Martin's funk thread

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no, i didn't. i think it's still there though. i might have to pick it up on my next CD trade-in visit.

― scott seward (scott seward), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 21:20 (eighteen years ago) link

speaking of junie, i have a pretty good j.s. theracon 12-inch. i should dig it out.

― scott seward (scott seward), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 21:23 (eighteen years ago) link

No, I realise Clinton wasn't on that Mutiny album - I look many of these up on AMG, to try to sound as if I have the faintest idea what I am on about - but it still sounds very like him.

i think i read somewhere that Brailey was actually trying to mock and/or show how easy it was to make music like Clinton.

― team jaxon (jaxon), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 22:26 (eighteen years ago) link

Someone who played with him for a while being able to copy him is hardly proof of anything, surely?

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 23:09 (eighteen years ago) link

Ohio Players are an interesting intersection of P-Funk and James Brown, and I have most of their stuff (sooooo cheap on vinyl), but I don't think any of their albums are really solid all the way through. And without Junie my attention def. wanders. "Pain" is probably my favorite ("Funky Worm" obv so classic)

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 23:22 (eighteen years ago) link

here's what i had to say on mutiny way back:
I just picked up a Mutiny twofer called "How Loose is Your Booty?". it's got "Mutiny on the mamaship" & "Funk Plus The One". overall i think it's sort of mediocre but good. there are just too many same tempo slap bass tracks that all run into each other. i think he forgot to write a good song most of the time. but there are some excelent tracks on there, it's just hard going through two whole albums to find them

― team jaxon (jaxon), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 23:29 (eighteen years ago) link

Someone who played with him for a while being able to copy him is hardly proof of anything, surely?

after just re-reading the amg bio this is what they say, just in better english than what i was trying to say: Mutiny's debut album, Mutiny on the Mamaship, was released by CBS in 1979 and featured several pointed satires of Clinton, even as the music mostly replicated his style (though it did so quite effectively).

― team jaxon (jaxon), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 23:30 (eighteen years ago) link

Is the Mutiny on cd then now? I only have the 1st 2 albums on vinyl. FOPP in glasgow repressed a lot of albums on vinyl as they acquired the licenses.

I do remember seeing some 90s Mutiny cds in there too, but I never bothered with them.

― Last Of The Famous International Pfunkboys (Kerr), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 23:38 (eighteen years ago) link

i picked up the cd xmas of 2004 in seattle. it's on sequel records and was put out in 2000.

― team jaxon (jaxon), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 23:43 (eighteen years ago) link

I probably bought my vinyl in 97 or 98. I cant really remember.
Unless theres bonus tracks I don't need the cd. Unless i saw it somewhere really cheap.

― Last Of The Famous International Pfunkboys (Kerr), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 23:47 (eighteen years ago) link

it's hard to tell. i think it's actually missing one or two tracks from the first two albums and it might include a few tracks from "A Night Out With the Boys".

so i'm relistening to the whole thing right now. it's been over a year since the last time i listened to it and i actually think it's pretty alright. at the time, i had been in a BIG soul/funk/pfunk addiction phase and this musta come at the tail end of it. so i was probably just getting sick of hearing all the same kinda shit. now that i hardly listen to any of that stuff, it's not so bad on fresh ears.

― team jaxon (jaxon), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 23:56 (eighteen years ago) link

That Rickey Vincent book overlooks a whole lot - like giving blowfly one stinking paragraph.

While I disagree with most of Martin's opinions, it's "Martin's funk Thread" folks. No need to hate on the man because he's the disco kid, instead of the undisco kid.

― Uncle Tom (Uncle Tom), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 02:01 (eighteen years ago) link

Martin's deliberately leaving some of the best stuff to the end as he will probably take the best part of this year to listen to and post his thoughts on here. He doesn't want to be left with stuff he wouldn't be interested in.
Plus i'm sure he will play albums again if he gets the chance and who knows what he will think of those albums then.

― Last Of The Famous International Pfunkboys (Kerr), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 03:24 (eighteen years ago) link

Rare Earth - Get Ready
Didn't like this at all. It rarely sounds like funk - this is a psychedelic rock album, with immensely long solos all over the place, plus third rate singing. They can play, and occasionally there are hints that they could make good records, so I don't totally despair of the other Rare Earth albums in the stack, but I will approach them gingerly.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 23:06 (eighteen years ago) link

Steve Cropper - With a Little Help From My Friends
This is the first solo album by one of my all-time favourite guitarists (Booker T & the MGs, plus he was Otis Redding's songwriting and production partner), so it was a totally safe bet that... actually I thought it was dreadful. All the things I love in his work are as part of a band, often behind a singer. He plays his part, he does small things with a sharpness and brilliance that makes them big anyway, he plays his part in carrying the tune onwards. Here he's in charge. I don't know who the musicians are - they're very good indeed - but they are firmly in the background, in every way. Cropper gets to play loads of big early '70s chords, some rocky, some fuzzed, and he is superb, but it abandons the stuff that made him the #1 guitarist in soul in favour of being another rock guitarist. I guess I might like it better on future listens, once the disappointment of what it is and isn't has passed.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 23:06 (eighteen years ago) link

Funkadelic - America Eats Its Young
It's been a string of rock albums I didn't care for today. This is the least funky Funkadelic I've heard. It seemed to drone on for a very long time, and while there was nothing I hated, there was nothing much I liked either.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 23:07 (eighteen years ago) link

Fuzzy Haskins - A Whole Nother Thang
Today this sounded pretty good, but I suspect in reality it's kind of mainline basic P-Funk, well played, very listenable, nothing very special at all.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 23:07 (eighteen years ago) link

"there was nothing much I liked either."

Nothing????? Oh my.

― scott seward (scott seward), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 23:10 (eighteen years ago) link

My least fave Funkadelic album but theres still some really good tracks on it. "Loose Booty" "I Call My Baby Pussycat" "If you dont like the effects dont produce the cause".

Fuzzy Haskins 2 solo albums are pretty good.

― Last Of The Famous International Pfunkboys (Kerr), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 23:35 (eighteen years ago) link

I'm amazed you didnt like the Steve Cropper. Did someone steal your seat on the tube or something?

― Last Of The Famous International Pfunkboys (Kerr), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 23:36 (eighteen years ago) link

i always liked that cropper album, but i don't play it much.

― scott seward (scott seward), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 23:38 (eighteen years ago) link

the one i really like is the album he made with albert king and pop staples.

― scott seward (scott seward), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 23:39 (eighteen years ago) link

Which album is that?

― Last Of The Famous International Pfunkboys (Kerr), Thursday, 9 February 2006 00:11 (eighteen years ago) link

"Jammed Together" - I only have one track off it, but its pretty good. Pops Staples is a huge idol of mine - love his tone.

There's a great "America Eats Its Young" thread around here on ILM somewhere, involving chuck eddy - that's a weird album, but its become one of my favorites over time, particularly because there isn't much else like it in the P-Funk catalog. Really its closest analogue is "Osmium".

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 9 February 2006 00:41 (eighteen years ago) link

yeah, jammed together. it's a good one. not to go on and on about it, but i just find it a little hard to believe that someone who liked p-funk couldn't find SOMETHING to like about america eats its young. for the record, i have always loved it. so vast and deep and sprawling. something for everyone!

― scott seward (scott seward), Thursday, 9 February 2006 00:45 (eighteen years ago) link

america eats its young is the only pfunk album i've sold back

― team jaxon (jaxon), Thursday, 9 February 2006 04:44 (eighteen years ago) link

JaXon, U crazy! You should have kept it for "Philmore" alone.

― Redd Harvest (Ken L), Thursday, 9 February 2006 04:50 (eighteen years ago) link

It took me a while to get into it so maybe Martin will do the same IF he plays it again sometime.

― Last Of The Famous International Pfunkboys (Kerr), Thursday, 9 February 2006 06:03 (eighteen years ago) link

Martin> Re the Rare Earth. Norman Whitfield had something to do with them in the early days and again on ""MA"
Infact he wrote and produced all the songs on that album.

― Last Of The Famous International Pfunkboys (Kerr), Thursday, 9 February 2006 06:12 (eighteen years ago) link

I don't much like "America Eats Its Young" either. To me it doesn't sound like should even be a Funkadelic album, it sounds like it's really Parliament's follow-up to "Osmium" (not as good as that album of course). There's not much of Eddie Hazel and Billy Nelson on it is there?

― Dadaismus PBUH (Dada), Thursday, 9 February 2006 16:47 (eighteen years ago) link

hazel had left.though he is probably on some stuff here and there. it's the first album with bootsy and the rest of the JB's. ginger baker played drums on one track. is it a mess? yeah, but what a mess! so many great songs. i would keep it for "Balance" alone. ah, whatever...

― scott seward (scott seward), Thursday, 9 February 2006 17:14 (eighteen years ago) link

... that's what I thought, if Eddie Hazel and Billy Nelson aren't on it, that's probably why it doesn't sound like a Funkadelic album

― Dadaismus PBUH (Dada), Thursday, 9 February 2006 17:21 (eighteen years ago) link

Do you like the O.G. Funk album then?
or the Tal Ross solo album?

― Last Of The Famous International Pfunkboys (Kerr), Thursday, 9 February 2006 17:22 (eighteen years ago) link

What Scott said. I love over half of it.

― Andy_K (Andy_K), Thursday, 9 February 2006 17:23 (eighteen years ago) link

there is some interesting info here, even for haterz:

http://www.duke.edu/~tmc/motherpage/albums_funkadelic/alb-ameats.html

― scott seward (scott seward), Thursday, 9 February 2006 17:24 (eighteen years ago) link

http://www.duke.edu/~tmc/motherpage/albums_solo/alb-talross_detrimental.html

haha x-post

― Last Of The Famous International Pfunkboys (Kerr), Thursday, 9 February 2006 17:25 (eighteen years ago) link

Do you like the O.G. Funk album then?
or the Tal Ross solo album?

Never heard them

― Dadaismus PBUH (Dada), Thursday, 9 February 2006 17:25 (eighteen years ago) link

O.G. Funk
http://www.duke.edu/~tmc/motherpage/albums_spinoffs/alb-ogfunk_outofthedark.html

x-post.

Dada theyre quite good albums. Kinda like mid period funkadelic.
I'd recommend them to those who are very familiar with pfunk in general.

Have a read at the two reviews i posted the links to.

― Last Of The Famous International Pfunkboys (Kerr), Thursday, 9 February 2006 17:28 (eighteen years ago) link

I've heard OG Funk - which was pretty good but I did end up selling it back. It reminded me of a lot of other Bill Laswell/P-Funk (Material, Axiom Funk) projects in terms of the production. Never heard the Tawl Ross album.

I def. prefer America Eats Its Young to Osmium. No "Silent Boatman" for one thing. Or bagpipes. But "Miss Lucifer's Love"! "I Call My Baby Pussycat"! Funkiest slide guitar ever on "Biological Speculation"! (which also has some of my favorite Funkadelic lyrics)

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 9 February 2006 17:37 (eighteen years ago) link

"Silent Boatman" is one of my favourite things of all time, ESPECIALLY the bagpipes!

― Dadaismus PBUH (Dada), Thursday, 9 February 2006 17:39 (eighteen years ago) link

I'm curious if we can come to a consensus about what the worst song on "America Eats Its Young" is. I'm not sure what my nomination would be... "We Hurt Too" maybe?

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 9 February 2006 17:50 (eighteen years ago) link

We hurt too is SHITE!.

Silent Boatman is awesome. Maybe Dada and I get goosebumps with the bagpipes playing the skye boat song though ;)

Dada I could YSI you the O.G. Funk and Tal Ross (he calls himself tal not tawl now) albums if you like since i'm not sure if they're in print now.

Have you heard Sweatband and Quazar?

― Last Of The Famous International Pfunkboys (Kerr), Thursday, 9 February 2006 18:00 (eighteen years ago) link

Johnny 'Guitar' Watson - Ain't That a Bitch
I occasionally have my doubts about Watson's voice on uptempo numbers - his nasal and slightly drained tones suited the blues better - but otherwise his '70s funk reinvention was a roaring success. This is varied - there is still blues here, and other things - but its heart is funk, and most of it is really tremendous.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Thursday, 9 February 2006 19:29 (eighteen years ago) link

Blackbyrds - Blackbyrds
Kind of like Isaac Hayes blaxploitation soundtrack jazz-funk, and nearly in that class. They play really well, individually and as a band, and this is largely excellent. It maybe lacks a great track or two, but it's very good indeed.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Thursday, 9 February 2006 19:30 (eighteen years ago) link

Commodores - Caught In The Act
This is not 'Easy Like Three Ladies' territory. You might recall Machine Gun - hyperactive, exciteable and punchy funk. If not, think Stevie Wonder's Superstitition, but mostly without singing. When they go slow and Lionel Richie gets to croon at us (no 'HELLO!' moments) it's not so good, but the rest is thoroughly enjoyable. Sadly the Lionel quotient does increase after a very strong start.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Thursday, 9 February 2006 19:30 (eighteen years ago) link

There's a great "America Eats Its Young" thread around here on ILM somewhere, involving chuck eddy
I don't know about one featuring chuck, but I do know about this thread:
teaching mark s a *LESSON* response three: FUNKADELIC

I shall be talking about AEIY on my blog in a few days time. I like it - in fact I think I prefer it to a lot of later P-Funk stuff, but I can see why it's not Martin's cup of tea.

― Jeff W (zebedee), Thursday, 9 February 2006 19:32 (eighteen years ago) link

ah yes mark s not chuck e - sorry I confuse cantankerous cranks occasionally.

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 9 February 2006 19:40 (eighteen years ago) link

America Eats Its Young is always the one you end up back playing because it's not played as much as the others and you kinda forget a lot of stuff on it so you play it again.

― Last Of The Famous International Pfunkboys (Kerr), Thursday, 9 February 2006 19:58 (eighteen years ago) link

That Mark S thread is some serious reading.

― Last Of The Famous International Pfunkboys (Kerr), Friday, 10 February 2006 00:54 (eighteen years ago) link

mark s can be very tiresome.

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Friday, 10 February 2006 00:56 (eighteen years ago) link

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