Martin's funk thread

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http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0001EFU4Q.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

― Last Of The Famous International Pfunkboys (Kerr), Wednesday, 1 February 2006 03:38 (eighteen years ago) link

Bootsy's Rubber Band
04/07/78 Unknown, Washington, DC is a bootleg.

I have this too
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0000257CV.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

― Last Of The Famous International Pfunkboys (Kerr), Wednesday, 1 February 2006 03:41 (eighteen years ago) link

Bar-Kays - As One
This is a 1980 album, and they'd long ago moved conclusively from soul instrumentals to being a funk band. There are plenty of vocals on this too. It's very uneven: some strong and solid funk mixed with some very poor ballads, slushy and weak. I'll get to several '70s albums in due course, but I wouldn't be surprised if this is right at the end of their good period. There's a sense of exhaustion, in parts.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Wednesday, 1 February 2006 23:02 (eighteen years ago) link

Funkadelic - live, 1981, Dayton, Ohio
A bootleg I assume, and a really fiery performance. It is in parts too heavy rock for my tastes - always a partial problem with Funkadelic - but a lot of it is great, really potent and hugely enjoyable. There are lots of live albums in the megastack, but I bet this ranks as one of the most exciting.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Wednesday, 1 February 2006 23:03 (eighteen years ago) link

Graham Central Station - s/t
It's Larry Graham of course, post Family Stone - but I don't think that excuses the dismal band name. You rarely feel confident that a slap bass solo isn't coming any moment now, but he doesn't do that too often, thankfully - and he is a hell of a bassist, so you do kind of forgive it when he does. More or less. It's a little uneven, but even on the weakest parts the playing is good, and at other times the beats are pounding and thrilling. I really liked it, and I'm hopeful that later albums may be even better.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Wednesday, 1 February 2006 23:04 (eighteen years ago) link

and I know this is the funk thread and not a jazz one - and I will have even less of interest to say about the jazz quarter of the megastack, so don't really intend to start a jazz thread - but I must mention that I also got to my first today by: Grant Green (First Session) - groovy guitar playing, entirely likeable though I never got that excited; and Jimmy McGriff (I've Got A Woman) - really thrilling hammond organ, edging very much towards Memphis soul from the jazz roots, and absolutely spectacular.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Wednesday, 1 February 2006 23:06 (eighteen years ago) link

That is actually my least favourite GCS. (i still like it but the others are better)

The 70s Grant Green is jazz-funk so im sure that A) you will love it B) write about it. The live albums are wonderful.

and Martin... Funkadelic will NEVER be too heavy rock for me.

― Last Of The Famous International Pfunkboys (Kerr), Wednesday, 1 February 2006 23:11 (eighteen years ago) link

weird - I think the 1st GCS is probably the best, maybe cuz its the most Sly-ish...? I *love* that Freddie Stewart/"funk box" workout on the record. Kerr I'm curious which ones you like more...? Their career seemed to be about steadily diminishing returns to me. My attention's pretty much gone by "My Radio Sho Nuff Turns Me On" (tho there's at least one great track on each album).

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 2 February 2006 00:27 (eighteen years ago) link

"It is in parts too heavy rock for my tastes - always a partial problem with Funkadelic"

DOES NOT COMPUTE

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 2 February 2006 00:47 (eighteen years ago) link

Ain't No Doubt About It, Release Yourself,Now Do You Wanna Dance, My Radio Sho Nuff Turns Me On are my faves.

I forget what "Mirror" sounds like. I havent listened to GCS in a long while So I guess i'll play the cds this week. Maybe i'll like the 1st one better?

― Last Of The Famous International Pfunkboys (Kerr), Thursday, 2 February 2006 00:52 (eighteen years ago) link

"Ain't No Doubt About It - produced by GOD"

never fails to crack me up.

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 2 February 2006 00:54 (eighteen years ago) link

Whats the GCS like after those albums? I just recently got Star Walk but I haven't played it yet. And I haven't heard the stuff they did after that either.

― Last Of The Famous International Pfunkboys (Kerr), Thursday, 2 February 2006 01:23 (eighteen years ago) link

Maze ft. Frankie Beverly - Joy and Pain
This is more smooth soul than funk, from a few years after my love of soul fades away. Beverly is a very good singer, but I find the music a bit bloodless - the whole thing sounds like they've replaced studio musicians with some machines, without using any of the advantages of that. I didn't care about any of the songs, and the funkier numbers seemed perfunktory (sorry). I can just about imagine adjusting to its style and growing to like it (it's not so far from my favourite act ever, Al Green, in some ways), but today I didn't. (Also it's quite quiet, and with these volume-capped walkmans of today and a temporary partial deafness in one ear, I may have failed to appreciate some subtleties.)

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Thursday, 2 February 2006 20:22 (eighteen years ago) link

Sly & The Family Stone - Dance to the Music
An uneven album - lots of psychedelia and funk, quite a lot of rock and soul, some pop and R&B. The title track is of course a spectacularly successful mix of all of these things, but they don't necessarily find the same kind of blend on all of the others. Even so, the quality of the playing and the sense of fun and brightness more than sustains a good level - it just doesn't hit great too often after the opener.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Thursday, 2 February 2006 20:24 (eighteen years ago) link

the Dance to the Medley thing in the middle really wears out its welcome. Martini makes fun of it in the "Off the Record" Sly book (paraphrasing: "Dance to the Medley, Dance to the Shmedley - it was all a joke to Sly, just bullshit")

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 2 February 2006 21:02 (eighteen years ago) link

My memory of it is that Sly was hurt and disappointed by the commercial failure of "A Whole New Thing" (which is, incidentally, a WAY better album than "Dance to the Music") and that he adopted the "glorified Motown" beats on "Dance to the Music" just to get an easy, quick hit and gain some clout in the record industry to do what he wanted...

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 2 February 2006 21:05 (eighteen years ago) link

Have you got a Whole New Thing, Martin?

― Last Of The Famous International Pfunkboys (Kerr), Thursday, 2 February 2006 23:09 (eighteen years ago) link

Yes, and it will come along in due course here. If you are right on how he came to make Dance To The Music, hurrah yet again for contemptuous selling out!

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Thursday, 2 February 2006 23:17 (eighteen years ago) link

Buddy Miles Express - Electric Church
Unsurprisingly, this album is late '60s blues-rock, though it is much closer to funk than producer Jimi Hendrix's music. It's lively enough, with the drums shockingly forward in the mix much of the time (drummers shouldn't be leaders of bands - look what happened to Genesis), well played (when they don't get carried away and indulgent - but you'd need a different producer to haul that back), with some quite sweet singing in parts. I like it well enough, but in a shrugging kind of way really.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Thursday, 2 February 2006 23:19 (eighteen years ago) link

hmm, don't think I've ever heard that one. Buddy's album output has always seemed kinda weak to me (tho the Band of Gypsies album is pretty great).

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 2 February 2006 23:21 (eighteen years ago) link

Band Of Gypsies is my fave Hendrix album. I really like the 3 Buddy Miles albums I have. "Them Changes" is probably the best.

― Last Of The Famous International Pfunkboys (Kerr), Friday, 3 February 2006 01:10 (eighteen years ago) link

I suppose it's not worth checking out later albums then?

― Last Of The Famous International Pfunkboys (Kerr), Friday, 3 February 2006 02:09 (eighteen years ago) link

I'm under the impression that Martin's not too fond of the "rock" side of funk, since he seems to be on the fence about Buddy Miles, Betty Davis, etc....

(To be truthful, Sly's DANCE TO THE MUSIC LP never sounded too hot to me either, apart from the title track and "Higher" - not to be confused with "I Want To Take You Higher.")

― Rev. Hoodoo (Rev. Hoodoo), Friday, 3 February 2006 03:10 (eighteen years ago) link

I loved some of the Betty Davis, but I am certainly far less keen on the rock end of funk.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Friday, 3 February 2006 20:23 (eighteen years ago) link

Maybe you will be converted by the time you've listened to all those albums...

― Last Of The Famous International Pfunkboys (Kerr), Friday, 3 February 2006 20:27 (eighteen years ago) link

I didn't like that Betty Davis album much. Good bass playing by Larry Graham but a bit lumpen on the whole and she can't really sing.

― Dadaismus (Dada), Friday, 3 February 2006 20:37 (eighteen years ago) link

Betty Davis can't sing = you are insane. I love her voice.

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Friday, 3 February 2006 21:07 (eighteen years ago) link

maybe i'm kinda over straight funk, but there's not a single album on this thread so far that i really love. the baby huey is probably the one i like the most

― team jaxon (jaxon), Friday, 3 February 2006 21:24 (eighteen years ago) link

Funkadelic - Live in Houston - The Summit
Another bootleg. I guess this is going to get repetitive to read, but these tracks go on forever (one is over 27 minutes), and sometimes they are grooving on a funk tip and it works, and sometimes they are doing rock freakout stuff and showing us how fantastic they are on their instruments and it doesn't work for me. This starts too much in the latter category, but blessedly has plenty of the former thereafter, and is really good. Bit short on my favourites of their tunes.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Friday, 3 February 2006 21:27 (eighteen years ago) link

Zapp - s/t
Mixed feelings. The first track's excellent, and the rest is all good but I've never liked the vocoder (it's why I love Daft Punk less than everyone else), and that's all over this. It rather spoils it for me, mostly, and maybe it's also what made it seem as if it was leaning towards a more electro '80s funk sound. I've several more by them, and I'm not sure if I'll adjust to the vocoder or get increasingly bored with them.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Friday, 3 February 2006 21:27 (eighteen years ago) link

Cameo - Cardiac Arrest
I was expecting a lot from this, and maybe I am disproportionately disappointed. It is a good album, often strong and raw, often interesting. It's a bit less distinct from the obvious funk forebears than I expected, I guess, and I wanted something more from it. I suspect it's one I'll come back to, and I think there's half a chance I'll grow to like it enormously, but it fell a bit short today.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Friday, 3 February 2006 21:28 (eighteen years ago) link

Fatback Band - Let's Do It Again
I had this on while commuting. I was only really aware of hearing the last few tracks, which were rather lovely, smooth and sinuous. I'm inclined to think that the rest was as good, but it didn't exactly grab my attention. I must give it another go sometime.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Friday, 3 February 2006 21:28 (eighteen years ago) link

I guess this is going to get repetitive to read, but these tracks go on forever (one is over 27 minutes), and sometimes they are grooving on a funk tip and it works, and sometimes they are doing rock freakout stuff and showing us how fantastic they are on their instruments and it doesn't work for me

And my reply will be just as repetitive ;)

Thats why I love the bootlegs because of the rock freakout stuff. Stretching out from the studio stuff. It means i could never tire of Parliament/Funkadelic.

I just wish I had some bootlegs of the 1969-74 period. 1 1972 bootleg is just not enough (plus the official boot from Live- Meadowbrook, Rochester, Michigan 12th September 1971)

haha I can't wait til martin hears that one!

― Last Of The Famous International Pfunkboys (Kerr), Friday, 3 February 2006 21:52 (eighteen years ago) link

Martin give me all the "too rock freakout" P-Funk bootlegs that you don't like k thx bye

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Friday, 3 February 2006 22:18 (eighteen years ago) link

Bit short on my favourites of their tunes

What are your favourite funkadelic/parliament tunes?

― Last Of The Famous International Pfunkboys (Kerr), Friday, 3 February 2006 22:49 (eighteen years ago) link

I'm guessing not "Alice in My Fantasies" or "Super Stupid"

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Friday, 3 February 2006 22:56 (eighteen years ago) link

or "Free Your Mind And Your Ass Will Follow" or "Red Hot Momma"

Funnily enough...these are some of my faves.

― Last Of The Famous International Pfunkboys (Kerr), Friday, 3 February 2006 22:58 (eighteen years ago) link

yeah me too - listen sorry I haven't YSI'd you that stuff yet, I've been super-busy, should have time to do it tonight (and most of what I'll be sendin you I got from jaxon anyway - ha!) Def. lookin forward to hearing the Bootsy!

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Friday, 3 February 2006 23:04 (eighteen years ago) link

No worries. Theres no rush. Still got some newish cds and lps to play(non funk stuff so won't bore you with details) and i'm relistening to the funkadelic boots i have. Do you have any?
Enjoy the Bootsy boots!

― Last Of The Famous International Pfunkboys (Kerr), Friday, 3 February 2006 23:18 (eighteen years ago) link

coolio - I've got a few live Funkadelic boots, mostly from '76 on. Probably my most prized one is the vinyl copy of "Rocky Mountain Shakedown", which has an unbelievable version of "Comin Round the Mountain" (which I think made it onto that live P-Funk box set thing? not sure about that).

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Friday, 3 February 2006 23:23 (eighteen years ago) link

I never did get that p-funk live box set.
Theres only one bootleg from before 1976 that I have. They just don't seem to exist. I have about 9 from 1976 onwards.
Don't have any p-funk all stars boots at all.
I do have on videotape somewhere Funkadelic live at Rockpalast,Germany from around 85 or 86. the RHCP are on the bill and play on an awesome version of Cosmic Slop.

I got it from VH1 and i've never seen it on since.

― Last Of The Famous International Pfunkboys (Kerr), Friday, 3 February 2006 23:29 (eighteen years ago) link

yeah pre-76 boots seem like they don't exist. A huge bummer.

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Friday, 3 February 2006 23:32 (eighteen years ago) link

Standing On The Verge Of Getting It On and One Nation Under A Groove are probably my favourite Funkadelic songs. Maggot Brain, Get Off Your Ass & Jam, Free Your Mind And Your Ass Will Follow. I like most of Parliament, but Up For The Down Stroke might well be my favourite.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Friday, 3 February 2006 23:45 (eighteen years ago) link

I'm sure if George had early live recordings he would've released them by now.

What do you think of the official live album on Wesbound from 71?

― Last Of The Famous International Pfunkboys (Kerr), Saturday, 4 February 2006 00:26 (eighteen years ago) link

I like it quite a bit - but it does suffer cuz of it being their first set with the new drummer, and without Tiki! :( The comments from the stage about how they're "gonna get it together anyhow" are funny tho

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Saturday, 4 February 2006 00:33 (eighteen years ago) link

George has boxes of stuff he recorded in the studio but never released, i'm sure he has a fair amount of early live recordings, someone just needs to find his stash

― mentalist (mentalist), Saturday, 4 February 2006 04:03 (eighteen years ago) link

Martin, with all due respect, I don't think you like funk at all. Do you? I've noticed with these reviews, the very things that make funk funk, you find fault with someway or another. I guess for me, the one-chord vamps and the acid-rock overtones are a given with this music, so dismissing funk for those reasons is like complaining that all gospel songs are about God, or that all metal is loud. It just goes with the territory. It is what it is.

No offense, but were you expecting something like the O'Jays? Or did you think that all funk is just jazz with a backbeat? Just wondering if you're getting what you're looking for.

Don't get me wrong, still enjoying these reviews...

― Rev. Hoodoo (Rev. Hoodoo), Saturday, 4 February 2006 08:14 (eighteen years ago) link

I don't know how to answer such idiot questions, really. I'm not much of a jazz fan at all, and I do have some familiarity with funk. It's a genre with a bunch of tendencies, as I said at the beginning, and I am entitled to like some and not like others, to prefer certain blends over others. My preferences are the soul and James Brown and disco territories over the psychedelia and rock territories - and the jazz end is not too much to my taste either. That doesn't amount to not liking funk, it amounts to liking some funk more than other funk. I assume my tastes aren't yours, and that's why you think they are invalid.

Also, the trouble with gospel is indeed that the songs are about God. What is wrong with that standpoint?

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Saturday, 4 February 2006 12:50 (eighteen years ago) link

Graham Central Station - Ain't No 'Bout-A-Doubt It
I'm not sure how good this is, but I really enjoyed it. The first track is terrific, a Slyish groove, and although some of the rest doesn't get going in any comparably major way, I found it at the least pleasurable all the way through. I think bassist and leader Larry Graham had integrated his playing better into a band here, after a start where he was wanting to be a kind of lead guitarist.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Saturday, 4 February 2006 12:59 (eighteen years ago) link

so kerr did YOU send martin all these cds? :-)

― Nathalie (stevie nixed), Saturday, 4 February 2006 13:02 (eighteen years ago) link

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