jeff 'Cherokee' Bunn and DeWayne 'Blackbyrd' McKnight.
The band leader is Richard 'Kush' Griffith. The show oddly begins
with "War Ship Touchante", starting off with the tune to the Wedding March.
Otherwise, it's a fairly straightforward performance of a truly strange
song, with the Brides asking 'May we board you?' "Birdie" is truly hot,
with Blackbyrd absolutely sizzling on guitar and the Brides getting down
and dirty vocally. The Brides also banter with the audience, fully
utilizing their amazing charisma. Then there's a cover of "Ride On",
with Cherokee doing an excellent job of keeping it funking on with his
performance. "Brides Maids" is a brief interlude that has the ladies
singing the chorus to "Good To Your Earhole" and "Mothership Connection".
A delicately-sung version of "Vanish In Our Sleep" is next, a version
worthy of the original that swells musically at the end. Another song
from _Chocolate City_, "Together", is next, and it's wild and loose,
with assorted horn solos and more great harmonies with audience
participation towards the end. The finisher is "Disco To Go", the best
known song from their first album. It's a great version, featuring more
varied horn arrangements than on the original.
The 'Brides Maids' were three female backup singers, added to the live
set to help recreate the original vocal textures of the album. They
were Sheila Horne, Babs Stewart and Jeanette McGruder. Horne and McGruder
became full-fledged Brides on their second album, after Lynn Mabry left.
The CD is still in print but is hard to find. You might be better off
ordering it rather than trying to track it down in a store.
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Ruth Copeland
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_Self Portrait_ (1969)
Track Listing:
Prologue/Child of the North {Ruth Copeland} 5:40
Thanks for the Birthday Card {R Copeland} 4:26
Your Love Been So Good To Me {R Copeland, Lucius "Tawl" Ross, G Clinton} 3:16
The Music Box {R Copeland, E Wayne, Ron Dunbar} 3:40
The Silent Boatman {R Copeland} 5:50
To William in the Night {R Copeland, G Alexander, E Wayne, Ron Dunbar} 2:50
No Commitment {R Copeland} 3:19
I Got A Thing for You Daddy {R Copeland, Eddie Hazel, G Clinton} 3:42
A Gift of Me {R Copeland, E Wayne, R Dunbar} 1:52
Un Bel Di {--the Puccini aria from Madame Butterfly} 5:50
Personnel:
Producer: Ruth Copeland
Drums: Tiki Fulwood
Guitars: Eddie Hazel, Lucius "Tawl" Ross, Ray Monette, Dennis Coffey
Bass: Billy Bass Nelson, Bob Babbit
Keyboards: Bernie Worrell
Vocals: Ruth Copeland, George Clinton, Choraliers gospel singers
Orchestra: Detroit Symphony
Other musicians: Tommy Bell, Andrew Smith, Tom Neme, Tony Camillo
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_i am what i am_ (1971)
Track Listing:
The Medal {Ruth Copeland, D Baldwin} 6:50
Cryin' Has Made Me Stronger {R Copeland, G Clinton} 5:39
Hare Krishna {R Copeland, G Clinton} 3:22
Suburban Family Lament {R Copeland, Eddie Hazel} 3:48
Play With Fire {Mick Jagger, Keith Richards} 7:16
Don't You Wish You Had (What You Had When You Had It)
{R Copeland, G Clinton} 4:49
Gimme Shelter {M Jagger, K Richards} 7:54
Track Listings:
Producer: Ruth Copeland
Bass: Billy Nelson & Dawn Hatcher
Drums: Tiki Fulwood
Guitar: Eddie Hazel, Ron Bykowski, Ray Monette
Organ: Bernie Worrell, Dave Case
Piano: Bernie Worrell
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Otis Day and the Knights
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_Shout_
Track Listing:
Something Dumb {Lafayette Stone, G Clinton, Dewayne Jesse} 5:24
I Knock The Bottom Outta Mine {Lige Curry, G Clinton} 6:17
Ice Melting {G Clinton, Vivian Lewis} 3:11
You And Your Folks
{G Clinton, B Worrell, William Nelson, Clarence Haskins} 4:46
Shout {O'Kelly Isley, Ronald Isley, Rudolph Isley} 4:39
Function At The Junction {Frederick Long, Edward Holland, Jr.} 5:36
I Wanna Testify {G Clinton, Deron Taylor} 4:09
Who's Making Love
{Homer Banks, Bettye Crutcher, Raymond Jackson, Don Davis} 3:25
Shamalamma Ding Dong {Mark Davis} 3:42
Personnel:
Producer: George Clinton
Otis Day and The Knights are: Dewayne Jesse, Amelia Jesse, Greg Hanley
No further information concerning musicians found on the LP.
Rating: **
Comments:
CK: This featured their version of the Isley Brothers' song (title track)
as performed in the film _Animal House_. It also includes "Something Dumb"
and "Knock The Bottom Out Of Mine" (two new Clinton tracks) and cover
versions of old Clinton songs ("You And Your Folks, Me And My Folks", "Ice
Melting", "Testify") which are sort of intriguingly synthesized.
RC: As with all 80's Clinton productions, this album has its moments but
it's limited musically because of the dominance of drum and synth
programming that gives every song a hollow feel. "Something Dumb" is
actually a pretty good song lyrically, attacking those who preach and
then 'turn around and do something dumb'. Musically, it's a basic synth
track. "Knock The Bottom..." is a well-sung track that uses the 'Put a
hump in your back' line from "Ride On"; it's more of the same musically.
"Ice Melting" is a cover of an old Clinton-written song. It's sugary-sweet
but well sung, with the electronic percussion adding to it in some strange
way. Still, not for all tastes. "You And Your Folks" is a cover of the
Funkadelic classic, which isn't badly done. Good singing and an interesting
electronic interpretation that actually sounds lean. "Shout" covers the
Isley Bros. classic, that 'Otis Day & The Knights' did in the film.
It's more of the same, a classic soul cut with an electronic feel musically
but sung like the original; it's remarkably straightforward otherwise.
"Function At The Junction" is also much the same, although this doesn't work
as well as the other covers. "Testify" is one of the funkiest cuts,
with a nice synth bass line. The tinny percussion doesn't help, but it's
allayed by the good vocals and the use of the 'Whoa ha ha' chant. Sounds
much more like the original version of "Testify" than the version that
appeared on _Up For The Down Stroke_. "Who's Making Love" is one of
the weaker tracks on the album, with the musical arrangement being
completely bland. "Shamalama..." is another too-sugary arrangement, with
the doo-wopping being a nice thought, but the wailing synth and drum
machines just being too out of place.
Worth a listen if you can get it cheap, but not worth worrying about
for the most part.
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Eramus Hall
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_Go Head_ (1984)
Track Listing:
I Can't Keep My Head (I Always Lose It To You) {J Martin} 5:57
Stuck In The Mud {J Martin, Marvin Williams} 3:35
Freaky But Sneaky {J Martin, William Tillery, James Wilkerson, M Williams} 3:51
Stir It Up {J Martin, W Tillery, M Williams, Armen Boladian, J Wilkerson} 3:27
Keep Me Burnin' {G Clinton, Bob Bishop, W Collins} 4:53
Checkin' You, Checkin' Yourself Out
{W Collins, J Martin, M Williams, B Bishop, G Clinton} 5:37
Will You Love Me? (The Same Way Tomorrow) {J Wilkerson, W Tillery} 3:48
I Can't Keep My Head (I Always Lose It To You) [Reprise in Spanish]
{J Martin} 1:29
Personnel:
Lead Vocals: Michael Gatheright, William Tillery, James Wilkerson
Guitar: Marvin Williams
Keyboards: Michael Gatheright
Bass: Joe Anderson
Drums: Bernard Provost
Alto sax: William Tillery
Trumpet: James Wilkerson, Grady Smith
Percussion: James Wilkerson
Background vocals: Billy Ray Crumb, Mahlia Franklin, Robert "Peanut" Johnson,
Lige Curry, Michael "Clip" Payne, Garry Shider and Gary Cooper, Grady Smith,
Joe Anderson, Marvin Williams
Support personnel: Louis Resto, Larry Fratengelo, Garry Shider,
The P-Funk Horns, Arnoldt Williams Music, Daryll Clinton, Joe Peraino,
Andre Lewis, Gary Schunk
Rating: RC: **1/2
Comments:
RC: This is a marginal P.Funk album, included here because of the large
number of P.Funkers that perform, and their connection with Clinton back
in their Westbound days. One of the lead singers, Michael Gatheright,
would later go on to sing with Bootsy's New Rubber Band. The album is
actually pretty good, surprising considering the musical climate of that
time. It's helped along by the 'support personnel' and excellent singing.
The P.Funk Horns certainly help to fill in a lot of musical gaps. Clinton
and Bootsy Collins cowrote a few of the songs.
"I Can't Keep My Head" is a solid upbeat dance tune. "Stuck In The Mud"
is a good mid-tempo number with funky keyboards and bass synth, and great
group singing. "Freaky But Sneaky" is a too-slick dance tune that gets
mired in a dull rhythm track. "Stir It Up" is a good rock tune with more
good singing and nice horn work. "Keep Me Burning" is a funky track
with hot rhythm, more tasty horns, Mudbone doing backup vocals, and
some nice guitar licks. "Checkin' You..." is another over-synthed cut
that gets tiresome quickly despite an engaging guitar vamp. "Will You
Love Me" is a slightly Latin-influenced ballad, with good percussion.
The spanish reprise of "I Can't Keep My Head" is certainly weird, and
quite unnecessary.
This album is decent, but unremarkable. It's out of print, and is
worth a listen if you can find it a good price.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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------------
Andre Foxxe (Williams)
------------
_I'm Funk And I'm Proud_ (1993)
Track Listing:
Fox Hunt {A Foxxe} 4:02
Toyota Corolla {A Foxxe} 4:29
Love Deeper {A Foxxe, G Clinton} 4:27
Pizzaz {W Collins, G Clinton} 5:34
In My Mind {A Foxxe, Michael Payne} 6:35
Reputation {A Foxxe, Red Hot Chili Peppers} 1:33
Mature Freak {A Foxxe} 3:26
Puppy Love {A Foxxe} 4:08
Squirrel Looking For A Nut {A Foxxe, Robert Evans} 5:03
Open House {A Foxxe, Chris Bruce, Patric Drummond, Robert Garrett} 3:30
When Ends Meet {A Foxxe} 3:40
Black Beach {A Foxxe} 3:40
Personnel:
Arranged by Andre Foxxe, George Clinton, Mike "Clip" Payne
"Fox Hunt"
Producer: Andre Foxxe
Lead Vocals: Andre Foxxe
Background Vocals: Andre Foxxe, Lige Curry, Steve Boyd, Mike Clip
Payne, Gary Shider, Ken Williams, Patric Drummond, Robert Johnson,
George Clinton
Bass: Ken Williams
Guitars: Billy Parker, Andre Foxxe
Keyboards: Patric Drummond, Robert Garrett
Drums: Dean Ragland
"Toyota Corolla"
Producer: Andre Foxxe
Lead Vocals: Andre Foxxe
Background Vocals: Andre Foxxe
Bass: Lige Curry
Guitars: Andre Foxxe
Keyboards: Patric Drummond, Robert Garrett
Drum Programming: Andre Foxxe
"Love Deeper"
Producers: George Clinton, Andre Foxxe
Lead Vocals: Andre Foxxe, George Clinton
Background Vocals: Andre Foxxe, George Clinton
Guitars: DeWayne "Blackbyrd" McKnight
All Instruments: Andre Foxxe
"Pizzaz"
Producers: George Clinton, Andre Foxxe
Background Vocals: George Clinton, Bootsy Collins, Gary Cooper,
Ken Williams, Robert Johnson
Bass: Bootsy Collins
Guitars: Bootsy Collins
Keyboards: Bootsy Collins, David Spradley
Drum Programming: Bootsy Collins
"In My Mind"
Producer: Andre Foxxe
Lead Vocals: Andre Foxxe
Background Vocals: Andre Foxxe, Mike Clip Payne, Amp Fiddler, Ron Ford,
Jessie Talbert
Bass: Ken Williams
Guitars: Jessie Talbert
Keyboards: Andre Foxxe, Mike Clip Payne, Amp Fiddler
Drum Programming: Sundeata
"Reputation"
Producer: Andre Foxxe
Lead Vocals: Andre Foxxe, Anthony Kiedis, Mike Clip Payne
Background Vocals: Andre Foxxe
Bass: Flea
Guitars: Billy Parker, Andre Foxxe, Hillel Slovak
Drum Programming: Andre Foxxe, Cliff Martinez
"Mature Freak"
Producer: Andre Foxxe
Lead vocals: Andre Foxxe, Steve Boyd
Background Vocals: Andre Foxxe, Shirley Hayden, Steve Boyd,
Mike Clip Payne, Patric Drummond, Ken Williams
Bass: Ken Williams
Guitars: Billy Parker, Andre Foxxe
Keyboards: Patric Drummond, Robert Garrett
Drums: Dean Ragland
"Puppy Love"
Producers: George Clinton, Andre Foxxe
Lead Vocals: Andre Foxxe, Anita
Background Vocals: Andre Foxxe, George Clinton, Anita, Joe Harris
Bass: Andre Foxxe
Guitars: Jessie Talbert, Mike Clip Payne
Keyboards: Andre Foxxe, Amp Fiddler
Drum Programming: Andre Foxxe, Mike Clip Payne
"Squirrel Looking For A Nut"
Producer: Andre Foxxe
Lead vocals: Andre Foxxe
Background Vocals: Andre Foxxe, Lige Curry, Patricia Curry, Pat Lewis,
Steve Boyd, Mike Clip Payne, Gary Shider, Ken Williams, Patric Drummond,
Erik Williams, Robert Johnson, George Clinton, Robert Evans
Bass: Ken Williams
Guitars: Billy Parker
Keyboards: Patric Drummond, Robert Garrett
Drum Programming: Andre Foxxe
"Open House"
Producer: Andre Foxxe
Lead vocals: Andre Foxxe
Background Vocals: Andre Foxxe, Patric Drummond, Joe Harris, Pat Lewis,
Mike Payne, Steve Boyd, Robert Garrett, Lloyd Williams
Bass: Chris Bruce, Carl Robinson
Guitars: Chris Bruce
Keyboards: Patric Drummond, Robert Garrett
Drum Programming: Chris Bruce
"When Ends Meet"
Producer: Andre Foxxe
Lead Vocals: Andre Foxxe
Background Vocals: Andre Foxxe, Paul Hill, Louie Kabbabie, Steve Boyd,
Lige Curry, Starr Cullars, Mike Clip Payne, Kim Crowley
Guitars: Andre Foxxe, Jessie Talbert, Michael Hampton
Bass: Andre Foxxe
Keyboards: Andre Foxxe, Amp Fiddler
Drum Programming: Mike Clip Payne
"Black Beach"
Producer: Andre Foxxe
Lead Vocals: Andre Foxxe
Background Vocals: Andre Foxxe, Belita Woods, Gary Shider
Bass: Ken Williams
Guitars: Billy Parker, Andre Foxxe
Keyboards: Patric Drummond, Robert Garrett
Drum Programming: Andre Foxxe
Rating: **1/2
Comments:
RC: Most of this album was recorded in 1986, when the "Black Beach"/
"Pizazz" single came out. Williams is a young Funkateer and a member
of the P.Funk All-Stars touring band (the guitarist with the wedding
dress, and now a nun's outfit) who sort of followed them around when he
was a kid until he learned how to play. He was a member of Trey Lewd's
Flastic Brain Flam, Tracey Lewis' band that never got anything released.
Most of the record is dominated too much by drum machines and synthesizers
(same old story for mid-80's funk), but it does have its moments. Williams
is not a great singer, but his voice does have a rough quality that's
appealing. While known primarily as a rhythm guitarist, he can lay
down some Michael Hampton-influenced leads as well.
"Foxxe Hunt" is one of the better tracks, with acoustic drums, a great
lead guitar presence and funky keys. "Toyota Corolla" features inspired
singing that is hampered by lukewarm keys and a lame drum track. "Love
Deeper" features George Clinton on vocals, some interesting piano ideas
and another lame drum track, but it does feature a Blackbyrd solo.
"Pizzazz" is an odd Bootsy track built around some samples. It sounds more
like a Bootsy outtake than a ready-to-go song, with lots of odd
experimentation with synth sounds and few vocals. "In My Mind"
is another synth-dominated song that goes nowhere. "Reputation" is a bit
of guitar madness that features the Red Hot Chili Peppers. It's more
Funkadelic-oriented than the other songs, and it works well. "Mature
Freak" is a decent mid-tempo funk tune that has good bass playing
and solid guitars. "Puppy Love" is a bland dance number. "Squirrel..."
is a funny Prince-like song that features some kickin' keyboards and
a rumbling guitar riff, as well as effectively raspy vocals from Andre.
"Open House" is a driving funk tune that has good guitarwork and a thumping
bassline. It also refers to Funkadelic's "Baby I Owe You Something Good".
"When Ends Meet" is most notable for a Michael Hampton appearance,
but the vocals and keys fairly bland. "Black Beach" is a sleep-inducing
finisher, sounding like something from Windham Hill.
The album is hard to find, even as an import. Expect to see it running
for $30 and more. It's not worth that much money, but if you see it for
less, pick it up.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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-------------------------------
Mallia "Queen of Funk" Franklin
-------------------------------
_Funken Tersepter_ (1995)
Track Listing:
Too Many Fish In The Sea {Norman J Whitfield, Edward Holland Jr.} 4:04
In And Out Of Love {Mallia Franklin, Ernestro Wilson} 4:17
Buzzards (Don't Let Em Get Me) {Walter Morrison} 8:45
Time To Feel Good {M Franklin, E Wilson} 4:49
Hipnotize (In Under The Influence) {Lanar Kern Brantley, M Franklin} 4:30
Interlude (Of Love) {W Morrison} 2:38
This Must Be Truely Love {M Franklin, Eddie Hazel} 5:06
Rat-A-Tat-Tat (At My Door) {M Franklin, E Hazel} 5:05
Universal Jam "Y'all" {M Franklin, E Wilson} 4:54
Got My Body Hot {K Shoukar, M Franklin, J Ali} 5:48
Personnel:
"Too Many Fish In The Sea"
Producer: Mallia Franklin
Rhythm Track Arrangement: Richard "Kush" Griffith
Background Vocal Arrangement: Garry "Dowop" Shider, Gary "Mudbone" Cooper
Lead Vocal Arrangement: Mallia Franklin, Gary Shider
Pre-Production-1983:
Bass: J. Ali
Drums: Jerry Jones
Keyboards: David Lee Spradley, Ernestro Wilson
Guitar: Tony Thomas, Dwayne "Blackbyrd" McKnight
Horns: Maceo Parker, Fred Wesley, Richard "Kush" Griffith, Larry Hatcher
Horn Arrangement: Richard "Kush" Griffith
Saxophone Solo: Maceo Parker
Update Production-1994:
Bass: Allen McGrier
Drums: Land Richards
Keyboards: Ernestro Wilson, David Lee Spradley, Harry Bowens
Guitar: Ricky Rouse, Dwayne "Blackbyrd" McKnight
Horns: Maceo Parker, Fred Wesley, Richard "Kush" Griffith, Larry Hatcher
Horn Arrangement: Richard "Kush" Griffith
Background Singers: Gary "Mudbone" Cooper, Gary "Dowop" Shider, Eddie Hazel,
Robert "P-Nut" Johnson, Mallia Franklin, Michael "Clip" Payne, Ron Ford,
Joe "Pep" Harris
"In and Out of Love"
Producer: Mallia Franklin
Background & Lead Vocal Arrangement: Gary "Mudbone" Cooper, Mallia Franklin
Pre-Production-1983"
Bass Keyboards, Keyboards: Ernestro Wilson
Guitar: Gordon Carlton
Horns: Maceo Parker, Fred Wesley, Richard "Kush" Griffith, Larry Hatcher
Horn Arrangement: Fred Wesley
Saxophone Solo: Maceo Parker
Drum Program: A.J. Sparks
Update Production-1994:
Bass Keyboards: Tony Stone
Keyboards: Ernestro Wilson, Sir Harry Bowens
Guitar: Gordon Carlton
Drum Program: David Scheffler
Background Singers: Gary "Mudbone" Cooper, Mallia Franklin
"Buzzards (Don't Let Em Get Me)"
Producer: Walter "Junie" Morrison
Lead & Background Vocal Arrangement: Walter "Junie" Morrison
Pre-Production-1982:
Bass, Keyboards, Guitar, Drums: Walter "Junie" Morrison
Update Production-1994:
Additional Background Vocals: Mallia Franklin
Additional Lead Vocals: Mallia Franklin, Conley Abrams
Additional Arrangement: Conley Abrams, Mallia Franklin
Horns: Maceo Parker, Fred Wesley, Richard "Kush" Griffith, Larry Hatcher
Trumpet Solo: Tyrone Griffin
Horn Arrangement: Walter "Junie" Morrison, Tyrone Griffin
Background Singers: Walter "Junie" Morrison, Kimberly Abrams, Mallia Franklin,
Conley Abrams, Robert Jordan
"Time To Feel Good:
Producer: Mallia Franklin
Background & Lead Vocal Arrangement: Mallia Franklin
Pre-Production-1982:
Drums: Bobby Franklin
Bass Keyboards: Ernestro Wilson
Keyboards: Ernestro Wilson, Manon Salsby
Guitar: Gordon Carlton, J. Ali
Horns: Maceo Parker, Fred Wesley, Richard "Kush" Griffith, Larry Hatcher
Horn Arrangement: Fred Wesley, Maceo Parker
Saxophone Solo: Maceo Parker
Update Production-1994:
Bass Keyboards: Ernestro Wilson
Keyboards: Vincent Bonham, Ernestro Wilson
Guitar: Ricky Rouse, J. Ali, Gordon Carlton
Drum Program: David Scheffler, Conley Abrams
Horns: Maceo Parker, Fred Wesley, Richard "Kush" Griffith, Larry Hatcher
Horn Arrangement: Fred Wesley, Maceo Parker
Background Singers: Cynthia Girty, Carolyn Stanford, Tony Arnell Carmichael,
Steve Boyd, Bobby Franklin, Mallia Franklin
"Interlude (Of Love)"
Producer: Walter "Junie" Morrison
Keyboard: Brian Tate
Keyboard Arrangement: Mallia Franklin
Lead Vocal Arrangement: Mallia Franklin
Pre-Production-1986"
Bass Keyboards: Walter "Junie" Morrison
Keyboards: Walter "Junie" Morrison
Drum Program: Walter "Junie" Morrison
Update Production-1994
Bass: Brian Tate
Guitar: Gary "Dee Dee" James
Drum Program: Conley Abrams, Mallia Franklin
Bass Keyboards: Walter "Junie" Morrison
Keyboards: Walter "Junie" Morrison
Background & Lead Vocal Arrangement: Mallia Franklin
Producer: Mallia Franklin
Background Singers: Mallia Franklin, Kimberly Abrams, Teresa Allman,
Robert Jordan
"This Must Be Truly Love"
Producer: Walter "Junie" Morrison
Background & Lead Vocal Arrangement: Walter "Junie" Morrison
Pre-Production-1986:
Engineer-Eric Morgenson
Bass Keyboards-Walter "Junie" Morrison
Keyboards-Walter "Junie" Morrison
Drum Program-Walter "Junie" Morrison
Update Production-1994:
Bass: Brian Tate
Guitar: Gary "Dee Dee" James
Drum Program: Conley Abrams, Mallia Franklin
Bass Keyboards: Walter "Junie" Morrison
Keyboards: Walter "Junie" Morrison
Background Vocal Arrangement: Mallia Franklin
Lead Vocal Arrangement: Mallia Franklin
Producer: Mallia Franklin
Background Singers: Mallia Franklin, Kimberly Abrams, Teresa Allman,
Robert Jordan
"Rat-A-Tat-Tat"
Producer: Mallia Franklin, Eddie Hazel
Background Vocal Arrangement-Eddie Hazel, Mallia Franklin
Lead Vocal Arrangement-Eddie Hazel, Mallia Franklin
Pre-Production-1983:
8 String Bass: Eddie Hazel
Keyboards: David Lee Spradley, Ernestro Wilson
Guitar: Tony Thomas, Eddie Hazel
Drums: Jerry Jones
Horns: Maceo Parker, Fred Wesley, Richard "Kush" Griffith, Larry Hatcher
Horn Arrangement: Richard "Kush" Griffith, Maceo Parker
Update Production-1994:
Bass: Eddie Hazel
Keyboard: David Lee Spradley, Ernestro Wilson
Guitar: Eddie Hazel, Gary "Dee Dee" James, Ricky Rouse
Drums: Jerry Jones
Drum Program: Conley Abrams
Background Singers: Eddie Hazel, Brian Bellamy, Conley Abrams,
Maxsimilliano Marsinelli, Robert Jordan, Mallia Franklin
Horns: Maceo Parker, Fred Wesley, Richard "Kush" Griffith, Larry Hatcher
"Universal Jam 'Y`all'"
Producer: Mallia Franklin
Background & Lead Vocal Arrangement: Garry Shider,
Gary "Mudbone" Cooper, Mallia Franklin
Pre-Production-1983:
Drums: Jerry Jones
Bass: J. Ali
Keyboards: Ernestro Wilson, Manon Salsby
Guitar: Gordon Carlton, J. Ali
Drum Program: A.J. Sparks
Horns: Maceo Parker, Fred Wesley, Richard "Kush" Griffith, Larry Hatcher
Update Production-1994:
Bass Keyboards: David Scheffler, Mallia Franklin
Keyboards: Ernestro Wilson, Sir Harry Bowen
Guitar: Gordon Carlton, J. Ali
Horns: Maceo Parker, Fred Wesley, Richard "Kush" Griffith, Larry Hatcher
Horn Arrangement: Maceo Parker, Fred Wesley
Drum Program: David Scheffler, C. Abrams, Mallia Franklin
Background Singers: Shirley Hayden, Janice Evans Edwards, Gwen Evans,
Jeanette McGruder, Kim Seay, Linda Brown Shider, Sheila Horne Washington,
Eddie Hazel, Ray Davis, Ron Ford, Gary "Mudbone" Cooper, Garry "Dowop" Shider,
Belita Woods, Robert "P-Nut" Johnson, Pat Lewis, Larry Hatcher,
Hoe "Pep" Harris, Sir Harry Bowen, Steve Boyd
Baby Funkers-1982:
Andre Fox, Tracy Lewis, Steve Parnell, Michael "Clip" Payne, Patty Walker
Kids-Seth Neblett, Shelly Hayden, The BoBo Family, The Perkins Family,
Azzure Bobo, Sheldon Jarmon
"Got My Body Hot"
Producer: Mallia Franklin
Background Vocal Arrangement: Gary "Mudbone" Cooper, Mallia Franklin,
Garry "Shy Guy" Shider
Lead Vocal Arrangement: Mallia Franklin, Garry Shider
Pre-Production-1981:
Drums: Kenny Colton
Keyboards: David Lee Spradley, Ernestro Wilson
Bass: J. Ali
Guitar: DeWayne "Blackbyrd" McKnight, Tony Thomas, J. Ali
Horns: Maceo Parker, Fred Wesley, Richard "Kush" Griffith, Larry Hatcher
Horn Arrangement: Maceo Parker, Fred Wesley
Trombone Solo: Fred Wesley
Update Production-1994 :
Drums, Bass Keyboards: Tony Stone
Keyboards: David Lee Spradley, Ernestro Wilson
Guitar: DeWayne "Blackbyrd" McKnight, Tony Thomas
Drum Program: David Scheffler, Tony Stone
Background Singers: Shirley Hayden, Janice Evans Edwards, Kim Seay,
Linda Brown Shider, Mallia Franklin, Gwen Evans, Jeanette McGruder,
Gary "Mudbone" Cooper, Garry "Shy Guy" Shider, Robert "P-Nut" Johnson,
Val Young
Rating: RC: ***
Comments:
VW: As for the music on the CD - no big deal. It seems
that most of the update production consists of throwing on a boring
drum machine rhythm and turning the guitars way down.
Mallia's claim of being the Queen of Funk is not helped by this CD.
If I were a person who had no clue about Mallia and if someone were to
tell me after listening to this Cd, that Mallia is the Queen of Funk,
I would have to assume she earned the title based on past
accomplishments, because _Funken Tersepter_ proves nothing. If
there were a competition for that title (Queen of Funk), it seems
there would be nothing on this CD for the competition to fear. The
lyrics are dull (and I really don't pay much attention to lyrics), the
songs don't stand out at all.
It's good to see a woman in Funk Mob take responsibility for her own
output, though. In cases like the Brides, Parlet, and Jessica
Cleaves, it still seems most of the writing, producing, and so on is
done by the P-Funk men. Good to see a change, but I was expecting more.
About the liner notes, track 5, "Hipnotize" has no player information.
It might have been omitted or it *could* be the same as track 6,
"Interlude (Of Love)". On "Rat-A-Tat-Tat", which like the rest of the
songs has an Update Production date of 1994, Eddie the Maggot Brain is
credited as the bassist, a vocalist and as one of the guitarists. The
only thing I can come up with is he obviously did his parts before he
passed away in '92, and the year given, 1994, is used to indicate
completion of the project.
The rest of the CD's liner notes contain three pages written in
Japanese, a little six-pane comic book (shades of Gloryhallastoopid),
and a little-bitty, grainy picture of Mallia in the back. There had
to be a good, clear picture of the woman somewhere. I wonder why it
wasn't included?
Also notice on track 7, the misspelling of the word, "truly". In the
liner notes, it's spelled correctly. On the back of the jewel box and on
the inside cover of the liner notes, it's spelled "truely". No big thang.
All-in-all, if you want good music, you can pass this cd by without
feeling you missed anything. If you want to have a complete
collection of P-Funk related material, it won't hurt to find and buy
the CD. Make sure you check the used section of your music store
first. Maybe the funk will be upon thee!
RC: While I agree that for the most part the 'production updates'
don't serve any good purpose, there's still too much talent on here
to be dismissed quickly. "Too Many Fish..." is a great track, punched
up by Maceo's presence and great background vocals. "Time To Feel Good"
is a classic funky Parlet-type track with some great singing from Mallia.
"Rat-A-Tat-Tat" is a hot track that features more good singing from Mallia
and hot guitar from Eddie Hazel. Other songs, while somewhat weak, still
feature great backup vocals from Gary Cooper and Garry Shider, horns from
the Horny Horns, and guitar work from Eddie Hazel, Dee Dee James and
DeWayne McKnight. I'd like to hear the material on here before it was
reproduced and slickified.
The album is available only as a Japanese import. It's too expensive
to really be worth it, although it is worth a listen if you can find
it cheaper.
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-------
Godmoma
-------
_Here_ (1982)
Track Listing:
Taste of Magic {Carolyn Myles, W Collins, David Spradley} 4:49
Godmoma Here {Phelps Collins, W Collins, Joel "Cheese" Johnson} 5:31
Hands Up (Punk Funk) {W Collins, D Spradley, Carl "Butch" Small} 6:40
I Like It {Cynthia Girty, Arnenita Walker, W Collins} 3:56
Spice (Too Nice) {P Collins, W Collins} 6:05
Be All You Can Be {Sylvester Stewart, W Collins} 3:22
Godmoma of Love {C Girty, A Walker, W Collins} 6:31
Personnel:
Producer: Bootsy Collins
Godmoma Singers: Cynthia Girty (Sugar Baby), Tony Walker (T Baby),
Carolyn Myles (Baby Kay)
Guitar: Catfish Collins, Bootsy Collins
Percussion: Godmoma, Bootsy Collins, Carl "Butch" Small, Bebop, Maruga Booker
Drums: Bootsy, Tiger Martin on "I Like It"
Space Bass: Bootsy Collins, Mike Mitchell on "Taste of Magic"
Horny Horns: Fred Wesley, Maceo Parker, Richard Griffith, Larry Hatcher,
Don Bynum, Greg Boyer, David McMurray
Synth: Sly Stone, David Spradley
Lyricon Solo: Mike Warner
All Rhythm Arrangements By: Guess Who B----y?
Rating: RC: ***1/2
Comment:
RC: This was a Bootsy production all the way, doing his take on the
whole 'girl-group' thang. As is to be expected, his version is very
funky, with an emphasis on singing. While there's some disco fluff
and a dull ballad here, most of the stuff is very tight, with Sly
Stone popping in for a session or two. The material is very lively,
not relying on strings to punch up the songs like some of the Brides
and Parlet albums. Most of all, the spirit, enthusiasm and craft of
Bootsy shine in on every track. Even on the most standard of songs,
there will be an interesting bass part here, an interesting vocal
there. The singers themselves are very good, with an aggressive,
in-your-face vocal style. Also notable are their writing credits on
the songs, which had been almost unheard of for the Brides or Parlet.
"It's Magic" is straight-up disco, covering every cliche in the book
except the hanging silver globe on the ceiling. In spite of that,
there are some interesting vocals, sounding a bit like Parliament's
"Crush It" (a Bootsy track) in some spots. "Godmoma Here" features
great singing and funky bass synth, probably from David Spradley.
"Hands Up" is a definite winner, an update of "Rubber Duckie" with
amazingly salacious lyrics. "I Like It" is a clunker ballad that just
doesn't go anywhere. "Spice" has great bass playing and a catchy guitar
riff. "Be All You Can Be" is a great slow song, pretty much arranged
by Sly Stone. It would later pop up in 1990 on Maceo Parker's album, minus
some of the lyrics and with some new parts played on top of it. Good use of
synth as atmosphere, matching well against the voices. "Godmoma Of Love"
is a good sendoff, a solid funk dance number.
This album is out of print and somewhat hard to find. Expect to pay
anywhere from $10-35 dollars on it if you see it.
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--------
Hardware
--------
_Third Eye Open_ (1994)
Got A Feelin' {Stevie Salas, Buddy Miles} 6:31
Waiting On You {B Miles} 6:10
What's Goin' Down {S Salas} 5:06
Love Obsession (When The Eagle Flies) {B Miles} 4:32
Hard Look {S Salas, W Collins, B Miles} 6:07
Shake It {S Salas, W Collins, David Friendly} 4:28
The Walls Came Down {S Salas} 4:14
500 Years {S Salas} 5:43
Tell Me {S Salas} 5:23
Leakin' {S Salas} 4:20
Personnel:
Producer: Bill Laswell
Vocals: Stevie Salas, Bootsy Collins, Buddy Miles
Guitars: Stevie Salas
Space Bass: Bootsy Collins
Drums, Fuzz Bass: Buddy Miles
Background Vocals: Gary "Mudbone" Cooper, Bernard Fowler, George Clinton
Digital Bollocks: David Friendly, Vince McLean, Matt Stein
Rating: RC: **1/2
Comments:
RC: The group was originally known as Third Eye, and that's the way the
1993 Japanese CD reads, but before they released the CD in the US, it was
discovered that another group had that name and was ready to sue. This
was one of the first Black Arc releases, produced by Bill Laswell. It
revives the 'supergroup concept' of a hardrocking band based around drums,
guitar and bass. The main problem with the whole thing for me is that
I don't much care for Stevie Salas. His guitar playing is too bombastic,
lacking subtlety and taste. On the other hand, it's great to hear Bootsy
doing rock material, a side that was never properly explored when he joined
Funkadelic. Because Salas is essentially a one-trick pony, all of the
songs start to sound alike, with only some Bootsy variations keeping
it afloat. The few rhythm-dominated songs are the best here, as there is
simply too much emphasis on guitar otherwise. With Bootsy and Buddy
Miles, there's no way that the album should have been this unfunky.
"I Got A Feeling" shows the album's problems in a nutshell. The drums
and bass are solid, but the loud guitar overwhelms them, and Salas' vocals
are also rather dull. It does eventually evolve into this weird Hendrixian
breakdown, with Bootsy rapping and a mighty bass groove forming. "Waiting
On You" sounds almost like a Led Zeppelin song that does have some good
singing. It also evolves into something fairly funky, with space bass
dominating and Salas playing a decently funky guitar lick. "What's Goin'
Down" also echoes Hendrix, with backwards guitar ala "Are You Experienced."
"Love Obsession" is a slow song with more solid bass playing, and good
vocals from Miles. It was good to hear a song not going at a zillion miles
per hour, although there was nothing extraordinary about this one.
"Hard Look" is probably the best song here, with more restrained guitar
playing and interesting lyrics. "Shake It" is the obligatory funk rock number,
with Bootsy very noticable on vocals. The drumming is excellent here,
and the guitar sounds more disciplined, interacting more with the bass
instead of just playing over it. "The Walls Came Down" is another slow
tune that sounds like pure heavy metal. "500 Years" is a better mid-tempo
tune with good vocals and a decent riff. "Tell Me" is another heavy metal
ballad. "Leakin'" is a very funky cut driven by Bootsy's bass and vocals.
The bassline recalls "Cosmic Slop" a bit, slightly turned around. The
guitar slices in well here, cutting up big riffs and turning it up during
the solos. The main solo is also more interesting than others on the
albums, hitting the feedback.
This album is in print and should be fairly easy to find.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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-------------
Fuzzy Haskins
-------------
_A Whole Nother Thang_ (1976)
Track Listing:
Tangerine Green {Clarence Haskins} 4:14
Cookie Jar {C Haskins} 4:44
Mr. Junk Man {C Haskins} 3:48
I Can See Myself In You {C Haskins} 3:23
The Fuz And Da Boog {C Haskins, Cordell Mosson} 3:27
Which Way Do I Disco {C Haskins} 4:09
Love's Now Is Forever {C Haskins} 4:17
Sometimes I Rock And Roll {C Haskins} 4:14
I'll Be Loving You {C Haskins} 5:45
Personnel:
Producer: Fuzzy Haskins
Vocals: Fuzzy Haskins
Drums: Tiki Fulwood, Fuzzy Haskins, Cordell Mosson
Bass: Bootsy Collins, Cordell Mosson
Guitars: Ron Bykowski, Donald Austin
Keyboards: Bernie Worrell
String & Horn Arrangement: Bernie Worrell
Rating: RC: ***1/2
Comments:
RC: This was Fuzzy Haskins' first solo album, at around the time he
started to break away from Parliament. As one of the original Parliaments
(after early shakeups in the 50's of course), Fuzzy stood out because
he often sang lead. His voice is as distinctive in its own way as Clinton's
odd tones, with sort of a huskiness to it. It almost sounds like he
was half-singing, and half growling. While this worked well in a five-
man vocal group, the limitations of his voice become apparent after listening
to several of his songs. Still, his albums are a lot of fun, and he had
a number of good lyrical and musical ideas. On this album, he was rather
experimental, mixing in pure rock, an instrumental, some mild psychedelia,
dance songs, and straightforward funk. The presence of Cordell 'Boogie'
Mosson adds a lot to the proceedings, as does Bootsy Collins. Bernie
Worrell also anchors all of the songs the way he did with Parliament.
So the end result is a group of songs that aren't as commercial (in their
own way) as Parliament's, and not as experimental and wild as Funkadelic's.
"Tangerine Green" is one of the best songs on the album, with Tiki Fulwood
starting out with one of his classic rolls on drums. The song is really
punched up by Bernie's keys and early Funkadelic-sounding guitar, making
it nicely psychedelic. Fuzzy's vocals are evocative and the lyrics are
clever, going through a number of colors and their emotional connotations.
"Cookie Jar" is a lightly soulful number that had been performed a number
of times live prior to being on this album. Fuzzy again sounds great here,
with more clever lyrics. The music isn't as interesting, with too much
emphasis on strings. "Mr. Junk Man" is a diatribe against drug dealing
to children that gets overly preachy very fast. Strings are again used
heavily, but there's a tasty lead guitar presence throughout. "I Can See
Myself In You" is a driving funk number with a heavy organ presence and
a great bass groove. Fuzzy's singing is slightly echoed, creating a layered
'heavy' presence that adds a lot to them. "Fuz And Da Boog" is a deeply
funky instrumental that features Fuzzy on drums and Boogie on bass, with
some nice guitar vamping. "Which Way Do I Disco" isn't quite a disco song,
but some of the lyrics certainly show his discontent with George. Heavy
fuzz effects and interesting drumming help along Fuzzy's babbling about
the discotechque protecting him, a lost spaceboy. "Love's Now..."
is a ballad that Fuzzy doesn't quite carry off; it does have an interesting
horn presence. "Sometimes I..." is a great, straight-up rock song that
sounds like it came right out of the 50's, with great back-up harmonies.
Fuzzy's half-raps work really well. "I'll Be Loving You" is a good ballad
that starts with an acoustic guitar introduction and gets progressively
heavier from there. It sounds like something that could have been on
_America Eats Its Young_, with an overall ominous tone and long guitar
solo.
The album is a must-have for any serious P.Funk fan. It's out of print,
but the album can be found in its entirety on a CD reissue with _Radio Active_.
Copies of the LP are rare, but you should be able to find one for anywhere
from $20-50. The cover has a psychedelic drawing of Fuzzy.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
_Radio Active_ (1978)
Track Listing:
Not Yet {Clarence Haskins} 3:55
I Think I Got My Thang Together {C Haskins} 3:46
This Situation Called Love {Glen Goins} 4:48
Gimme Back (Some Of The Love You Got From Me) {C Haskins} 5:21
Things We Used To Do {C Haskins} 4:19
Woman {C Haskins} 4:45
Sinderella {C Haskins} 3:23
Silent Day {C Haskins, Cordell Mosson} 5:40
Personnel:
Producer: Fuzzy Haskins
Vocals: Fuzzy Haskins
Drums: Jerome Brailey, Fuzzy Haskins
Bass: Cordell "Boogie" Mosson, Bruce Nazarian
Guitar: Michael Hampton, Glen Goins, Garry Shider, Fuzzy Haskins
Keyboards: Bernie Worrell
Synth: Gary Schunk, Bruce Nazarian
Piano: Gary Schunk, Glen Goins
Percussion: Jerry Paul Podgajski
Background Vocals: Brandye (Telma Hopkins, Joyce Vincent), Timmy Ryan,
Dennis Coffey
Rating: RC: ***1/2
Comments:
RC: Fuzzy's follow-up album is not as consistent as his first, but the
best songs are truly remarkable and demented. Adding Glen Goins and
Michael Hampton to the mix certainly spiced up the guitar section, and
Boogie returns to anchor the bass. The album isn't as eclectic, either
sticking mainly with slow, sleazy funk numbers or light, uptempo ballads.
"Not Yet" is one of the nastiest P.Funk numbers, and a revelation for
1978. A great horn arrangement and a driving keyboard line drive along
Fuzzy asking his woman not to come yet, because he's not ready. 'If you
let me play in your garden, then I'll let you play in my stash.' Great
backup vocals on a memorable song. "I Think I Got..." is a plodding
number that seems a bit out of Fuzzy's vocal range. It's fluffed up by
strings, horns and background singers. "This Situation..." is a superior
attempt at the same sort of thing, with much better arrangements and a funky
chorus. Good bass playing and guitar vamping here. "Gimme Back" is a
dance number that again seems a bit out of Fuzzy's range. It's a pretty
good attempt at disco funk, with good horn arrangements, solid bass playing
and very good drumming. "Things We Used To Do" is a Boogie Mosson-
driven disco funk number that works well, thanks also to Jerome Brailey's
drumming. Michael Hampton can also be heard in spots. "Woman" is a very
good bass-driven sleaze number, well-accented by the backup vocals and
horn arrangements. "Sinderella" is an upbeat number that shows Fuzzy at
his best, going off like a crazy man, with nice pauses in his singing.
"Silent Day" is a creepy song that sounds like early Funkadelic acid music.
Distorted vocals, lots of echo, and an ominous atmosphere aided by Bernie's
spacey keyboards create a work of greatness.
The album is a must-have for any serious P.Funk fan. It's out of print,
but the album can be found in its entirety on a CD reissue with _A Whole
Nother Thang_. Copies of the LP are rare, but you should be able to find
one for anywhere from $20-50. The cover has an electrical drawing of Fuzzy.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
_A Whole Nother Radio Active Thang_ (1994)
Track Listing:
Tangerine Green
Cookie Jar
Mr. Junk Man
I Can See Myself In You
The Fuz And Da Boog
Which Way Do I Disco
Love's Now Is Forever
Sometimes I Rock And Roll
I'll Be Loving You
Right Back Where I Started From {Clarence Haskins} 3:11
Not Yet
I Think I Got My Thang Together
This Situation Called Love
Gimme Back (Some Of The Love You Got From Me)
Things We Used To Do
Woman
Sinderella
Silent Day
Rating: RC: ****
Comments:
RC: Tracks 1-9 were originally from "A Whole Nother Thang" (1976).
Tracks 11-18 were originally from "Radio Active" (1978).
Track 10, "Right Back Where I Started From" is an outtake.
See the listings for the previous albums for personnel, song credits,
and track times. The liner notes for this are very good (although they
don't provide complete personnel listings), updating us on what happened
to Fuzzy after his music career ended (he became a preacher) and what he's
doing now (planning an album with Westbound's Armen Boladian). The extra
track is excellent. Starting with acoustic guitars and great drumming,
it goes into wah-wah guitar and an 'ooohing' background. The lyrics
take off from the 'look out here I come, right back where I started from'
line from "I Wanna Know If It's Good To You". The CD is a must for anyone
who doesn't own the original albums. It's in print, but may be hard to
find. This is one you'll need to special order.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------
Eddie Hazel
-----------
_Game, Dames and Guitar Thangs_ (1977)
Track Listing:
California Dreamin' {John Phillips, Michelle Phillips} 6:16
Frantic Moment {G Clinton, W Collins, B Worrell} 3:42
So Goes The Story {G Clinton, W Collins} 3:55
I Want You (She's So Heavy) {John Lennon, Paul McCartney} 9:25
Physical Love {W Collins, G Clinton, Gary Cooper, Garry Shider} 5:32
What About It? {Eddie Hazel, G Clinton} 3:46
California Dreamin' (reprise) {J Phillips, M Phillips} 1:30
Personnel:
"California Dreamin'"
Lead vocal and guitar: Eddie Hazel
"Frantic Moment"
Lead guitar: Eddie Hazel
"So Goes The Story"
Lead Guitar: Eddie Hazel
"I Want You (She's So Heavy)"
Lead guitar: Eddie Hazel
"Physical Love"
Lead guitar: Eddie Hazel
Second lead guitar: Garry Shider
"What About It?"
Lead guitars: Eddie Hazel and Michael Hampton
Producer: Eddie Hazel, George Clinton
Guitars: Eddie Hazel, Mike Hampton, Garry Shider, Glenn Goins
Keyboards: Bernie Worrell (except on "I Want You" where Doug Duffey plays
piano)
Drums: Jerome Brailey, Bootsy Collins, Tiki Fulwood
Bass: Bootsy Collins, Billy "Bass" Nelson, Cordell Mosson
Background Vocals: Lynn Mabry, Dawn Silva, Gary Cooper
Rating: RC: ****
Comments:
RC: Even though the album 'concept' here is exceedingly thin, and many
of the tracks were simply recycled from other places, it doesn't matter:
I still love this album. I am a huge Eddie Hazel fan, and this album
allows him to really show his chops and even sing a bit, which he didn't
do much of after the first few Funkadelic albums. With only six songs,
the album is designed to provide a basic framework for Eddie to do a lot
of soloing. This is especially true of the album's covers. The
shorter songs are typical P.Funk songs which focus straight on Eddie.
"California Dreamin'" is a brilliant opus that has an amazing amount
of funky balance. Eddie's spacey-sounding guitar is in effect, and
it matches perfectly with Boogie's solid bass playing, Bernie's keyboards,
Jerome's frantic drumming, and the background vocals from the Brides.
"Frantic Moment" is a slow tune that starts off with some weird, almost
backward-sounding guitar. The guitar line is simple and clean, with
the Brides singing lead throughout. This may have been written for their
first album originally. "So Goes The Story" is a hot song with Bootsy's
slap bass leading a frantic pace. The great percussion also sets up
the spaces for Eddie's amazing solos throughout the song. "I Want You"
is a Beatles cover that works very well. The bassline is excellent and
upfront, with the Brides again doing most of the lead vocals. Eddie's
guitar covers the solos and the melody. "Physical Love" is really the
same song that appears on Bootsy's first album, only with Eddie's guitar
turned up higher. This is probably the least interesting thing here.
"What About It?" can be heard on volume II of the George Clinton Family
Series, as the background to "Clone Communicado". It's a super heavy
guitar piece, with more spacey guitar and a funky little riff attached
to it. It's a great instrumental. The reprise is very brief and actually
focuses on the bass more than anything.
This album is out of print and very rare. A copy could cost you
anywhere from $20-80. The cover is amazing, a collage of Eddie with
his Gibson in one hand and a sword in the other, riding a horse in
a sort of outer-space environment. This is a definite 'holy grail' type item
for P.Funk collectors. If you see it, snatch it up; you may never see
it again.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
_Jams From The Heart_ (1994)
Smedley Smorganoff {Eddie Hazel} 3:04
Lampoc Boogie {E Hazel} 11:45
From The Bottom Of My Soul {E Hazel} 12:30
Unkut Funk {E Hazel} 1:55
No production or additional musician credits.
Rating: RC: ***1/2
Comments:
RC: All the tracks are instrumentals, except for "From The Bottom Of My
Soul." These were recorded at around the same time the rest of the material
on his solo album was done, which is to say 1977 and prior. The last three
tracks show up, slightly altered, on the _Rest in P_ CD. "Lampoc Boogie"
becomes "Juicy Fingers", "From The Bottom Of My Soul" becomes "We Three", and
"Unkut Funk" becomes "Why Cry?". The overall sound quality is better
on _Rest In P_. Really, there's no reason to get this one unless you are
an obsessive collector, now that _Rest in P_ exists. The only drawback is
that _Jams From The Heart_ is a domestic issue, while _Rest In P_ is Japan-
only. The other problem with this CD is that it's just too short; you
never can quite sink your teeth into it. Still, what's there is excellent,
particularly if you love Eddie Hazel. I will once again point out that
I'm extremely biased in his favor, so the rating may be a little high
for those who aren't as into him, particularly Eddie doing a bunch of
(mostly) instrumentals.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
_Rest In P_ (1994)
Track Listing:
Until it Rains {Grace Cook} 4:50
Beyond Word and Measure {G Cook} 4:46
Relic 'Delic (Purple Hazel) {G Cook} 3:01
Straighten Up {G Cook} 5:14
Juicy Fingers {G Cook} 14:18
We Three {G Cook, G Clinton} 12:09
Why Cry {G Cook} 2:48
We Are One {G Cook} 6:10
No, It's Not! {G Cook, G Clinton} 9:23
Until it Rains (reprise) {G Cook} :47
Personnel:
Producer: George Clinton
Vocals: Eddie Hazel, Lynn Mabry, Dawn Silva
Guitar: Eddie Hazel
Bass: Billy "Bass" Nelson, Bootsy Collins
Keyboards: Bernie Worrell
Drums: Tiki Fulwood, Jerome Brailey, Buddy Miles
Rating: RC: ****
Comments:
JC: A lot of the tunes are session jams, some which are clearly
worktapes or such of later songs. All the songwriting credits list Grace Cook--
which is Eddie's mom. George is listed on two others, but since this
disk is basically George plundering the vault, I don't know who actually
wrote what riffs.
MT: Though you may be deluded by the fact that different names were given to
the tracks - virtually all of the material on the _Jams From The Heart_ is
included on _Rest In P_ - with much other additional stuff. (So if you
get this one first - you need not bother to pick up _Jams From The Heart_)
RC: This is available in the US as an import only. This is an excellent,
well-produced collection of Eddie Hazel outtakes from his lone solo
album, _Game, Dames and Guitar Thangs_. Many of the tracks feature the
bulk of the (mostly) original Funkadelic lineup (Eddie, Bernie, Billy Bass
and Tiki), which adds an exciting vibe to the whole thang. As noted
above, several of the songs can also be heard on _Jams From The Heart_.
But the versions here are slightly different and better, with added
instruments and cleaner production values. The whole project was really
done right. I recommend this disc for any fan of Eddie Hazel; you
certainly won't be disappointed. The album also works on its own terms,
but be aware that it's mostly just a collection of instrumentals, and
some of them are screaming for a lyrical track. As such, a few songs get
a little repetitive, which you wouldn't notice if there were vocals
on top. Still, with the top-notch musicians, it's not that much of a
problem.
"Until It Rains" is a mellow piece with restrained guitar playing
and tasteful percussion. "Beyond Word And Measure" definitely sounds
like it was meant for something else; the guitar playing is again
restrained, but Bootsy's slap bass is hot and up front, with the Brides
doing background vocals, and there are some strange sounds from Bernie.
"Relic 'Delic" also appeared on the P.Funk Guitar Army album. It's a
hot but restrained guitar piece that doubles up deeply with the bass;
bits of the "Alice In My Fantasies" riff can be heard. "Straighten Up"
features a funky guitar riff, more doubling up, and piano flavoring;
it's a simple yet funky song. "Juicy Fingers" has that 'ringing' guitar
sound that is so ultra-funky. Jerome Brailey's heavy drum/percussion
influence also helps makes this a hot one. Eddie takes a super-long
solo here with some wah-wah. "We Three" is the only song with lead vocals.
It starts out mellow and soulful, and develops into a long, gorgeous
solo from Eddie. The piano really adds some color to the song.
"Why Cry?" is a funky rocker, with great use of space in between riffs.
The bassline here is super heavy and funky. "We Are One" is another rocker,
with more wah-wah and more dominant percussion. "Not It's Not!" has
more of a jangly guitar effect, with the bass out front. Eddie's solo
is one of his best, coming late into the song.
This CD is available on Japan's P-Vine label, for anywhere from
$25-35. There are a number of GREAT photos of Eddie here.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------
Shining Path
------------
_No Other World_ (1993)
Track Listing:
Freedom {Anders Johansson, Jens Johansson, Jonas Hellborg, Gary Cooper} 5:53
No Other World {A Johansson, J Johansson, J Hellborg, G Cooper} 5:41
They May Be Blind {A Johansson, J Johansson, J Hellborg, G Cooper} 3:59
Kiss Of Death {A Johansson, J Johansson, J Hellborg, G Cooper} 3:07
It Was My Turn To Lose {A Johansson, J Johansson, J Hellborg, G Cooper} 2:25
This Is My Punishment {A Johansson, J Johansson, J Hellborg, G Cooper} 3:11
Kill {A Johansson, J Johansson, J Hellborg, G Cooper} 4:47
Wrath Of Dog {A Johansson, J Johansson, J Hellborg, G Cooper} 8:00
The End {A Johansson, J Johansson, J Hellborg, G Cooper} 4:10
Personnel:
Drums: Anders Johansson
Keys: Jens Johansson
Bass: Jonas Hellborg
Vocals: Gary "Mudbone" Cooper
Rating: RC: **1/2
Comments:
RC: This is a bizarre little project involving Gary "Mudbone" Cooper,
who is quite adept at putting on many different musical hats. Unlike
the Sly Fox album, which was a pop album, this work is more grunge-like.
Playing with three musicians from Sweden, all of whom have been known to
work with Bill Laswell and Co. (as has Mudbone), the music is raw, hard
and high speed. Mudbone's trademark high vocals are nowhere to be seen,
opting instead for a breathy growl. I certainly wouldn't classify this
as a funk album, although some of it is interesting. Fans of Praxis
should definitely check this out, and fans of Mudbone will be interested
in seeing a different side of him.
"Freedom" is probably the best track, with a heavy organ presence and
funky vocals. The other track that caught my ear was "Wrath Of Dog",
an interesting, slower song with a thick bass feel and the occasional
hardcore break. The rest of the songs feature hyper drumming, hardcore/
metal sounding guitar (not unlike Metallica) with some interesting
whines and squeals, and growls & screams from Mudbone.
The CD is in print, but is tough to find. Check places like Tower
or an online CD service. There's a nice picture of Mudbone inside the
CD case.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------
Fred Wesley & The Horny Horns
-----------------------------
_A Blow For Me, A Toot To You_ (1977)
Track Listing:
Up For The Down Stroke {W Collins, B Worrell, G Clinton} 9:10
A Blow For Me, A Toot To You {G Clinton, W Collins, Fred Wesley} 7:20
When In Doubt: Vamp {G Clinton, Garry Shider, B Worrell} 4:21
Between Two Sheets {G Clinton, W Collins, Maceo Parker} 6:50
Four Play {G Clinton, W Collins, Glen Goins} 8:03
Peace Fugue {F Wesley} 6:00
A Blow For Me, A Toot To You (remix) 7:09
Four Play (remix) 7:03
Interview 2:03
Personnel:
Horny Horns:
Trombone: Fred Wesley
Tenor & Alto Sax: Maceo Parker
Trumpet: Rick Gardner, Richard "Kush" Griffith
Drums: Jerome Brailey, Frankie "Kash" Waddy, Bootsy Collins
Guitar: Phelps "Catfish" Collins, Garry Shider, Mike Hampton,
Bootsy Collins, Glen Goins
Bass: Bootsy Collins
Synth/Keyboard: Bernie Worrell
Additional Horns: Brecker Brothers (Randy & Michael)
Background Vocals: Richard Griffith, Maceo Parker, Fred Wesley,
Rick Gardner, Phelps Collins, George Clinton, Bernie Worrell,
Gary Cooper, Robert Johnson, Randy Crawford, Lynn Mabry, Dawn Silva,
Taka Kahn, Bootsy Collins
Producer: George Clinton, Bootsy Collins
Interview: George Clinton
Rating: RC: ****
Comments:
RC: Despite the fact that this album is mostly a bunch of old tracks that
were redone with new horn tracks, it's still excellent. The greatness of
the musicians and their amazing output at the time meant that these were
no mere outtakes, but rather excellent tracks that didn't quite fit in
elsewhere. Fittingly, most of the music and vocals are handled by Bootsy's
Rubber Band, for whom the Horny Horns played for on all their records.
In fact, the Horny Horns were named right around the time that the Rubber
Band was born. In addition, frequent Rubber Band contributors Garry Shider,
Michael Hampton and Bernie Worrell can be heard all over the album.
The album stays lightly funky the whole way through, with horns dominant
throughout. The vocals are mostly chants if they're there at all.
The cover of "Up For The Down Stroke" might be even better than the
original. The intro starts out with a number of pauses and Maceo taking
a sax hiccup. The vocals differ sharply from the original in that the
Brides handle the duties, giving it a lighter feel. Some of the vocals
are replaced by solos. "A Blow For Me..." starts out with a grinding
rhythm led by Bootsy, and the horns chiming in here and there. The vocals
are deeply buried behind the horn strikes and bass, with the keys coming
in to add some variety. There are some excellent riffs and descending
horn figures here, as well as super heavy & funky solos from Fred & Maceo.
"When In Doubt: Vamp" features great drumming from Jerome Brailey and
interesting jazzy playing in the intro (focusing on those strange Bernie
keyboard sounds) before it settles into a more standard funk pace. That's
when the horns really got untracked, with the trumpets going particularly
wild, but all the horns solo in and around each other in a great vamp,
as the title suggests. Guitars fill in the spaces. "Between Two Sheets"
is another jazzy number featuring some more interesting interaction between
bass, guitar and horns. The guitar has an interesting distortion to it,
and it sounds a bit like Catfish Collins. This sounds like a Rubber Band
outtake, talking about Casper the Funky Ghost, except that the sections
where Bootsy might have sung are replaced by solos. "Four Play" is
an excellent track that really features some great bass playing from
Bootsy. The rhythm is hypnotic and moving, with the horns coming in
to work against the tension of the guitars & bass. "Peace Fugue" is
a slow Fred Wesley piece that is almost pure jazz. The recurring
musical theme--a slowly swelling ascending figure--is an engaging one,
especially when all the horns pick up on it. Bootsy plays a subtle but
funky bassline in the background. The remixes are a nice bonus, but
not especially revelatory. They add assorted extra beats and scratches,
and isolate certain instruments at times. The remixes were done in
1994, when the album was rereleased.
The album is readily available as a reissue. Fans of Fred, Maceo
and Bootsy should definitely check it out.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
_Say Blow By Blow Backwards_ (1979)
Track Listing:
We Came To Funk Ya {W Collins} 6:55
Half A Man {Billy Nelson, G Clinton} 9:32
Say Blow By Blow Backwards {Fred Wesley} 5:10
Mr. Melody Man {Ron Dunbar, Gary Cooper} 7:04
Just Like You {G Clinton, Garry Shider} 6:47
Circular Motion {F Wesley} 5:43
Half A Man (remix) 5:26
Say Blow By Blow Backwards (remix) 5:26
Interview 3:04
Personnel:
Horns: Fred Wesley, Rick Gardner, Maceo Parker, Richard Griffith
Guitar: Bootsy Collins, Catfish Collins, Garry Shider, Rodney Crutcher,
Michael Hampton
Bass: Bootsy Collins, Donnie Sterling, Billy "Bass" Nelson,
Cordell Mosson, Rodney Curtis
Keyboard: Bernie Worrell, Joel Johnson, Jerome Rogers, Maceo Parker,
Fred Wesley
Drums: Bootsy Collins, Gary Cooper, Frankie Waddy, Ty Lampkin, Jesse Williams
Background Vocals: Gary Cooper, Jessica Cleaves, Dawn Silva,
Jeanette McGruder, Sheila Horne, Robert Johnson, Dr. Funk
Producer: George Clinton, Bootsy Collins, Fred Wesley
Horn Arrangements: Maceo Parker, Fred Wesley
Interview: Bootsy Collins
Rating: RC: ***1/2
Comments:
RC: This was a worthy though not quite as coherent followup album for
the Horny Horns. The influences are a bit more diffuse, with Bootsy's
presence not as pronounced. The artist is (as on the first album) billed
as 'Fred Wesley And The Horny Horns Featuring Maceo Parker', a way of
making sure everyone gets proper credit.
The first track is a good-natured funker, "We Came To Funk Ya". It's
a Parliament-type track, filled with chants (including the old 'Maceo, you
got to blow!') and solos from Fred & Maceo. Bootsy handles bass here,
and the song dips into "Bootzilla" and "Let's Take It To The Stage" here
and there. "Half A Man" is a true classic, a great Billy Bass funk-soul
song with super horn hooks and his own meaty basslines. There's also
great singing; this track easily could have made it to _Mothership
Connection_. "Say Blow By Blow Backwards" spotlights Maceo & Fred more
than anyone, with a driving bass part and some nice percussion keeping the
song going. Fred's solo is INCREDIBLY funky. "Mr. Melody Man" is
a Parlet track with the vocal part removed and replaced with horns.
It's slow and a bit overproduced, sounding much too mellow. Maceo still
makes it pretty good, though. I prefer jazzier slow songs to pop slow
songs, which is what this is. "Just Like You" is a Brides Of Funkenstein
track, once again with the vocals removed. I didn't care for the song
in its original version, but this is a little better. The strings
are replaced by some more nice percussion and a long solo from Maceo.
"Circular Motion" is an interesting funk-jazz exploration that jumps
back and forth in its focus; while an interesting bassline is playing
in the back, Maceo goes on one of his hiccupping solos. The song circles
around to the adjoining horns answering his sax, and then goes back to
the theme, accented by heavy percussion. Then it goes to Fred's solo,
later joined by the other horns. A delicious and clever instrumental
track. The remixes are similar to the first album; added beats here
and there, isolating instruments and vocals. The interview with Bootsy
at the end is amusing and interesting, talking about meeting Fred and
Maceo. The album is readily available on CD, so any Fred or Maceo
fan should snap it right up.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
_The Final Blow_ (1994)
Track Listing:
Bells {Fred Wesley, Maceo Parker, Rick Gardner, Richard Griffith} 11:07
Fallen Off The Edge {G Clinton, Eddie Hazel} 8:56
The Cookie Monster {F Wesley, M Parker, R Gardner, R Griffith} 7:29
West Ward Ho {F Wesley, M Parker, R Gardner, R Griffith} 5:44
Oh I Don't Think Sew {G Clinton, Rodney Curtis} 10:25
Lickity Split {F Wesley} 9:15
Discositdown {G Clinton, Clark, E Hazel} 6:01
Personnel:
Producer: George Clinton
Horny Horns:
Trombone: Fred Wesley
Tenor & Alto Saxophone: Maceo Parker
Trumpet: Rick Gardner, Richard "Kush" Griffith
Drums: Jerome Brailey, Frankie "Kash" Waddy, Bootsy Collins, Gary Cooper,
Tyrone Lampkin, Jesse Williams
Guitars: Phelps Collins, Garry Shider, Mike Hampton, Bootsy Collins,
Glen Goins, Rodney Crutcher
Bass: Bootsy Collins, Donnie Sterling, Billy Nelson, Cordell Mosson,
Rodney Curtis
Synthesizer and Keyboards: Bernie Worrell, Joel Johnson, Jerome Rogers,
Maceo Parker, Fred Wesley
Percussion: Carl "Butch" Small, Larry Fratangelo
Also on Horns: Brecker Brothers (Randy & Michael)
Rating: RC: ***
Comments:
TK: For some reason, Fred Wesley himself said that the tracks for
this album should have been left in the can.
RC: As a companion to the rerelease of the Horny Horns' two studio albums,
a third album of unreleased material was also offered. Not all of the
tracks are real songs, with some being pieced-together samples and remixes.
Also, the song "Lickety Split" already appeared on Volume III of the George
Clinton Family Series, and is reviewed there. Still and all, it was a
good idea and I'm thankful that George is putting out material like this
that hardcore Funkateers are dying to get. I would probably only recommend
this for big fans, though. Casual fans should be sure to get the first
two Horny Horns albums first. "Bells" sounds a lot like a mirror version of
"Peace Fugue", except the figures descend instead of ascend. An excellent,
jazzy track with nice percussion.
MT: "Fallen Off The Edge", is actually "Standing On The Verge Of
Getting It On" played as an instrumental (the horns play the melody).
"The Cookie Monster" is next. If you've got either of the _Sample
Discs_ you'll recognize a lot of the lines. A lot of this song was
used on the Sample Discs. "West Ward Ho" is kind of disappointing,
because it's not an old Horny Horns track, but rather a new song,
made using samples from a Horny Horns song. There's a track on _Sample
Disc Volume 2_ called "Wild Westley" that has really cool horn lines.
I was hoping that we would get the full take of that, but instead
they gave us this, which is sampled lines from the song over a looped
beat with some keyboards that sound modern. "Oh I Don't Think Sew" is
an instrumental version of the song "Oh, I" from the _Electric Spanking..._
album. It's cool because it's nearly the whole take (just over 10 minutes)
but I miss the vocals. Michael Brecker gets THREE solos! "Discositdown"
would be best described as the Horny Horns' "Big Pump" except that they
probably didn't have a thang to do with it. This is "Standing On The Verge
Of Getting It On" remixed into an industrial song. I was a bit disappointed
in the songs that were altered with modern technology, particularly
"Discositdown", but all in all I think we're lucky to have this album at all.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
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----------
Human Body (Roger Troutman's group before Zapp)
----------
_Make You Shake It_ (1984)
Track Listing:
Make You Shake It {Larry Troutman, Roger Troutman} 5:29
Tomorrow {L Troutman, R Troutman, Billy Beck} 5:31
Keep Your Head Up {L Troutman, R Troutman} 4:54
Hit Me {Ray Davis, B Beck, Larry Hatcher} 4:12
As We Lay {L Troutman, B Beck} 6:16
Please Help Me Find Her {L Troutman, R Troutman} 5:57
There Is Nobody {L Troutman, R Troutman} 4:59
I Believe We Can {L Troutman, R Troutman} 6:16
Personnel:
Producer: Roger Troutman
Co-producer: Billy Beck
All lead vocals by The Human Body: Billy Beck, Ray Davis, Larry Hatcher
Drums: Lester Troutman
Conga, Percussion: Larry Troutman, Dr. Komla Amoaku
Bass: Zapp Troutman, Roger Troutman
Keyboards: Billy Beck, Roger Troutman
Horns: Eddie Barber, Michael Warren, Michael Jennings, Jerome Derrickson,
Carl Cowen, Randy Wallace
Saxophone Solos: Carl Cowen
Vibes: Roger Troutman, Billy Beck
Background vocals: Billy Beck, Ray Davis, Larry Hatcher, Bobby Glover,
Greg Jackson, Roger Troutman, Shelley Smith, The Human Body, Linda McDougal,
Janetta Boyce, Mallia Franklin, Oliver Dollar, Zapp Troutman
Rating: RC: ***
Comments:
RC: This was originally Roger Troutman's group before Zapp, and they
reformed for a couple of albums in the mid-80's. As with all his albums,
it has crisp, clean production values and sharp melodies throughout.
However, this isn't really a funk album. It's more along the lines of
a solid R&B album that's a cut above most of the fare from the 80's.
The extensive presence of Ray Davis certainly helps, as he was listed as
one of the co-lead singers. Every track features great singing and lush
but not cheesy arrangements. There are only two funky tracks: "Make You
Shake It" and "Hit Me", featuring a faster beat. The album is almost
entirely keyboard-driven, but a solid rhythm section and percussion keeps
it from sounding hollow. The lyrics are also decent but predictable,
since most of the songs are typical love ballads. The album is out of
print, and having never seen it at a used record shop, I have no idea
what it's going for. But I wouldn't spend more than $10 on it, unless
you're a fanatical fan of Roger Troutman or Ray Davis.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
_Cosmic Round Up_ (1985)
Track Listing:
Cosmic Round Up {Dale Degroat, Roger Troutman, Larry Troutman} 5:42
Let Me Get You Wet {D Degroat, R Troutman} 5:28
Desire {D Degroat, R Troutman} 5:21
Can We Touch {D Degroat, R Troutman} 4:44
Everything {R Troutman, L Troutman} 5:31
DX3-T18 {D Degroat, R Troutman} 3:36
Gimmie What You've Got {D Degroat, R Troutman} 5:18
Dreams {D Degroat, R Troutman, L Troutman} 6:27
Personnel:
Bass: Roger Troutman, Zapp Troutman, Aaron Blackmon
Horns: Jerome Derrickson, Michael Warren, Michael Jennings, Robert Jones
Conga Drums and Percussion: Larry Troutman, Lester Troutman,
Robert "Kumba" Jones, Dale Degroat, Gregory Jackson
Keyboards: Roger Troutman, Zapp Troutman, Dale Degroat, Gregory Jackson,
Roger Lynch
Lead and Rhythm Guitar: Roger Troutman, Aaron Blackmon
Background Vocals: Dale Degroat, Larry Hatcher, Ray Davis, Zapp Troutman,
Shirley Murdock, Rufus Troutman III, Gregory Jackson, Robert Jones,
Damian Black, Rhonda Stevens, Jannetta Boyce
Rating: RC: ***
Comments:
RC: Another album from the Troutman crew, this one is much more upbeat
and funky than the last one. The first three songs are upbeat dance
tunes, the first of which, "Cosmic Round Up", is truly hilarious. Ray
Davis does a variation of the 'bow wow wow, yippee-o, yippee-a' routine.
The lyrics are strangely moralistic on the other songs, with "Let Me Get
You Wet" denouncing sex in favor of love as a solution to the world's
problems; and "Desire" being about wanting success, recommending that
one believe in god and reject drugs. Guitar solos return on this album,
as well as a banjo solo. "DX3-T18" is an electronic experiment that's
fairly interesting. The rest of the songs are similar to their first
album; well-crafted love songs. This one is long out of print, and has
fewer P.Funkers than on the first album, but big fans of Roger and Ray
Davis should check it out. I again wouldn't spend more than $10 for it
if you're not a huge fan.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------
Incorporated Thang Band
-----------------------
_Lifestyles of the Roach and Famous_ (1988)
Track Listing:
Body Jackin' {G Clinton, Joseph Fiddler, W Collins} 5:57
Storyteller {Steve Washington, G Clinton} 4:43
Still Tight {G Clinton, Tracy Lewis, Garry Shider, Justin Kace} 5:25
Androgynous View {Steve Washington, G Clinton, Andre Foxxe} 4:17
Jack of All Trades {A Foxxe, Lige Curry, G Clinton} 4:37
I'd Do Anything For You {Robert Johnson, LaShawn Clinton} 3:48
What If The Girl Says Yes {G Clinton, W Collins, J Fiddler} 5:32
44-22-38 {G Clinton, Jimmy Giles, W Collins, Michael Lane} 6:29
Personnel:
Top Roach Producer: George Clinton
Co-Pilot Producer: Bootsy!
Lead vocals: Lige Curry, Andre Foxxe Williams
Bass: Lige Curry
Keyboards: Robert "Sly" Garrett, Patrick "Boogie" Drummond
Guitar: Christopher Bruce, Andre Foxxe Williams
Drums: Dean "Kurl-E" Ragland
Vocals: Claudia "C-Rae" White, Angel "Cake" Keener, Patrick Drummond
Yo! Inc. T. B. wanna thank da P-Funk Posse for X-Tra Prop Tracks:
Synthesizer, Keyboards: Michael Lane, Steve Washington, Justin Kace,
Tom Norton, Joseph "Amp" Fiddler, Robert Johnson
Guitars: Steve Washington, Bootsy, D'Wayne "Blackbyrd" McKnight, Garry Shider
Bass: Bootsy Collins, Steve Washington
Synth and Drum programming: Justin Kace, Bootsy Collins, Andre Williams,
Steve Washington, Mike Lane
Vocals: Garry Shider, George Clinton, Tracey Lewis, Robert Johnson,
Sandra Feva, Pat Lewis, Lloyd Williams, Joe Harris, Shelia Washington,
Jessica Cleaves
Rating: RC: **
RC: This was a Clinton-produced album that sounded much like his
other 80's productions: dominated by drum machines and synthesizers,
with hints of other instrumentation buried underneath. The band
consists of a number of young P.Funkers, including current tour band
members Lige Curry and Andre "Foxxe" Williams. Lige is a good singer
and he carries a lot of the album, but the rhythms just aren't that
interesting. His bass playing does help things along, as he's solid
but not flashy, in the school of a Boogie Mosson. I blame some of
the mishmash on Steve Washington, Clinton's partner at that time.
Still and all, the musical skill of a number of the players keep it
from sinking to the level of the Jimmy G and the Tackheads album.
"Body Jackin'" is a song that exemplifies the album's problems:
too many synthesizers, not enough interesting percussion. "Storyteller"
is better, with a greater emphasis on singing on Curry's bass playing.
"Still Tight" is a fairly engaging song that also wisely places an
emphasis on singing, which this time is well accented by the keyboards.
"Androgynous View" takes off on "How Do Yeaw View You", looking at
different sex roles. Musically, it's more of the same, unfortunately.
"Jack Of All Trades" is a horn-dominated track that vocally recalls
Sly & The Family Stone's "I Want To Take You Higher". Lige's bass is
also good here. This is definitely one of the better tracks here.
"I'd Do Anything For You" is pure pop, a crossover love song.
"What If The Girl..." is only notable for a good Blackbyrd guitar solo;
otherwise, it's more of the same. "44-22-38" is an amusing song about
a girl's measurements that's fairly lively musically.
The album is out of print, but I wouldn't pay much for it unless you
must have everything. If you see it for under $10, I'd pick it up
just to hear some of the interesting horn arrangements, Lige's bass
playing, and a Blackbyrd solo or two. Other than that, it's not worth
current prices.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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------------
The JB Horns
------------
_Pee Wee, Fred & Maceo: The JB Horns_ (1990)
Track Listing:
Sweet And Tangy
{Alfred Ellis, Maceo Parker, Fred Wesley, Jim Payne, Bob Greenlee} 4:55
Bumpin' {F Wesley} 3:14
Step On Your Watch, Part II {J Payne, F Wesley, Allan Jaffe, R Anderson} 3:25
Mother's Kitchen {A Ellis, M Parker, F Wesley, J Payne, B Greenlee} 5:56
Everywhere Is Out Of Town
{A Ellis, M Parker, F Wesley, J Payne, B Greenlee} 4:58
Strut {A Ellis} 4:07
We're Rollin' {F Wesley} 4:30
Let's Play House {A Ellis, M Parker, F Wesley, J Payne, B Greenlee} 3:55
Blues A La L.S. {A Ellis, M Parker, F Wesley, J Payne, B Greenlee} 5:15
Frontal System {A Ellis, M Parker, F Wesley, J Payne, B Greenlee} 5:21
Slipstream {Mark Puricelli} 5:05
Personnel:
Producer: Jim Payne
Tenor Sax: Pee Wee Ellis
Alto Sax: Maceo Parker
Trombone: Fred Wesley
Keyboard: Mark Puricelli
Drums: Jim Payne
Bass: Bob Greenlee
Guitar: Ernie Lancaster
"Sweet And Tangy" "Step On Your Watch"
Lead Guitar: Bryan Bassett Vocals: Pee Wee Ellis, Maceo Parker
Lead Vocal: Fred Wesley
Guitar: Bryan Bassett, Ernie Lancaster
"Strut"
Vocals: Yvonne Jackson, Dwight Champagne
Guitar: Bryan Bassett, Ernie Lancaster
"Let's Play House"
Vocals: Pee Wee Ellis, Fred Wesley, Maceo Parker
Guitar: Bryan Bassett, Ernie Lancaster
"Frontal System", "Slipstream"
Guitar: Bryan Bassett, Ernie Lancaster
Rating: RC: ***1/2
Comments:
RC: This album was done around the time of the Great Re-emergence of
Fred & Maceo, along with their former James Brown bandmate Pee Wee Ellis.
After playing with other bands or taking time off since the demise of
their former bands, or leaving them altogether, they reunited with a
purpose. They unleashed a torrent of records, and their live shows
are now legendary. By taking the name 'JB Horns', it shows their
purpose here was to carry on the funky name of their leader.
The feel of this album is halfway between rockin' funky party and mellow
jazz club show. While the funkier cuts are reminiscient of their
groovingest days with JB and Bootsy's Rubber Band, most of the tracks
are closer to the jazz that Fred and Maceo would play throughout the
90's, particularly Fred. Fans of these horn players should definitely
get this and the other JB Horns albums, as they tend to get a little
funkier here than on their own later solo stuff. But be aware: this
is not a hardcore funk album like their 60's and 70's stuff. If you're
not a fan of jazz, there may be huge sections of the album that you
won't like. But definitely check out the first four tracks--those
are the funkiest.
"Sweet & Tangy" is a superfunky tune, with a funked-up guitar and
bass driving along the groove. There are several great guitar solos
and a horn line that hooks you immediately and takes you for a ride.
The song's title is quite apt. "Bumpin'" has a cool doubled-up
guitar/bass intro that goes into the background but keep driving the
song. The horns then rip shit up, that's the best way to describe it.
"Step On Your Watch" is a hilarious dance song with inspired singing
from Fred. It also has those great Rubber Band-ish horn bursts.
"Mother's Kitchen" has some compelling chord progressions, pushing
along a sense of urgency. Pee Wee is dominant and aggressive here,
with Maceo & Fred taking mellower solos. "Everywhere Is..." is a mellow
piece, going straight to a horn solo focus. "Strut" has some very
ordinary rhythms but nice horn interaction. "We're Rolling" is most
notable for the interesting use of dissonance towards the end by the
horns. "Let's Play House" is a slow, hot funker with some doubled-up
horn lines that create some excellent tension. "Blues A La LS" is
a blues/jazz sax showcase for Pee Wee. "Frontal System" and "Slipstream"
are both mellow, jazzy tunes.
This album is in print but may be somewhat hard to find.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
_Funky Good Time/Live_ (1993)
Track Listing:
Sweet And Tangy {Alfred Ellis, Fred Wesley, Jim Payne, Bob Greenlee} 6:18
Blues A La L.S. {A Ellis, Ernie Lancaster} 6:40
House Party {F Wesley} 5:01
Children's World {Maceo Parker} 9:23
In My Neighborhood {A Ellis} 5:00
Funky Good Time {James Brown, F Wesley} 7:34
Step On Your Watch Part II {J Payne, R Anderson, Allan Jaffe, F Wesley} 4:44
Soul Power {J Brown, F Wesley} 5:08
Let Him Out {M Parker} 7:27
Personnel:
Producer: Kenny Inaoka, Jim Payne
Vocals: Pee Wee Ellis, Fred Wesley, Maceo Parker
Tenor Sax: Pee Wee Ellis
Trombone: Fred Wesley
Alto Sax: Maceo Parker
Guitar: Allan Jaffe
Bass: Mark Hellas
Drums: Jim Payne
Recorded: Club Gio, Japan, 6/11/90
Rating: RC: ***
Comments:
RC: The real problem with this live album is that everyone tends to
compare it with another live album released at the same time, Maceo
Parker's _Life On Planet Groove_, and not favorably. This isn't really
fair, because this album has charms of its own, most notably Fred's
funky "House Party" and the Free James Brown anthem, "Let Him Out".
Fans of their first studio album will appreciate the cuts "Sweet & Tangy",
"Blues A La LS" and "Step On Your Watch". JB fans will love "Funky Good
Time" and "Soul Power". While the crowd and the band lack some of the
fantastic energy on _Planet Groove_, there's still plenty of good stuff
here. Maceo's playing is a bit more subdued, with only one real showcase:
"Children's World". The last five songs are a non-stop party.
This album is in print and should be easy to find.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
_I Like It Like That_ (1994)
I Like It Like That {Richard Mazda, Alfred Ellis} 4:13
Homeboy {Maceo Parker} 5:05
Push {R Mazda, Fred Wesley, M Parker, A Ellis} 4:34
Evening In New York {R Mazda, F Wesley, M Parker, A Ellis} 4:22
What Goes Around {R Mazda, F Wesley, M Parker, A Ellis} 5:15
Chillin' With Fred {R Mazda, F Wesley, M Parker, A Ellis} 6:32
Picture On The Wall {A Ellis} 4:21
Bop U {F Wesley} 4:51
"I Like It Like That"
Background Vocals: Fred Wesley, Maceo Parker, Pee Wee Ellis
Trombone: Fred Wesley
Alto Sax: Maceo Parker
Tenor Sax: Pee Wee Ellis
Bass, Drums, Samples, Programs, Synth: Richard Mazda
Vocals: Jaye Ella Ruth
Spoken Vocal: Laura Jane Mazda
London Overdubs:
Additional Programming: Ali Stanton, John Green
Live Kit Drums: Crispin Taylor
Bass: Gram Silbiger
Percussion: Jeff Scantlebury
Rhodes: John Green
"Homeboy"
Trombone: Fred Wesley
Alto Sax, Organ, Piano: Maceo Parker
Tenor Sax: Pee Wee Ellis
Bass & Drum Programs, Groove Piano: Richard Mazda
London Overdubs:
Additional Programming: Ali Stanton, John Green
"Push"
Lead Vocals: Maceo Parker, Richard Mazda
Background Vocals: Fred Wesley, Maceo Parker, Pee Wee Ellis, Richard Mazda
Trombone: Fred Wesley
Alto Sax: Maceo Parker
Tenor Sax: Pee Wee Ellis
Guitar, Organ, Bass: Richard Mazda
London Overdubs:
Additional Programming: Ali Stanton, John Green
Clavinet: John Green
Live Kit Drums: Crispin Taylor
Bass: Gram Silbiger
Percussion: Jeff Scantlebury
Fender Rhodes: Gary Moberly
"Evening In New York"
Trombone: Fred Wesley
Alto Sax: Maceo Parker
Tenor Sax: Pee Wee Ellis
Bass, Drum Programs, Piano, Samples: Richard Mazda
London Overdubs:
Additional Programming: Ali Stanton, John Green
Clavinet: John Green
Percussion: Thomas Dyani Akuru
"What Goes Around"
Background Vocals: Fred Wesley, Maceo Parker, Pee Wee Ellis, Richard Mazda
Trombone: Fred Wesley
Alto Sax: Maceo Parker
Tenor Sax: Pee Wee Ellis
Rap, Guitar, Bass, Drum Programs: Richard Mazda
London Overdubs:
Additional Programming: Ali Stanton
Bass: Gram Silbiger
Percussion: Jeff Scantlebury
Fender Rhodes: John Green
Chorus, Chant Vocals: The McKoy Family (Noel, Robin & Cornell)
"Chillin' With Fred"
Background Vocals: Maceo Parker, Pee Wee Ellis
Piano, Trombone: Fred Wesley
Alto Sax, Hammond Organ: Maceo Parker
Tenor Sax: Pee Wee Ellis
Rap, Bass, Drum Programs, Guitar: Richard Mazda
London Overdubs:
Additional Programming: Ali Stanton, John Green
Bass: Gram Silbiger
Shakers, Cabasa: Jeff Scantlebury
Live Kit Drums: Crispin Taylor
Percussion: Thomas Dyani Akuru
"Picture On The Wall"
Trombone: Fred Wesley
Alto Sax: Maceo Parker
Tenor Sax, Organ, Synth: Pee Wee Ellis
Drum & Bass Programs: Richard Mazda
London Overdubs:
Additional Programming: Ali Stanton, John Green
"Bop U"
Background Vocals: Fred Wesley, Maceo Parker, Pee Wee Ellis, Richard Mazda
Trombone, Bass Scat Vocal 1: Fred Wesley
Alto Sax, Scat Vocal 2: Maceo Parker
Tenor Sax, Scat Vocal 3: Pee Wee Ellis
Bass & Drum Programs: Richard Mazda
London Overdubs:
Samples, Rhodes: Ali Stanton, John Green
Rating: RC: ***1/2
Comments:
TK: The album was originally released in 1992 on the Nippon label in
Japan and contained a remix of the title tune.
RC: This album is billed as 'acid jazz', and if that's defined by
hard-funkin' horns combined with modern beats, then this is certainly
it. But it certainly doesn't fall into the usual image of acid jazz,
as being sort of mellow and ambient. This is anything but mellow;
in fact, it's easily the most lively of the JB Horns albums. Part of
the reason the formula works so well here is that the drum programs
are fortified with traditional funky instruments like the clavinet and
Fender Rhodes. And Maceo himself gets down on the Hammond organ on
several occasions in addition to blowing his horn. I would definitely
recommend this CD to any Funkateer who loves hearing Maceo, Fred
and Pee Wee blow their horns, particularly if they don't mind a little
of that hip-hop flavor. It's a little less organic-sounding than their
usual works, so jazz-oriented Funkateers might balk at the album's
overall sound. It's slick, but not so slippery that you can't get both
hands on the funk.
"I Like It Like That" is typical of the rest of the album. It's
a dance funker that combines beats, a good bass groove and great horn
lines to produce a party. Note the bits of "Cold Sweat" thrown in from
time to time. "Homeboy" has more solid beats and Maceo's funky organ
playing. "Push" features a grooving bass and some more great horn lines.
Maceo is particularly hot on "Evening In New York", a slower tune with
icy-cool horn lines. The clavinet's presence is strongly felt.
Maceo strikes again on "What Goes Around", with references made to
other P.Funk songs. "Chillin' With Fred" is my favorite track, a slow,
hot tune with more funky organ playing. "Picture On The Wall" is the
album's weak track, where the accompaniment is just too mellow. But
"Bop U" closes things out nicely, a fun funk romp that sounds like the
other fast funkers here.
This album is in print, but might be hard to find. A good CD store
should have it or be able to order it.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
_The Legendary Meters featuring The JB Horns: Live at the Moonwalker_ (1994)
Track Listing:
Intro 2:08
Funky Good Time 6:05
Pass The Peas 6:47
Jungle Man 5:38
Africa 13:36
Let's Get It On 9:24
"Changing The Tape"/Jokes 1:45
People Say 14:00
Fiyou On The Bayou 9:38
World 6:34
Total: 76:18
Personnel:
Concert recorded at the Moonwalker in Aarburg, Switzerland, December 1991.
Guitar: Leo Nocentelli
Bass: George Porter Jr.
Drums: David Russell Batiste Jr.
Keyboards: David Torkanowsky
Sax: Maceo Parker, Pee Wee Ellis
Trombone: Fred Wesley
Comments:
GB: The two CD collection is very nicely produced, with original cover art
(imprinted on disc as well), photos (B&W), a Meters discography, a New
Orleans nightlife guide with maps, pictures and a Big Easy festival
listing. The production crew/engineers & remix studios are listed!
Lakeside Music (P.O. Box 39, Ch-3652 Hilterfingen, Switzerland
Tel: 033 433524 Fax: 033 435210).
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
_The Legendary Meters featuring The JB Horns: Live at the Moonwalker;
Vol.2 - Second Helping_ (1994)
Track Listing:
Change Reform 7:28
Hey Pocky Way 7:36
Funky Miracle 6:31
Cissy Strut 6:56
Soul Island 5:24
Cold Sweat/Ride Me Pony 6:11
Be My Lady 9:54
Ham 5:17
Southwick 11:27
Total: 66:44
Personnel:
Concert recorded at the Moonwalker in Aarburg, Switzerland, December 1991.
Guitar: Leo Nocentelli
Bass: George Porter Jr.
Drums: David Russell Batiste Jr.
Keyboards: David Torkanowsky
Sax: Maceo Parker, Pee Wee Ellis
Trombone: Fred Wesley
Rating: RC: ***1/2
Comments:
GB: The two CD collection is very nicely produced, with original cover art
(imprinted on disc as well), photos (B&W), a Meters discography, a New
Orleans nightlife guide with maps, pictures and a Big Easy festival
listing. The production crew/engineers & remix studios are listed!
Lakeside Music (P.O. Box 39, Ch-3652 Hilterfingen, Switzerland
Tel: 033 433524 Fax: 033 435210).
RC: This part of the collection is heavier on the Meters material. The
JB Horns appear are pretty much in the background for the first four
songs, although they each get a brief solo turn during "Funky Miracle".
There's an excellent sax solo during "Soul Island", and Fred takes his
turn with a trombone solo in "Be My Lady". It's the Meters' turn to
do a cover when they play the James Brown classic "Cold Sweat." There's
a funny exchange towards the end, 'We're the Meters! Who're you? We're
the JB Horns! Who're you? We're the Meters!' etc. "Ham" is another funky
New Orleans-style jam, with Maceo tearing it up. It concludes with an
epic version of "Southwick", with every musician taking a long solo.
The whole thing is a lot of fun, although I wouldn't recommend it to
P.Funk fans who aren't also fans of the Meters. Leo Nocentelli is especially
hot on guitar. Not the greatest live performance of either group, but
definitely an interesting item.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------
Jimmy G and the Tackheads
-------------------------
_Federation of Tackheads_ (1985)
Track Listing:
Clockwork {Robert Johnson, G Clinton, Steve Washington} 6:23
Break My Heart {G Clinton, St Washington, Sheila Washington} 6:00
All Or Nothin' {G Clinton, St Washington, Sh Washington} 5:52
Lies {Jimmy Keaton, E Eatmon} 4:58
Slingshot {G Clinton, St Washington, Garry Shider} 4:12
I Want Yo Daughter
{Jimmy Keaton, J Rogers, G Clinton, R Johnson, Andre Williams} 5:24
Family Funk {J Keaton, G Clinton, St Washington} 5:21
Personnel:
Producer on "Clockwork", "Break My Heart", "All Or Nothin'", "Family Funk":
George Clinton, Steve Washington
Producer on "Lies": George Clinton, DeWayne McKnight
Producer on "Slingshot": George Clinton, Garry Shider
Producer on "I Want Yo Daughter": George Clinton, Steve Washington, Garry Shider
Horn arrangements: Steve Washington
Rhythm arrangements: Steve Washington, Jimmy "G"
Vocal arrangements: George Clinton, Garry Shider
Lead Tackhead vocal: Jimmy "G" (Giles)
Tackhead background vocals: Robert Johnson, Garry Shider, George Clinton,
Blackbyrd McKnight, Ron Ford, Andre Foxxe, Lige Curry, Dean Ragland,
Ken Colton, Rod "Cuz" Simpson, Joe "Pep" Harris, Darryl Clinton
Tack-Ette background vocals: Patricia Lewis, Sheila Washington, Linda Shider,
Sandra Feva, Mallia Franklin, Cheryl James and Patty Curry
Guitars: DeWayne "Blackbyrd" McKnight, Steve Washington, Garry Shider,
Tony Thomas and Andre Foxxe
Bass: Jimmy "G" and Steve Washington
Drums: Dean Ragland
Drum programs: Steve Washington (except for "Lies"-Jimmy "G" and Steve
Washington)
Keyboards, Synthesizer, OB 8, Emulator, Oberheim: Steve Washington
Horns: Steve Washington
Rating: RC: *1/2
Comments:
MG: The funny thing about this LP is that the titles of the songs
differ on the record cover and on the label. The track listing above
are what they're called on the label. But on the record cover
the songs are called "You Always Break My Heart" and "I Want Your Daughter"
instead of "Break My Heart" and "I Want Yo Daughter" as on the label.
RC: This album is truly a case against nepotism. Clinton worked with
his younger brother, Jimmy Giles, to produce an album. Jimmy G is
actually a pretty good bass player, but at the time this album was
produced, Clinton's music was drowning in keyboards and drum machines.
It's a shame he wasn't given a chance to succeed on a real funk album,
because the Family Series later showed that he was talented. I blame
Steve Washington, Clinton's collaborator at the time he was shamelessly
into crossover sounds.
The singing and lyrics on the album actually aren't that bad, somewhat
redeeming what's going on. The occasional Blackbyrd guitar solo is also
worth listening for. Of course, the good ideas and lyrics are beat
into the ground by the overlength of the songs. The only completely
listenable songs are "Lies", founded on a good guitar vamp and
some decent raps, with an interesting guitar solo; and "Family Funk",
a song that lets Jimmy G really show off his bass chops, surrounded
by some good percussion. The most amusing song is "I Want Yo Daughter",
which is a blatant Prince rip-off, ironic considering how much he stole
from P.Funk over the years.
The album is out of print, but it's not worth paying much for. I
got my copy for $1, and that's about what it's worth. Pedro Bell does
do the cover art, but even that's not one of his more interesting works.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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-----
Junie
-----
_Bread Alone_ (1980)
Track Listing:
Love Has Taken Me Over (Be My Baby)
{Walter Morrison, S Singleton, J Tinsley} 4:02
Why {J Tinsley, W Morrison, S Singleton} 5:25
Bread Alone {S Singleton, J Tinsley} 4:28
Nagual's Theme {W Morrison} 1:09
Funky Parts {W Morrison, S Singleton, Lynn Mabry} 4:29
Seaman First Class (Jock Rock) {W Morrison, L Mabry, Akasha Morrison} 7:59
Apple Song {W Morrison} 4:01
Personnel:
Vocals: Junie Morrison
All Instruments: Junie Morrison
Background Vocals: Lynn Mabry, Teresa Allman, Brenda Henderson,
Akasha Morrison
Synth Programming: Wes (Duck Army) Boatman
Producer: Junie Morrison
Rating: RC: ***1/2
Comments:
RC: This is a good solo album from Junie, his first solo effort after
his hook-up with P.Funk. He benefits greatly from the presence of Lynn
Mabry of the Brides doing back-up vocals. The album has a light feeling
to it; it's certainly not as heavy or rock-oriented as his earlier solo
albums. The album switches between dance-funk songs and uptempo ballads,
the sort of thing he did so well with P.Funk. And for the most part,
it works well here also.
"Love Has Taken Me Over" is a "Knee Deep" style song that features
bass synth and great singing all around. The intro even sounds a bit like
"Knee Deep"! "Why" has fine bass playing and those great Junie growls
that sound so funny because his voice is naturally so high. "Bread Alone"
has extremely clever lyrics and more good singing. The guitar has an
almost reggae-like rhythm, and the use of spacing throughout is excellent.
"Nagual's Theme" is an odd little vignette with multi-layered vocals.
"Funky Parts" is an top notch dance funker with great rhythms and vocals;
it eventually turns into a funk-tango! The album slips a bit with the
last two songs: "Seaman First Class" and "Apple Songs" are both weak
uptempo ballads that, despite good singing, don't really take off.
I would certainly recommend the album to all Junie fans, and if you've
only heard his work on the late Parliament and Funkadelic albums, you
should really check him out.
The album is out of print, but should be available on CD domestically,
for around $10. You may have to order it from your CD store, however.
The album itself isn't easy to find, but should be cheap if you see it.
Pay no more than $10 for it. The cover has Junie sitting in a bunch of
loaves of bread.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
_5_ (1981)
Track Listing:
Rappin About Rappin {T Allman} 5:16
I Love You Madly {T Allman} 3:48
Cry Me A River {T Allman} 3:39
Victim Of Love {T Allman} 4:43
5 {T Allman} 3:30
Last One To Know {T Allman} 3:29
Jarr The Ground {T Allman, J Williams, Leroy Bonner, William Beck} 4:37
Taste Of Love {T Allman} 4:44
Personnel:
Producer: Junie Morrison
All Instruments: Junie Morrison
Rating: RC ***1/2
Comments:
RC: The writer of most of the songs, "T Allman", is probably Junie
in disguise once again. For whatever reason, he chose to have all
royalties go to this person, most likely Teresa Allman, who sang backup
vocals on _Bread Alone._
This is another lightly funky album, much like _Bread Alone_. Junie
once again does everything, and he ranges between some deeply funky
stuff to airier ballads, and a freak-out or two. There's nothing really
new here, but it's all fun. The album is less eclectic than what I'm
used to from Junie; he sticks to a more specific formula here. This is
not exactly a crucial funk album, but I think fans of Junie and P.Funk
in general won't be disappointed by it.
Before "Rappin About Rappin", there's a bizarre intro with all sorts
of sirens and a duck-talking drill sergeant. The track itself features
some good proto-rapping from Junie. "I Love You Madly" and "Cry Me A
River" are fluffy ballads with great singing. The former also has a
noticeable horn presence. "Victim Of Love" is a truly outstanding dance
track, with a virtuoso lead and rhythm guitar performance. The percussion
track is also compelling, along the lines of "Knee Deep". "5" is a literally
infantile track, but much funkier than the similar "Pot Sharing Tots"
on George Clinton's _Computer Games_. "Last One To Know" is notable
for excellent bass playing. "Jarr The Ground" is Junie's obligatory
hard funkin' track, and like most of those, it's good. "Taste Of Love"
is a fine, rousing song, featuring more brilliant performances,
particularly on bass and piano.
The album is out of print, but can be found on CD as an import.
Finding copies of the album also isn't that difficult, for anywhere
between $10 and $20. The cover is a typically weird one, with all sorts
of eye/pyramid imagery, eyes in Junie's hand, etc.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
_Evacuate Your Seats_ (1984)
Track Listing:
Tease Me {Walter Morrison} 4:58
Show Me Yours {W Morrison} 4:24
Stick It In {W Morrison} 5:00
Gyrate {W Morrison} 4:51
Break 6 {W Morrison} 5:10
Driving In A Porsche {W Morrison} 4:16
Techno Freqs {W Morrison} 3:37
Here With You Tonight {W Morrison} 6:04
Personnel:
Produced, Performed, Written and Directed: Walter Morrison
Rating: RC: *1/2
Comments:
RC: This is a hideous, ill-advised electronic music album that is
easily Junie's worst album. Was Junie just following a trend, or
did he really think that electronic music was the way to go?
Whatever it was, it's not funky or even interesting. Like much of
the music of the mid-80's, it sounds hollow, tinny and tacky.
Junie abandons drums, bass and guitar (for the most part), relying on
the almighty synthesizer and drum machine. There are actually a few
good melodies and ideas buried on this album, earning it a half a star,
but it's just not enough. The only other thing I can think of is that
he was trying to mimic Prince's sound; this is particularly depressing
since Junie predated Prince's 'one-man band' act by several years.
Junie actually raps on "Break 6", which is interesting for a minute.
"Stick It In" also is a bit better than the rest, because it gets a little
closer to hip-hop. The rest is garbage, mostly a hollow, repetitive
(without being funky), soulless electronic mishmash. The only ballad,
"Here With You Tonight", is horrible despite good singing; the synth
saps away its soul.
The cover has all sorts of electronic drawings. The album is completely
out of print, but it shouldn't be that hard to find it. Don't spend
anything more than a couple of bucks unless you simply must complete
your Junie collection. There are a couple of 12" records associated with
the album as well.
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-----
Kiddo
-----
_Kiddo_ (1983)
Track Listing:
Tired Of Looking {Reggie Andrews, Leon Ndugu Chancler} 3:49
What I See, I Like {R Andrews, LN Chancler} 4:16
Try My Lovin' (Gimme Just Enough) {Donnie Sterling, R Andrews, LN Chancler} 5:15
Thinking About Your Charm {D Sterling, R Andrews, LN Chancler} 5:05
Give It Up {D Sterling, Kevin Wisham} 6:23
Strangers {D Sterling} 5:58
Suzy's Gone {D Sterling} 3:00
Cheated, Mistreated {D Sterling, David Libert} 3:15
Personnel:
Lead Vocals: Donnie Sterling
Vocals: Leroy Davis, Rock Goodin, Willie Jenkins, Arthur Brown
Sax: Leroy Davis
Drums: Rock Goodin
Bass: Juice Johnson
Percussion: Willie Jenkins
Keyboards: Arthur Brown
Guitar: Michael Hampton, Donnie Sterling
BREAK 6 edits: The Latin Rascals (Tony Moran and Albert Cabrera)
Rating: RC: **1/2
Comments:
MG: Donnie Sterling's group which, among others, also included
Michael Hampton.
RC: Donnie Sterling played bass for Parlet, wrote a bunch of tunes
for Parliament in the band's late days, and is most noted for his vocal
performance in "Agony Of Defeet". He was slated to have an P.Funk
project of his own called Sterling Silver Starship, but that never
quite materialized. Some of those tracks can be heard on the George
Clinton Family Series. He ended up forming Kiddo, with Michael Hampton
hopping on for this album and some performances. His guitar playing
is restrained and tasteful, adding a lot to the quality of this album.
The album was recorded just before funk as we knew it was basically
driven into the ground by drum machines and synthesizers, and this
album is definitely caught between those two worlds. The number of
funky moments is matched by dull, tuneless synth doodlings. I'd
recommend this one only to Michael Hampton completists or Donnie
Sterling fanatics. Sterling's singing is actually one of the best
things about the album: he has a funky, soulful voice with power.
"Tired Of Looking" is a very good dance tune, with excellent guitar,
bass and percussion. It segues into the equally interesting "What I See...",
which concentrates on a decently funky synth bass. "Try My Lovin'" is
a Zapp ripoff, but it's still lots of fun and has good singing. "Thinking..."
is a hideous ballad that falls flat. "Give It Up" is a hollow, synth
dominated dance song redeemed somewhat by a spirited sax riff. "Strangers"
is more of the same, made palatable by Hampton's guitar. "Suzy's Gone"
is an absurd, throwaway bit of synth fluff. "Cheated, Mistreated" is
a rousing funk-rocker, with another nice horn arrangement and good guitar
rhythms.
This album is out of print and hard to find. But it's not worth spending
much money on; I wouldn't shell out more than $10 and only if I was
a major collector.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
_Action_ (1984)
Track Listing:
She's Got The Body {Donnie Sterling} 3:44
Hyperactive {Eddie Watkins, Steve Millang} 6:24
This Love Will Last {D Sterling} 3:58
Can't Explain {Pete Townshend} 3:50
Action Speaks Louder Than Words
{Chuckie Booker, Kipper Jones, Cornelius Jones, Rex Silas} 5:05
Cool Me Off {John Barnes, D Sterling} 4:16
Young Love {J Barnes, Kenny St. Louis} 4:24
Telephone Fantasy {J Barnes} 5:20
Personnel:
Producer on "She's Got The Body", "Hyperactive", "This Love Will Last":
Donnie Sterling, Steve Millang
Producer on "Can't Explain": Donnie Sterling, Tom Vickers, Steve Millang
Producer on "Action Speaks Louder Than Words": Donnie Sterling and
Tease Enterptises, Inc.
Producer: "Cool Me Off", "Young Love", "Telephone Fantasy": John Barnes
Lead vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards: Donnie Sterling
Vocals: Arthur Brown, Rock Goodin, Leroy Davis
Keyboards: Arthur Brown, Leroy Davis
Bass guitar: Juice Johnson
Drums: Rock Goodin
Percussion: Willie Jenkins
Saxophone: Leroy Davis
Additional Musicians:
Keyboards: Bernie Worrell, Gary Taylor, Eddie Watkins
Guitars: Steve Fox, Charles Fearing
Syntheziers: John Barnes, Derek Nakamoto
Bass: Eddie Watkins
Background Vocals: Marva King and James Gilstrap
Rating: RC: *
Comments:
RC: This is once again Donnie Sterling's group. Unfortunately, it's
heavily keyboard dominated. It tries to recall Funkadelic at times
(like "Knee Deep" in "She's Got The Body"), but it winds up sounding
hollow, like many 'funk' bands at the time. The only good thing about
the album are Sterling's vocals, which seem a bit like Rick James.
But the material makes you wish you were listening to "Agony Of Defeet"
instead. The ballads (like "This Love Will Last") are even worse than
the dance numbers, with the synth killing any soulfulness. The album's
oddity is a cover of The Who's "Can't Explain", blandly sung and played.
The lyrics are strictly cookie-cutter love/sex type blatherings, with
no new or interesting concepts. The one semi-interesting song is
"Telephone Fantasy", which sounds a bit like Zapp and borrows conceptually
from Bootsy. A nice guitar riff and good singing make this one decent.
MT: Bernie Worrell is listed as an additional musician - but this album
isn't funky. It's a blatant crossover attempt. A reminder of where the
industry was in 1984.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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---------
Mico Wave
---------
_Cookin' From The Inside Out!!!_ (1987)
Track Listing:
Star Search {Mico Wave, B Collins} 3:30
Misunderstood {M Wave, B Collins} 7:36
First Impression {M Wave, B Collins} 5:15
It Happens Everytime {M Wave, B Collins, Wes Boatman, Vicky Vee} 4:01
Instant Replay {M Wave, B Collins, Mallia Franklin, W Coleman} 5:03
Sleeping Single {M Wave, B Collins} 3:49
Can We Love Again {M Wave, B Collins} 5:50
American Dream {M Wave, B Collins} 4:41
Kiss {M Wave, B Collins} 4:08
Personnel:
Producer: Bootsy Collins
Key Player: "Mico Wave"
Space Base & Advanced Keys: "Bootsy"
Drums & Drum Programming: "The Key Player" and his assistant "_ _ _ _ SY"
1/2 of a Horny Horn: "Maceo Parker"
Lead & Rhythm Guitars: Ron Jennings, Mark Woerpel, Catfish Collins,
The Key Player, Bootsy Collins
Wave-U-Lator and Decorder: The Key Player M.W.
Vocals: The Key Player (Mico Wave) and the Lock (Bootsy)
String Arrangements: Karl Berger with "Material String Players"
Additional Piano: Bernie Worrell
Additional Keys: Wes Boatman
Computer Programming: Barry Haney & Ben Grosse
Additional Harmonica: Peter Madcat Ruth, "Mico Wave"
Rating: RC: **1/2
Comments:
RC: This was a collaboration between Bootsy Collins and Mico Wave, aka
Michael Lane. It was a typical 80's production, ie, lots of drum machines,
synth, sequencing, etc. But like most anything that Bootsy has been involved
in, it certainly has its moments. The singing here is mostly pretty good,
the guitar riffs found on the songs are usually crisp and stinging,
and Bootsy's bass shines on a few cuts. Some of the songs are pretty
dull or hollow sounding, and a lot of the cuts sound like Zapp songs.
In general, there's not a lot of variety from track to track.
"Star Search" sounds very much like a track from Bootsy's _The One Giveth_
album. An uptempo number with nice guitar riffing and a good bass presence,
it's fairly funky. "Misunderstood" is another funky track, again similar
to _The One Giveth_ and Zapp as well. I like the singing here and the
bass groove. "First Impression" and "It Happens Everytime" are dull,
hollow-sounding tracks with the same sort of beat. "Instant Replay"
and "Sleeping Single" are both Zapp ripoffs, but they're at least
entertaining. "Can We Love Again" is a lame R&B crossover attempt that
does at least have some interesting guitar sections. "American Dream"
is a wild guitar song that is a flat-out rocker, complete with acoustic
drums. "Kiss" is another ballad that doesn't quite work; I don't think
Mico Wave's voice is quite right for the subject matter.
The album is out of print but is available as an import from Sony.
It isn't really interesting enough to warrant spending a lot of money
on, however. Lyrics are enclosed on the import version.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------
Mr. Fiddler (Joseph "Amp" Fiddler)
-----------
Track Listing:
So You Wanna Be A Gangster {Joseph Fiddler, Thomas Fiddler} 3:56
Cool About It {J Fiddler, T Fiddler, Danny Saber, Jeffrey Connor} 4:33
Blackout {J Fiddler, Andre Williams, Christopher Buckingham} 4:37
Cat In The Hat {J Fiddler, T Fiddler, Paul Hill, Bob "Barbarella" Bishop} 4:27
Pay Party {J Fiddler, Michael Payne, Overton Lloyd, Lashawn Clinton} 5:46
Henpecked {J Fiddler, T Fiddler, Chris Bruce, M Payne, William Collins} 5:03
Starvin' Like Marvin {J Fiddler, T Fiddler, Brett Turner} 4:23
Cutie On Duty {J Fiddler, T Fiddler, A Williams, C Buckingham} 3:39
Me And My Girlfriend
{J Fiddler, T Fiddler, Charles Fiddler, M Payne, L Clinton} 4:29
I Wanna Hang Out With You {J Fiddler} 4:35
Personnel:
"So You Wanna Be A Gangster"
Bass, Background Vocals: Thomas "Bubz" Fiddler
Keyboard, Lead & Background Vocals, Drum Programming: Joseph "Amp" Fiddler
Lead & Rhythm Guitar: DeWayne "Blackbyrd" McKnight
Background Vocals: Brian McKnight
Trumpet: Bennie Cowan
Saxophone: Greg Thomas
Trombone: Greg Boyer
Guitar: Chris Bruce
Additional Drum Programming: Carmine Rizzo, Jr.
"Cool About It"
Bass, Vocals: Thomas "Bubz" Fiddler
Keyboard, Lead & Background Vocals, Drum Programming: Joseph "Amp" Fiddler
Guitar, Vocals: Andre "Foxxe" Williams
Keyboard, Guitar, Drum Programming: Danny Saber
Background Vocals: Lige Curry
"Blackout"
Keyboard, Lead & Background Vocals: Joseph "Amp" Fiddler
Background Vocals: Thomas "Bubz" Fiddler, Andre "Foxxe" Williams,
Stewart Manley, TC Ellis, Overton Lloyd
Keyboard and Drum Programming: Rodrick "Buck" Buckingham
Guitar, Background Vocals: Cordell "Boogie" Mosson
Sax: Skip Pruitt
Guitar: Chris Bruce
Additional Drum Programming: Carmine Rizzo, Jr.
"Cat In The Hat"
Keyboard, Lead & Background Vocals, Drum Programming: Joseph "Amp" Fiddler
Background Vocals: Thomas "Bubz" Fiddler, Steve Boyd, Paul Hill
Rhythm Guitar: Ras Kente Knight
Background Vocals, Additional Drum Programming: Michael "Clip" Payne
"Pay Party"
Keyboard, Lead & Background Vocals, Drum Programming: Joseph "Amp" Fiddler
Background Vocals: George Clinton, Pamela Starks, Diem Jones, Overton Lloyd
Rhythm Guitar, Background Vocals: DeWayne "Blackbyrd" McKnight
Guitar Solo: Michael Hampton
"Henpecked"
Keyboard, Lead & Background Vocals: Joseph "Amp" Fiddler
Drums: Steve Jordan
Background Vocals: Thomas "Bubz" Fiddler, Andre "Foxxe" Williams, Leland Zales
Guitar Solo: Stevie Salas
Rhythm Guitar: Chris Bruce
Dialogue Vocal: Pamela Starks
Trumpet: Bennie Cowan
Saxophone: Greg Thomas
Trombone: Greg Boyer
"Starvin' Like Marvin"
Keyboard, Lead & Background Vocals, Drum Programming: Joseph "Amp" Fiddler
Bass, Background Vocals: Thomas "Bubz" Fiddler
Lead & Rhythm Guitar: DeWayne "Blackbyrd" McKnight
Trumpet: Bennie Cowan
Saxophone: Greg Thomas
Trombone: Greg Boyer
Background Vocals: Paul Hill, Sandra Fiddler
"Cutie On Duty"
Keyboard, Lead & Background Vocals: Joseph "Amp" Fiddler
Background Vocals: Thomas "Bubz" Fiddler, Andre "Foxxe" Williams
Keyboard, Drum Programming: Rodrick "Buck" Buckingham
Guitar: Chris Bruce
Trumpet: Bennie Cowan
Saxophone: Greg Thomas
Trombone: Greg Boyer
"Me And My Girlfriend"
Keyboard, Lead & Background Vocals, Drum Programming: Joseph "Amp" Fiddler
Background Vocals: Thomas "Bubz" Fiddler, Andre "Foxxe" Williams
Rhythm Guitar: DeWayne "Blackbyrd" McKnight
Guitar Solo: Eddie Hazel
Additional Drum Programming: Michael "Clip" Payne
"I Wanna Hang Out With You"
Keyboard, Lead & Background Vocals: Joseph "Amp" Fiddler
Background Vocals, Guitar: Andre "Foxxe" Williams
Rhythm Guitar: DeWayne "Blackbyrd" McKnight
Monologue: Lynette Safford
Drum Programming: Michael "Clip" Payne
Rating: RC: ***
RC: This is the one and only solo album from Joseph "Amp" Fiddler, the
current keyboardist for the P.Funk All-Stars. As such, there are
a ton of guest Funk Mob members on this album, and their presence is
readily felt. The album is pretty much dominated by drum programming
and synthesized rhythms, but the musicians are given plenty of room to
stretch out. The big surprise is Amp's voice, which is actually
excellent and well suited to funk. His range is decent, but more
importantly, he understands how to arrange the music to suit it best.
Despite the dominance of keyboards on the album, other featured instruments
are balanced into the mix quite well, adding some good weight to the music.
"So You Wanna Be A Gangster" is a smooth cautionary tale, done years
before the gangsta rap craze took hold. It's punctuated by the P.Funk
Horns and Blackbyrd's guitar, particularly on rhythm. "Cool About It"
is a mellow piano-oriented song that's a bit too smooth. "Blackout"
is a fun funk romp about turning down the lights for your lady that
recalls "Flash Light" rather amusingly. Good drum programming on this
one. "Cat In The Hat" continues to give us Amp's funny lyrics, this time
about a cat who 'likes his ladies big and fat.' The keyboards are extra
funky here, and Ras Kente's rhythm guitar vamps are good. "Pay Party"
is another lively tune that features some scatting and solid guitar
playing. "Henpecked" is a funny song punched up by the horn section
and acoutic drums. I love the chicken noises! "Starvin' Like Marvin"
is a ballad that sounds a bit hollow because of the electronic percussion.
"Cutie On Duty" is a weaker dance track, despite the presence of the
P.Funk horns. "Me And My Girlfriend" is a funky mid-tempo number with
more good guitar playing. "I Wanna Hang Out With You" is another typical
dance track on the album, OK but it certainly doesn't stand out.
The album is still in print, and is definitely worth a listen if you
don't mind the drum machines and slighly repetitive nature of the songs.
There's solid musicianship at work here with a group that knows each other
well.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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------
Mutiny
------
_Mutiny On The Mamaship_ (1979)
Track Listing:
Go Away From Here
{Jerome Brailey, Lenny Holmes, Raymond Carter, Robert Mittleman} 4:11
What More Can I Say {J Brailey, Skitch Lovett} 4:38
Lump {J Brailey, R Carter} 4:36
Funk 'N' Bop {J Brailey, L Holmes} 4:19
Burning Up {J Brailey, L Holmes, R Carter, R Mittleman} 4:08
Voyage To The Bottom of the "P" {J Brailey, L Holmes, R Carter} 4:02
Everytime You Come Around {J Brailey, L Holmes, R Carter} 3:57
Romeo (Hope You're Feeling Better) {J Brailey} 5:08
Personnel:
Producer, Arranger: Jerome Brailey
Executive Producer: Robert Mittleman
Vocals: Jerome Brailey, Lenny Holmes, Skitch Lovett, Raymond "Bro" Carter
Drums, Percussion, Syndrums: Jerome "Him Bad" Brailey
Lead Guitar: Lenny Holmes
Guitar: Skitch Lovett
Bass Guitar, Smiles: Raymond "Bro" Carter
All Keyboards, Semi-Vocals: Nat Lee
Horns: "Major" Darryl Dixon, Marvin Daniels, Melvin El
Rating: RC: ****
Comment:
RC: This was the first album from the Jerome Brailey-led group. The
name of the band was a reaction how Brailey perceived the George
Clinton-run P.Funk camp, and he slams him throughout the album. He
had hoped to recruit more members from P.Funk for this album (especially
Bernie Worrell, who had less and less input at that time), but the only
former player he got was sax man Darryl Dixon. Despite that, Jerome
and Co. produced three excellent funk albums. His rock influence is
apparent here, with the album having a heavy sound. But he also understands
the use of the 'one', with the dance songs being super funky in the mold
of Bootsy. The album's only weakness is lyrical, but there are enough
interesting concepts to hold up the album. But the lyrics aren't the focus
here, the excellent music is. Any fan of Jerome (who was onboard the P.Funk
train from 1975-77, producing many classics, including his signature "Give Up
The Funk") or super heavy funk in general should seek out these albums.
The most remarkable thing about this album is how good Jerome Brailey's vocals
are and how funky his arrangements. Despite the barrage of insults, Clinton
said in later years that he would have been happy to have this album on
his own Uncle Jam label!
"Go Away From Here" is a mid-tempo song that is immediately noticable
for its funky bass and distorted vocals. There's a nice dramatic buildup
with the addition of a clever horn arrangement and a muted but wailing
guitar. The song talks about faking the funk and such. "What More Can
I Say" is another mid-tempo song in much the same mold, with the same
muted guitar, great singing and another excellent horn arrangement.
"Lump" is a hot dance-funk song. Jerome uses his funny, higher-pitched
voice to dis Clinton ('Lump, lump can you cut the funk?' and
'Thinking you did something, realizing you ain't done a lot') and the
Brides in a humorous fashion. The great slap bass keeps things moving.
"Funk N Bop" is another fast funker, also amusing in the same vein.
This one has a lot of great lyrical hooks, like 'The longer the stroke,
the deeper the fill' and 'Sworn to fun, loyal to none'. The band
absolutely locks in on this one, it's just a rock-hard funker.
"Burning Up" is a mid-tempo funk ballad with more good vocal arrangements.
"Voyage To..." is a more guitar-oriented song with whispered lyrics and
crisp drumming. "Everytime You..." is a straightforward ballad with a strong
guitar presence that highlights Jerome's singing. "Romeo" is a weird
mid-tempo song with a funny chant and a more subdued lead vocal. The
synth is the focus here, creating a strange tension. The beat is steady
and holds the whole thing together.
This album is out of print and somewhat rare, but it's available
as an import from P-Vine. The cover shows Jerome on a beach, dressed
as a pirate, recovering a treasure chest. An inside sleeve illustration
has Jerome making Clinton (whom he calls 'Lump') walk the plank. The
whole thing is pretty funny. Ace Records also apparently plans to
reissue this album soon as well.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
_Funk Plus The One_ (1980)
(listed as Mutiny featuring Jerome Brailey)
Track Listing:
Will It Be Tomorrow? {Jerome Brailey} 3:23
Anti-Disco {J Brailey} 4:35
Don't Bust The Groove {James Hockaday, J Brailey} 4:09
Romeo, Take 2 {J Brailey} 1:16
Reality {J Brailey} 4:03
Semi-First Class Seat {J Brailey} 6:29
One On One {J Brailey} 4:38
The Ballad of Cap't. Hymbad {J Brailey} 4:03
Will It Be Tomorrow? (reprise) {J Brailey} 1:30
I'm Ready {J Brailey} 5:03
Personnel:
Produced and Arranged: Jerome Brailey
Lead Vocals: Jerome Brailey, Skitch Lovett, James "Dodad" Hockaday on
"Don't Bust the Groove"
Background Vocals: Jerome Brailey, Skitch Lovett, Keni Hairston, Lenny Holmes
Drums, Percussion: Jerome Brailey
Guitars: Skitch Lovett, Lenny Holmes, Cordell "Boogie" Mosson
Keyboards: Keni Hairston, Nat Lee
Bass: James Hockaday, Darryl Jones
Horns: "Major" Darryl Dixon, Melvin El, Marvin Daniels, David Watson
"I'm Ready"
Vocals: Jerome Brailey, Brian Champion
Programming: Jerome Brailey, Brian Champion
Drums: Jerome Brailey
Guitar: Bendrix (Boby Count) (Bennie Williams)
Recorded August 21, 1992
Rating: RC: ***1/2
Comments:
RC: "I'm Ready" is a bonus track on the 1994 Japanese CD release of the
album.
The follow-up album maintains the first album's musical consistency,
but drops off a bit lyrically, hence the slightly lower rating. Generally,
the album is very similar to the first: locked-in, funky rhythms; superb
drumming; muted but hot lead guitar; whispered back-up vocals and strong
lead vocals from J Romeo; and excellent arrangements throughout.
"Will It Be Tomorrow?" has that solid, locked-in bass groove so notable
on these albums. The vocals are distorted, creating a weird atmosphere.
With great overall singing and a screaming guitar at the end, this is
a noteworthy intro. "Anti-Disco" is another dead-on, mid-tempo funk
bomb. There's a nice horn arrangement and a notably clever line, 'What`s
the use of putting on cologne when nine times out of ten you'll be alone?'
"Don't Bust The Groove" is a rhythmically lighter song that disses assorted
funk bands of the time, carried mostly by the horns. "Romeo Take 2" is
a hot drum solo from Jerome, with muted but scorching guitars in the
background. "Reality" is a repetitive mid-tempo number, once again
with whispered vocals, muted guitar and a solid beat. "Semi-First Class
Seat" is a great mid-tempo, chank guitar riffed, dance funker. It recycles
the lyrics from Funkdelic's "If You Don't Like The Effects..." and "I Wanna
Know...". "One On One" is another locked-in funker, led by vocal chants.
"Cap't Hymbad" is a mellow ballad that's heavy on percussion. "I'm Ready"
cleverly samples a number of tunes, including "You Can't Miss What You
Can't Measure" and "This Is The Way We Funk With You." Great guitar, also.
This album is out of print and somewhat rare, but it's available
as an import from P-Vine. The cover features assorted picture of Jerome,
looking like he's inside some sort of clone tube. There are also photos
of the band members on the back cover, and the liner notes include Mutiny's
funk declaration. Ace Records also apparently plans to reissue this album
soon as well.
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_A Night Out With The Boys_ (1983)
Track Listing:
In The Pocket {J Brailey} 3:20
And You Know That {J Brailey, Lenny Holmes} 4:42
Hand Maid (Old Lady Mine) {J Brailey, L Holmes} 3:32
Peanut Butter And Jam {J Brailey} 6:11
A Night Out With The Boys {J Brailey} 6:20
Child Support {J Brailey, Skitch Lovett, Michael Hampton} 5:05
Raise {G Goins} 4:07
Just Want To Know {J Brailey} 2:34
P. Moe 0:14
Personnel:
Producer: J. Romeo, Flash
Executive Producer: Seth Snyder
Guitars: Michael Hampton, Skitch Lovett, Lenny Holmes, Dave Roeder,
Ricky Hitchcock
Bass: J. Romeo (Jerome Brailey), Rodney Curtis
Keyboards: Maceo Bond, Kenny Hairston
Vocals: J. Romeo, Skitch Lovett, Kenny Hairston, Lenny Holmes
Thump City (Drums): J. Romeo
Lead Guitar on "A Night Out With the Boys": Ricky Hitchcock
Rating: RC: ***1/2
Comments:
MG: The last Mutiny album. J.Romeo was probably Jerome
Brailey's own label. After all, that's one of his nicknames.
You can hear him being called that on the O.G Funk album too.
"P.Moe" is a 14 second weird interlude consisting of a high
pitched voice that sings highlights from this album and a chant that
goes "Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego", just like Sly Stone did on
"Loose Booty".
Maceo Bond is of Osiris fame.
RC: The last Mutiny album pretty much forgets about lyrics and goes
about its regularly scheduled business. Jerome selects a few choice
lines from other funk songs and uses them as the focus for his songs.
He's joined by P.Funk regulars Michael Hampton and Rodney 'Skeet' Curtis,
whose presences are bent to the will of Brailey. Jerome's singing is
still excellent, and fans of the first two albums will surely like this
as well. There's a little more musical variation on this album, but
not so much that it starts to become incoherent.
"In The Pocket" is a song with a funky bass synth groove that recalls
"Flash Light". Lyrically, the song borrows phrases from "Roto-Rooter"
and "You Hit The Nail On The Head." The tempo is somewhere in between
those two songs. "And You Know That" starts off with some nice drum
beats, easing the song into its driving guitar riff. The riff is accented
by stinging synth parts. The chant borrows from "Big Footin'". It ends
with a nice guitar solo. "Hand Maid" is a slow, dreamy, spacey number
with a great lead vocal. The chant this time recalls Sly Stone's "Loose
Booty". "Peanut Butter And Jam" is a hot dance jam. It's a bit repetitive,
but it's fun and has nice bass playing. The vocals are mostly chants
once again. "A Night Out..." is an instrumental with some interesting
descending figures, crisp percussion and prominently spacey guitar work.
"Child Support" is a driving, Led Zeppelin-like rock song. It's really
meaty and one of the best tunes on the album. "Raise" is a grooving,
locked-in-the-pocket style funk jam with a wild guitar solo. "Just Want
To Know" recalls "Give Up The Funk" a bit in its long intro, before
kicking into a bass-heavy jam. It takes the "if you hear any noise" line
from "Mothership Connection" as its own.
This album is out of print and extremely rare. Expect to pay at least
$30 for a copy. P-Vine and Ace Records are supposed to release this on
CD soon.
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