Martin's funk thread

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"wonder if the influence went the other way?"

ALEXANDER: I once heard a story that Frank Zappa tried to snatch you, Gary Shider and Glenn Goins.

COOPER: It's a true story. Yeah, that was the week that we played the L.A. Coliseum in '79. Frank Zappa offered me a gig. Stevie Wonder offered me a gig. That's just the way it was. We was hitting hard, and a lot of people was coming after us.

― scott seward (scott seward), Sunday, 26 February 2006 21:37 (eighteen years ago) link

I think Funkadelic may have supported Zappa early on actually.
It seems that back in the 60s there was some bills that had lots of bands you wouldnt have thought played together(and when you see the posters it all makes sense that they did) bills that just wouldnt happen nowadays.

I wish there was more eclectic bills today.

― Last Of The Famous International Pfunkboys (Kerr), Sunday, 26 February 2006 22:30 (eighteen years ago) link

Chuck, if listening to the records don't make you love them then theres nothing anyone can say to change your mind.
But you must have liked plenty of bands before that you changed your mind upon.
I've read your book years and years ago and it seems you've changed your mind on most of it apart from Kix and Teena Marie hehe.

― Last Of The Famous International Pfunkboys (Kerr), Sunday, 26 February 2006 22:32 (eighteen years ago) link

Foghat smoked Funkadelic's feeble stabs at hard rock.

For one I don't think Funkadelic's hard rock was feeble at all.

Anyone with a white Hendrix imitator generally did better than Eddie Hazel

Is nonsense IMO.

― Last Of The Famous International Pfunkboys (Kerr), Sunday, 26 February 2006 22:35 (eighteen years ago) link

JB's - Hustle With Speed
This is kind of more disco thank funk. It's all really well played, but there's something less than exciting about it. Maybe it's them getting past their peak or grappling with something they don't get as well as the funk of the last years, but it's far less invigorating than I expected.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Monday, 27 February 2006 20:18 (eighteen years ago) link

Junie - When We Do
I'm still not feeling Junie at all. Every time I feel my foot tapping, there's some over-fussy fancy guitar or keyboard part to lose me again. By this point, I doubt this is going to change.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Monday, 27 February 2006 20:19 (eighteen years ago) link

Tower Of Power - Urban Renewal
A very good album - better singing than on some of theirs, and their usual very punchy playing. I don't think the ballads are remotely in the league of Hi at the time (1975), for instance, but when they are up-tempo, this is terrific.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Monday, 27 February 2006 20:19 (eighteen years ago) link

BT Express - Non-Stop
See above, to an extent - very enjoyable funk edging way over towards disco, and only let down by a fairly weedy Close To You cover.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Monday, 27 February 2006 20:20 (eighteen years ago) link

Meters - Fire On The Bayou
An utter delight all the way through - not a single misstep, covering the New Orleans R&B territory with imagination and pretty peerless playing. Wonderful.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Monday, 27 February 2006 20:21 (eighteen years ago) link

Michael Hampton - Live 2001 San Francisco - Justice League
The first album from the megastack that I've given up on. Hampton plays guitar loudly, and keeps playing it some more. It sounded like there were other musicians about, but since they don't beat Hampton to death with their instruments in the three tracks I managed to endure, it makes me think I might have been imagining them. Fans of fucking interminable '70s rock guitar solos may like this better than I do.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Monday, 27 February 2006 20:22 (eighteen years ago) link

Pleasure - Dust Yourself Off
I wasn't sure about this. I quite liked it, but I kind of felt there were two conflicting pulls: towards a rough and tough funk on one hand, and a jazz sophistication on the other. Sometimes one or the other won out for a track, and that worked, and sometimes they more or less worked together, but I never felt like they were going to coexist too happily.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Monday, 27 February 2006 20:23 (eighteen years ago) link

don't think any of those white blooz bands could stomp on Funkadelic somehow.

Of course you wouldn't, but here, like on Rolling Metal, you never explain why or even feebly expand the point.

For one I don't think Funkadelic's hard rock was feeble at all.

It was. It has very little thud. No concussion on Standing On the Verge as far as I can tell. And, unfortunately, there were a number of other popular Hendrix-like men who made things lots lots better than "Alice In My Fantasies," "Good Thoughts, Bad Thoughts," and "Maggot Brain." Jim McCarty comes to mind. Trower sticks out like a sore thumb.

aying Deep Purple are funkier than an album containing the likes of "Red Hot Mama" and "Sexy Ways' just seems provocative.

Well sure it is. But Come Taste the Band, for practical purposes, was Deep Purple's funk record -- Bolin's on it -- and its hard rock rocks harder than the stuff I heard that was alleged to on Verge. What made me move Verge quickly off to the side piles was that it sounded half-assed and silly in a dopesmokers-took-over way. Were they fans of Cheech 'n' Chong?

So disagree. First time that's happened in the last five minutes. Black/white; red/green; oil/water; ja!/nein! It's the stuff Rolling Metal is grown on.

Fans of fucking interminable '70s rock guitar solos may like this better than I do.

Boy, that's me sometimes. These thumbnail reviews are great.

― George 'the Animal' Steele, Monday, 27 February 2006 20:39 (eighteen years ago) link

Thanks, George. As someone who lived through the era of fucking interminable '70s rock guitar solos once, I have no desire at all to revisit it. There were very few I could tolerate now or then (though as it happens Robin Trower is one of them).

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Tuesday, 28 February 2006 22:04 (eighteen years ago) link

Parlet - live in detroit mi - 10-30-78
Deeply horrible sound quality makes any further comment impossible.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Tuesday, 28 February 2006 22:07 (eighteen years ago) link

Kool & The Gang - 1973 - Wild and Peaceful
This has some of their strongest material, particularly the mighty Jungle Boogie, but it seems a little uncertain what it wants to be, to the point where the title track sounds more like jazz than funk. Still, an excellent album, with loads of fun to be had.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Tuesday, 28 February 2006 22:09 (eighteen years ago) link

Sly & The Family Stone - 1968 - Whole New Thing
There are hints of funk and psychedelia, and West Coast pop & rock in particular here, but their debut is really a light soul album. It's likeable and mostly fun, but I don't imagine too many saw nascent greatness in it at the time.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Tuesday, 28 February 2006 22:10 (eighteen years ago) link

Madhouse - Serve 'Em Madhouse
I didn't pay this huge attention as it was playing - it was in the P-Funk section of the megastack, but I would never have connected it to them from listening - no sign of the rawk tendencies, just lively and rather good funk.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Tuesday, 28 February 2006 22:10 (eighteen years ago) link

Bar-Kays - 1981 - Nightcruising
It's getting synthy here, a long way from their Memphis soul roots - and it's those roots that are my territory too. Nonetheless, other than dull ballads this is a fun disco album.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Tuesday, 28 February 2006 22:11 (eighteen years ago) link

"but I don't imagine too many saw nascent greatness in it at the time."

the record buying public sure didn't - but reportedly Miles Davis and numerous other luminaries of the day were quite taken with it. I think the album's hugely underrated... (and xpost but I'm not gonna bother arguing with chuck and George, a real lost cause there)

Madhouse album is fun, I just got that recently. Recorded in something like two days, apparently!

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 28 February 2006 22:35 (eighteen years ago) link

Sorry for the gap - I've been offline almost continuously since last Wednesday. No idea if I'm back for good this time, even.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Monday, 6 March 2006 15:39 (eighteen years ago) link

Ohio Players - Skin Tight
This might be the best of theirs I've heard so far. It's tremendously strong and immaculately played. What sets them apart from most, for me, is something like control.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Monday, 6 March 2006 15:39 (eighteen years ago) link

Rick James - Throwin Down
Patchy. Some strong funk, not far from his best, a decent track with the Temptations, some okay ballads. It's a good album.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Monday, 6 March 2006 15:40 (eighteen years ago) link

Mutiny - Aftershock 2005
Poor late post-P-Funk effort (from 1995, in case the title misleads), attempting to incorporate some hip hop scratching and the like. Some of it's pretty dreadful, most of it is just not much good.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Monday, 6 March 2006 15:41 (eighteen years ago) link

Pfunk all-stars - live at the beverly theater
This is my favourite so far of the live P-Funk albums, I think. This is one of their late reunion shows, when most of them got back together. They pretty much stick with extended versions of Funkadelic's and Parliament's greatest hits, but thankfully the extension is not guitar wanking but party funk.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Monday, 6 March 2006 15:42 (eighteen years ago) link

Tower Of Power - Bump City
Another of those I quite enjoyed without having much to say, and without recalling much about it. More Memphis soul and less '70s funk than the stronger, later work.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Monday, 6 March 2006 15:42 (eighteen years ago) link

Undisputed Truth - Face To Face With The Truth
The production on here is great - Norman Whitfield at the turn of the '70s is one of my three favourites of all time, and while I kind of felt that he saved most of his best ideas for the Temptations, this is still wonderful, in a 'Papa Was A Rolling Stone' kind of way. Sadly, the singing is not in the same class - which isn't to say it's bad, but there are gauche and strained bits that make the minor standing of this band pretty understandable, despite the producer.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Monday, 6 March 2006 15:43 (eighteen years ago) link

Rare Earth - Back To Earth
Less objectionable than some of theirs, but still it sounds like rock with an occasional funk flavouring to me, and I didn't like any of it.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Monday, 6 March 2006 15:43 (eighteen years ago) link

Chambers Brothers - Love, Peace & Happiness
This was enjoyable - lots of boogying R&B in an MGs/Bar-Kays style, and the playing mostly isn't so much behind those great bands. There is the odd mis-step, but it's fun most of the way. It's half studio and half live, which is unusual.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Monday, 6 March 2006 15:43 (eighteen years ago) link

Isley Brothers - Showdown
The early '70s fuzz-guitar style is still there, but this is short of great songs, and it suffers from the 'hey how come I don't get to sing lead?' syndrome of bands that have been round for a while, unless it's the new younger trio that are to blame for this, which it probably is. There is still some nice guitar and singing, but less consistently, and without the magnificent high spots. Only good, not great.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Monday, 6 March 2006 15:44 (eighteen years ago) link

Funk, Inc - Funk Inc
I liked this a lot - loads of strong playing, enormous variety covering jazz, jazz-funk, '60s R&B, funk, Sly & the Family Stone, Marvin Gaye, most of the black US territory of the time. Terrific throughout. It's their debut.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Monday, 6 March 2006 15:44 (eighteen years ago) link

Ohio Players - Climax
A bit of a cobbled together mess by their previous label as they were starting at the next. Mostly well below par.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Monday, 6 March 2006 15:44 (eighteen years ago) link

Funkadelic - Live 03-21-1978, Houston, the Summit
Not great sound quality, and while I enjoyed bits here and there, there's far too much standing at the front of the stage, pulling a face and trying to make the guitars scream. (Yes I know this is audio only, but you know I'm right.)

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Monday, 6 March 2006 15:45 (eighteen years ago) link

Graham Central Station - Star Walk
There's some fifth-rate singing on this that really drags it down. Otherwise it's generally pretty good funk and disco, with Larry restraining his slap bass solo tendencies.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Monday, 6 March 2006 15:45 (eighteen years ago) link

Albert King - Years Gone By
Very classy blues album, produced by perhaps my favourite musician ever, the great Al Jackson, but since it isn't anything to do with funk it doesn't really belong here.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Monday, 6 March 2006 15:49 (eighteen years ago) link

Zapp - 1984 - The New Zapp IV U
There's supposedly a fresh style on this one, but it's hard to spot. Solid enough funk plus horrible vocoder singing. A nasty version of the doowop classic I Only Have Eyes For You is particularly bad.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Monday, 6 March 2006 15:51 (eighteen years ago) link

don't know if they're in yr stash but some of Albert King's Stax LPs are soul-verging-on-funk backed by the Bar-Kays. especially sweet is I Wanna Get Funky from 1972.Years Gone By is dope.

― m coleman (lovebug starski), Monday, 6 March 2006 16:02 (eighteen years ago) link

Yeah, that one is there, and the change is clearly why there are Albert King albums in the stack.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Monday, 6 March 2006 16:06 (eighteen years ago) link

is the Beverly Theater P-Funk thing the 2-CD thing with Dennis Chambers...? that's some good shit.

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Monday, 6 March 2006 17:56 (eighteen years ago) link

Well I just got an MP3 folder, but I am fairly sure the answer is yes.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Monday, 6 March 2006 18:11 (eighteen years ago) link

don't know if they're in yr stash but some of Albert King's Stax LPs are soul-verging-on-funk backed by the Bar-Kays. especially sweet is I Wanna Get Funky from 1972.Years Gone By is dope.

The thought of Martin having a stash made me chuckle.

Great to have you back martin and a whole load of fresh reviews to enjoy is great!

― Last Of The Famous International Pfunkboys (Kerr), Monday, 6 March 2006 18:14 (eighteen years ago) link

I don't understand why that is amusing.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Monday, 6 March 2006 20:41 (eighteen years ago) link

(bah i should do some more of those lessons: the next one wz tyrannosaurus rex)

― mark s (mark s), Monday, 6 March 2006 21:16 (eighteen years ago) link

Rick James - Bustin' Out Of L Seven
I've found my American friends are mystified at his almost non-existent musical profile here, but he had zero top 40 hits in the UK. I'm certainly a fan by now, and this is good, but this one rather washed over me without making too much impression - lacks a strong tune or two, I thought.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Saturday, 11 March 2006 12:28 (eighteen years ago) link

Slave - The Hardness Of The World
I got some stick for being too dismissive of the first Slave album I played, so I paid a bit more attention this time. The music is probably stronger and richer than I'd noticed, but some things are much worse. 'Can't Get Enough Of You' may be the most rubbish lyric I've ever heard. Had I not been paying attention, I'd not have noticed the vacuity of the words; overall, still not a fan.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Saturday, 11 March 2006 12:29 (eighteen years ago) link

Tal Ross - Aka Detrimental Vasoline-Giant Shirley
Is there some P-Funk link here? Most of the dreary rock in the stash proves to have some connection back to George Clinton. This is rolling, boogying stuff rather than guitar hero wanking, and his voice is likeable in an inept soul kind of way, but it's not my thing.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Saturday, 11 March 2006 12:29 (eighteen years ago) link

J.B.'s - Doing It To Death
I'm not sure if this is real-live or the old soul studio-live, but whatever, producer James Brown is all over this with chants and intros and stuff. It's absolutely magnificent playing - there aren't many bands I'd rather listen to than the great J.B.'s line-ups. The material here is short of stellar, but the punch and energy with which they play it are irresistible.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Saturday, 11 March 2006 12:29 (eighteen years ago) link

Otis Day & The Nights - Shout
You might recognise the name: this was the band at the party in Animal House. It was created for the movie, with an actor in the front role, but someone had the smart idea of making it into a real band, with the same actor singing. They toured successfully, and George Clinton produced this album. It makes gestures at his kind of funk in the early tracks, and otherwise goes for party R&B. Neither is any good, frankly.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Saturday, 11 March 2006 12:29 (eighteen years ago) link

Rufus & Chaka Khan - Master Jam
I'm not sure about this one. I like Rufus's punchy funk, and I like Quincy Jones slick productions, but I'm not convinced they belong together. It seems to lose the edge without becoming as smoothly lovely as QJ's best. We still get Chaka Khan's potent singing, so it's still an enjoyable album.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Saturday, 11 March 2006 12:29 (eighteen years ago) link

Stone City Band - Boys Are Back
I hadn't realised that this was Rick James' backing band, and Rick produced this and wrote some of it. He's not wasting his best material on them, and some of this is hopelessly lame. At its best, it's still only pretty good.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Saturday, 11 March 2006 12:30 (eighteen years ago) link

War - Deliver The Word
Another that I'm equivocal about. A couple of really terrific funk numbers (especially Me And Baby Brother), but lots of faffing around elsewhere, too much of the jazz and even '70s rock/prog tendencies in places. Some great tracks, but not an album I can love.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Saturday, 11 March 2006 12:30 (eighteen years ago) link

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