funkadelic Archives - Vinyl From The Vault

Funkadelic “Maggot Brain”

sfilzen — Mon, 12 Jul 2021 17:27:45 +0000

Funkadelic “Maggot Brain” released 50 years ago today, July 12th, 1971. Ranked as one of the greatest albums of the 70′s, of all-time and it certainly is one of mine, Funkadelic’s third LP (and final album with the original Funkadelic lineup) went to #108 on the US Album Chart and to #14 on the R&B chart. Its singles are some of my all-time favorite songs, too: “Can You Get to That” is close to my #1 (and features Isaac Hayes’ backing vocal group Hot Buttered Soul), “Hit and Quit It” is so hot, and “You and Your Folks, Me and My Folks“ is pretty great as well. Also amazing are the other songs not released as singles: leading off with title track “Maggot Brain” – a 10-minute Hendrix-style guitar jam by Eddie Hazel recorded with one take – and bookended with another extended freak out jam, clocking in at 9+ minutes, “Wars of Armageddon.”

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Funkadelic “One Nation Under a Groove”

sfilzen — Tue, 22 Sep 2020 19:51:32 +0000

Funkadelic “One Nation Under a Groove” released on this date, September 22nd, 1978. Funkadelic’s tenth studio LP is considered the best funk album of all time, and one of the best records ever released in any category. It was also their biggest seller; it went to #1 on the R&B charts in ‘78 and hit the top 40 of the pop charts. I’m pretty sure this an original pressing (it’s a gatefold) but it’s clearly used – I have no idea who “J.W.” is who rudely inked his/her initials on the cover in black Sharpie – and it no longer has the 7″ bonus EP that came with the original LP’s (though the liner notes list the tracks included on that EP). The title track, “One Nation Under a Groove,” went to #28 on the US Hot 100 chart and #1 on the Soul chart; it hit #9 in the UK. It’s probably Funkadelic’s best-known song and is included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as helping to shape the sound of rock music. It’s obviously funky as hell, super-danceable and just plain groovy. I also love “Who Says a Funk Band Can’t Play Rock?!” (definitely not me, this song rocks AND funks hard with serious shred) and “Cholly (Funk Getting Ready to Roll).”. The winner for best track name goes to “Promentalshitbackwashpsychosis Enema Squad (The Doo Doo Chasers)” – I think that might be one of the best song names ever. The gatefold has a comic strip that tells the story of the Funk Wars (the Doo Doo chasers have a starring role who are armed with Dookie Stick Blight Sabers – in case it’s not obvious, Star Wars had just come out a year prior to the album’s recording), which seems relevant today: the start of the text says “Once upon a time…in a faraway parallel universe , existed a intergalactic humbug between the forces of GOOD and EVILE [sic]. And on Planet Splurge, FUNK became THE FORCE to alter the cosmos beyond the limits of time and dimension!” We need the funk more than ever right now.

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Funkadelic “Maggot Brain”

sfilzen — Tue, 12 Jul 2016 20:35:40 +0000

Funkadelic “Maggot Brain” released 45 years ago on this date, July 12th 1971. I was born just 10 days later so it wasn’t exactly on my radar at the time of its release, but once I finally heard it in college (thanks to a Funkadelic/Parliament obsessed roommate) my mind was blown. Crazy, outofthisworld beats, guitar, insanity. The opening track “Maggot Brain” starts off with this spoken-word lead in by George Clinton:

Mother Earth is pregnant for the third time
For y’all have knocked her up
I have tasted the maggots in the mind of the universe
I was not offended
For I knew I had to rise above it all
Or drown in my own shit

Then Eddie Hazel goes on to play the most mournful guitar solo ever. Allmusic states “George Clinton famously told Hazel to play ‘like your momma had just died,’ and the resulting evocation of melancholy and sorrow doesn’t merely rival Jimi Hendrix’s work, but arguably bests a lot of it.”

“Hit It and Quit It” is a weird, funky, amazing celebration of everything, groovy guitar and that late 60′s/early 70′s keyboard sound jamming along. “Super Stupid” is awash in psychedelic hard rock guitar, hitting heavy for the boogie. The album wraps up with “Wars of Armageddon,” an epic freak out jam with samples of everything possible, including freedom chants, trolley bells and cuckoo clocks.

“Can You Get To That” is one of my favorite songs of all time, its slow-n-sexy beat, clever and quotable lyrics and gospel harmonies paired with canyon-deep bass vocals (“I wanna know”) never fail to give me shivers.

I once had a life or rather
Life had me I was one among many
Or at least I seemed to be
then I read an old quotation in a book just yesterday said you gonna reap just what you sow the debts you make you have to pay
Can you get to that?
Can you get to that?
I want to know if you can get to that
Can you get to that?
I want to know if you can get to that
I recollect with mixed emotions all
The good time we use to have we use to have
But you were making preparations for the coming separation and you blew everything we had
Well you placed your life on credit and your lovin’ days are done
The checks you signed with love and kisses later come back signed insufficient funds
Can you get
I want to know if you can get to that
Well you placed your life on credit and your lovin’ days are done
The checks you signed with love and kisses later come back signed insufficient funds
Can you get
I want to know if you can get to that

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