May 15, 1997
With Parliament/Funkadelic's recent induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, it seems appropriate to revisit George Clinton's masterpiece. Clinton masterminded both funk bands; Parliament was more consistently satisfying with its rippling keyboards and R&B horns, but Funkadelic's acid-drenched guitars and pointed lyrics gave its disco heart a sly intelligence missing from most of the genre.
Clinton approached funk as if it were the antidote to everything wrong with America, and in these politically correct times Clinton's crude humor and dismissal of middle-class values are as funny and relevant as ever. He manages to skewer politics, racism, drug abuse and ecological disaster, but the grooves are so thick, creamy and delicious that at first you hardly notice.
"Who Says A Funk Band Can't Play Rock?" refutes all nonbelievers with its fuzzy Hendrix-style guitar leads, and "One Nation Under A Groove" is Clinton's utopian vision tied to a rump-shaking beat and irresistible harmonies. Make no mistake - this is a formidable band. Outstanding percussion, stinging guitar breaks, molasses-sweet vocals and the incomparable Bootsy Collins, that rhythm-addled bass muthaplucker.
Funkadelic has been sampled ad infinitum by modern hip-hoppers, mined both for its sound as well as its sensibility. Some copy the sociopolitical stance, most the discotheque-on-nitrous giggle groove, but only the source has it all. After all, who among modern bands has the balls to trot onstage in a diaper and chant "Shit! Goddamn! Get off your ass and jam!" Pledge grooveallegiance to Funkadelic and dance away your constrictions.
- Jared O'Connor
creamy grooves