Lost/Forgotten Album #267

[Jon]

This week's selection might not be the fifth in a series. Then again, it most probably is.

I've received lots of email from people complaining that this current series isn't funky enough. I also received an email from someone complaining that some albums, like last week's selection, aren't really lost or forgotten since they, or it, sold a bunch of units. That email I deleted quite quickly. Scrubbed it from my system. I don't need or want that kind of negativity.

Well, this week's selection (which is an anniversary pick) should provide funk on top of the funk along with more funk. It's the 1975 release from Parliament, "Mothership Connection". For people in the know, they'll figure out what connection this has to last week's album. For those not in the know, they'll have to figure it out.

By posting this around 15 hours earlier than usual, I wonder if I'll get email(s) from people complaining about that. Who knows, but we shall see. 

Of course this wouldn't be complete without a review from allmusic.com. Didn't I provide enough information about this album above?

The definitive Parliament-Funkadelic album, Mothership Connection is where George Clinton's revolving band lineups, differing musical approaches, and increasingly thematic album statements reached an ideal state, one that resulted in enormous commercial success as well as a timeless legacy that would be compounded by hip-hop postmodernists, most memorably Dr. Dre on his landmark album The Chronic (1992). The musical lineup assembled for Mothership Connection is peerless: in addition to keyboard wizard Bernie Worrell; Bootsy Collins, who plays not only bass but also drums and guitar; the guitar trio of Gary Shider, Michael Hampton, and Glen Goins; and the Brecker Brothers (Michael and Randy) on horns; there are former J.B.'s Fred Wesley and Maceo Parker (also on horns), who were the latest additions to the P-Funk stable. Besides the dazzling array of musicians, Mothership Connection boasts a trio of hands-down classics -- "P-Funk (Wants to Get Funked Up)," "Mothership Connection (Star Child)," "Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker)" -- that are among the best to ever arise from the funk era, each sampled and interpolated time and time again by rap producers; in particular, Dr. Dre pays homage to the former two on The Chronic (on "The Roach" and "Let Me Ride," respectively). The remaining four songs on Mothership Connection are all great also, if less canonical. Lastly, there's the overlapping outer-space theme, which ties the album together into a loose escapist narrative. There's no better starting point in the enormous P-Funk catalog than Mothership Connection, which, like its trio of classic songs, is undoubtedly among the best of the funk era.

Mothership Connection

1. P. Funk (Wants To Get Funked Up)
2. Mothership Connection (Star Child)
3. Unfunky UFO
4. Supergroovalisticprosifunkstication
5. Handcuffs
6. Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof Off The Sucker)
7. Night Of The Thumpasorus Peoples
8. Star Child (Mothership Connection) (Bonus Track, Promo Radio Version)

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[RJhog (Admin)]

Man, this was far out.  Especially the song about Paul Stanley.  Paul kept saying... "Starchild here"!  It was awesome.

Definitely not as rocked up as last week's funk by Funkadelic.  I will say that your post caused me to see what the deal or relationship was between the two bands.  Basically, if I understand it correctly, they were the same band.  Just different styles, with Funkadelic being more rock oriented.  I never knew this.  So I've been educated.

He did say something about the ear hole.  Wow.  Would you consider this stuff the early stages of rap?  A lot of talking, or rapping if you will, but it didn't really sound anything like rap music.

I did recognize Give Up The Funk, and the Starchild song had a familiar melody and lyric as well.  I think I'd give a slight edge to last week's Funkadelic post, but this was still a cool listen.

[Jon]

I don't consider this early stages of rap but rap artists have sampled a lot from this album, as well as other Parliament albums, so they had their finger on, and probably in, something.