Now that’s Funkadelic. Or is that really Funkadelic? That's really been the main reaction I’ve been gauging as Dr Funkenstein unleashes the first “official” Funkadelic record in 33 years. The record has set the blogosphere on fire with all sorts of so-called music purists chiming in on it. Clinton is an "Old Fool" killin' whole crews cuz that's his thang, takin' em out with a big bang. Definitely the most controversial release from GC in years. Muggs can’t seem to make up their minds about this sprawling collection of 33 tracks to commemorate the absence.
Reviewed For TheFunkStore.com..By
Compiled For TheFunkStore.com..By:Tylard Tatt II
FUNKADELIC
FIRST YA GOTTA SHAKE THE GATE
TFS Release Date:12/23/2014
LABEL: +180 RECORDS
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: USA
DISC : 3
CONDITION: NEW
STOCK STATUS : INSTOCK
“Why put out music that’ s gonna go down a black hole” or so he speaks in the pages of his stunning memoirs (released earlier this fall with the conjunction of this music). “Brotha’s Be Yo Like George, Ain’t That Funkin’ Kinda Hard On You?" is also the title of one of the album’s stand out tracks.
I once asked GC during an interview years ago what was his favorite creation out of the P-Funk Era and before I could get the question out good he was like “oh that’s easyFunkadelic, Funkadelic!” I knew he’d bring this concept back first (says he’s got a reconstituted Parliament coming this spring too, something about a Medicaid Fraud Dogg ).
Indeed, those of us who have followed his career closer than close down thru the decades realize what the mass record buying public never did. That he’s always dabbled in all kinds of so-called “formats”. From jazz to classical to hip hop, acid metal, dowop, C&W and airthang in between. He may go down as the Funk champ and that may be true, but P-Funk at it’s heart is a melange of all kinds of chyt. Funkadelic was an experiment from day one.
So it really comes as no surprise this project grooves along the lines of all that music. Funk is whatever it need to be to survive. And through it all will never die, it’s the life force of the Universe and it both thrives and survives here. One of the beauties of Clinton-productions is that you never know what directions he’s gonna hit you from. You expect one thang he gives you anutha. That concept has never been more fully realized
than on this latest “Funkadelic” album.
So which Funkadelic do you want? The acid days of Maggot Brain sonically updated for this post y2K world? Check the sonic smorgasboard futurism of the title track, put down with Boston DJ and production duo Soul Clap. Sort of a modern day Wars of Armageddon don't you think? Takes you to a whole 'nother reality of sorts. Just as primal as it is futuristic.
Or the mid 70s Slop thru Tales period of that nasty, stanky, raunchy funk rock. Go for Snot ‘n Booger, The Wall (Both Tra’Zae & GC‘s raps on these can only be termed wicked at best), got that same energy, vibe to it. Well they shoulda let Andre 3000 rap on this.
Look folks just because a rapper ain't well known don't mean he ain't good. Tra'Zae's got mad skills, his Grand is trying the get him off. Hella BPM but the spirit of Funkadelic is there. And how can you not call this FUNKADELIC after cueing up instant funk rock classics like “Jolene” and “Yesterdejavu” (which immediately in my mind upon first listen channeled classic Cream).
On the flip side of the same coin, how can you even call it Funkadelic upon hearing the banging Southern Hip Hop of ‘Get Low”? But that’s just it, even in it’s heyday, this was an experimental band always pushing forward for the future of the funk. Gotta give Clinton credit for delivering as adventurous a project as this.
You’ll no doubt hear some familiar lyrics and grooves here. Stem cell fonk. A few retreads. But is that not unlike hearing the lyrics of "Heart Trouble" in "You Can't Miss What You Can't Measure" and then the bassline from that in "Do That Stuff"? Sounds like bizzness as usual to me, ever funkin' on, besides for a seemingly indestructible 73 year old man to still be gettin' down like this it must not be too hard on him. Therein you'll find hard core grooves like 11 minutes worth of "Roller Rink" from the ill-fated Mammoth Records sessions.
This one takes the rhythm track of "Atomic Dog" to build a monstrous groove spotlighting both PFAS vocalists Kendra Foster and long time front grounder Robert P- Nut Johnson. El Debarge goes for some smooth vocals on another dammed slinky slice of good electro-groove called "Radio Friendly"(also seemingly culled from that Mammoth stuff).
And these jams got more hooks in 'em than a Smokey Robinson album. From the time I heard Trey Lewd's bouncy "Pole Power" (a percussive-fuelded dance floor gem birthed from he and dad sitting around extolling the virtues of poles), the chorus was forever stuck in my head.
Speaking of the ole 'Dawg, he did turn electronic music on its head way back in'82 as he walked it right up to the top of the black chart didn't he? The Daft Punks and Dam Funks get the same treatment on some of these groove burners. Whatever's current is what The Good Dr wants a piece of, or as he describes it the music the parents can’t stand.
He done told all y’all time and time again, Funkadelic ain’t a band or an album but Funkadelic is an attitude. Some of these ‘lil gems just defy any attempts at categorization. Take “In da Kar”, an update on some lyrics he’s been fooling around with for at least 20 years.
He updates it for the electro-beat future by letting Sly Stone color it in. Now the Sly groove just creeps up on you with a space aged bass and synth licks to craft a sonic, future landscape. Before you even realize it nor can rationalize it you have been taken in by a beat that sounds like it’s orbiting the planet. The track gurgles and burbles at a slow pace.
And Sly. Sly, Sly, Sly. Sylvester Stewart not only shows up on a handful of these, a mugg shows out. It's Sly just being Sly. Songwriter extraordinaire, a veritable lyric machine.
Jokers out here talking about, I don’t like him using autotune on the tracks. WTF?!? They're talking sheet, and every word's a turd of it. Sheeeeeit, this is Sly mutha funkin’ Stone brudda. He do what he wanna do and “If I Didn’t Love You” is splendid. Sly’s “The Naz” ain’t nothing to scoff at either. When I heard a mugg call the track filler, I just shook my head.
Now I by no means am aware of what the comings and goings of are inside the PF inner circle. Some muggs are all over this record you wouldn’t expect to be. Muggs you thought would be there aren’t. Longtime P-Funk visionary master producer and purveyor of the Funkadelic ethic, Mike “Clip” Payne is nowhere to be found.
Barely is there a nod to Mike ‘Kidd Funkadelic” Hampton either, although the Kidd does show up on a couple of scorching ballads led by Garrett Shider (who’s dad apparently taught him quite well as these are some of the disc’s best music). These also feature the bass glory of legendary muthapluckin' Rodney "Skeet" Curtis. Irony is, a lot of the best axe leads here are done by Blackbyrd McKnight, who after a 35 year stint as musical director of The Mob, retired from GC‘s touring troupes some years ago.
Oh well, you know what they say about ‘once a ‘Delic? Back to the memoirs, in which he says ,“If you wanna change people’s minds, change the people you're around” or somn to that effect. The man is dropping all kinds ’a wisdom in that memoir and no doubt he's bringing in all kinds of new blood here. Impossible to go thru the credits on such a massive offering.
Suffice to say all kind a muggs on here. From names you recognize from the rich history of P-Funkdom like Sidney Barnes, Ron Ford, Bootsy, Bernie, Chong, Fratangelo, The Horny Horns- although some of these are credited thru samples I'm sure. Check the fat horn chart over "You Can't Unring The Bell". Wait a minute a Funkadelic album with horns, they're ain't suppose to be no horns. Well they did it on Maggot Brain, America Eats and Electric Spanking, so watchu talking bout Willis?!?
May stand corrected but personally I think the project is really more a vehicle to try and establish his offsprings as the heirs to the PF legacy. Son and grandson TreyLewd and Tra’Zae respectively, figure prominently in so many of these proceedings. A fave of mine is "Catchin' Boogie Fever" with Tracey partying over a thick Brides of Funkenstein loop. Also a nod out to Tonysha Nelson from Kandy Apple Redd who sauces up a few of these on vocals.
In fact, the other only real touring member of the current lineup making a major impact on the majority of the cuts is the multi-faceted keys whiz Danny Bedrosian. Jerome Rodgers, another great multi-instrumentalist talent backing GC since the late 70's makes his presence felt, as does the thumping Cherokee Bunn on bass. No mistakes about it this is the 2015 fonk. I see just as many names I don't recognize. Folks like Ricky Tan, G Koop, Rob Manzoli, just too many to begin to mention. They all craft the good groove. If I keep tweaking this review I will be up all night, enuff.
So its impossible to give a track by track break down but as you probably can tell, I am enjoying this project more so than I have anything he produced since probably the TAPOAFOM days. So much good stuff here to dive into. Could be this record ain’t designed for you to feel airthang on it. But I guarantee you somebody somewhere is feeling some different parts of it at any time. At worst you could make your own edit and hone it down to a solid 2 disc of Funkadelic bangers and have a dammed good time with it.
Y'all know me, I will find a way to be down with all of it cuz it's a creative stroke. I've rambled on for far too long and ain't said shit. It's up to you my fellow funk brethren and sisters, only you can decide what side of the fence you are on. And it's gonna take more than a bone jones. But hark and mark ye forward, at first, shake the gate. Because funk gettin' bit, you 'bout to get ate the funk up.
Noted Cincinnati-OH Funk Journalist~"Bustin'"Bob Mitchell
**USUALLY SHIPS WITHIN 1 To 2 BUSINESS DAYS ..
TEMP OUT OF STOCK ..
TRACK LISTING
Disc: 1
1.Baby Like Fonkin' it Up
2.Get Low
3.If I Didn't Love You
4.F*cked Up
5.Ain't that Funkin' Kinda Hard on You?
6.I Mo B Yodog Fo Eva
7.In Da Kar
8.Radio Friendly
9.Mathematics of Love
10.Creases
11.Not Your Average Rapper
Disc: 2
1.first ya gottaShake the Gate
2.Roller Rink
3.Jolene
4.Nuclear Dog Part II
5.Dirty Queen
6.You Can't Unring the Bell
7.Old Fool
8.Pole Power
9.Boom There We Go Again| As In
10.Bernadette
11.Meow Meow
Disc: 3
1.Catchin' Boogie Fever
2.The Naz
3.Talking to the Wall
4.Where would I Go?
5.Yesterdejavu
6.Zip It
7.The Wall
8.Snot n Booger
9.Yellow Light
10.Dipety Dipety Doo Stop The Violence
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