George Clinton One Nation Under a Groove Tour Review
(July 3, 2020). In May, DJROBBLOG introduced its "3 Erstwhile Guys" serial, where three men in their 50s requite their individual takes on a classic album from the by. That month it was Marvin Gaye's 1978 cult classicHere My Dear, a palimony offering to his ex-wife Anna Gordy Gaye.
This calendar month, it'due south some other 1978 classic, but one that clearly doesn't warrant the "cult" modifier: Funkadelic's genre-busting, million-selling chart-topperOne Nation Under A Groove…the album.
In the fall of 1978, with disco all the rage and many artists succumbing to the temptation to join the genre's ever-expanding bandwagon, George Clinton assembled his merry band of funkateers and created what was arguably his best work, a cosmic phone call-to-arms that would include funk'due south new national anthem, taking over the nation and giving listeners areal reason to stand.
That anthem was "Ane Nation Nether a Groove," a No. 1 soul nautical chart single that itself sold a million copies and became the P-Funk empire's biggest and to the lowest degree expected R&B striking. It fronted the album bearing its name, an album that itself became Funkadelic's biggest commercial success.
For years, Funkadelic had been Clinton'southward alternative ring, an acid-funk-stone ensemble of talented musicians whose first nine albums seemed more than experimental than they were commercial, with long album cuts not suitable for radio and cover artwork (courtesy of the late Pedro Bong) that depicted otherworldly mythology.
Instead, the hits were left to Parliament – the other side of Clinton'due south parallel universe which had clustered large chart singles over the preceding years with "Chocolate City," "Tear the Roof Off the Sucker" and "Flashlight," the latter two being Clinton'south starting time million-sellers.
In fact, it was only months earlier in 1978 that Clinton was enjoying his biggest success with albums past Parliament (Motor Haul Affair) and protégé William "Bootsy" Collins (Bootsy? Player of the Year). The two albums were duking it out at the pinnacle of the soul album charts while their atomic number 82 singles – Parliament'due south "Flashlight," which features Bootsy on that iconic bass line and which was originally intended for him, and Bootsy'south Rubber Band'south "Bootzilla" – were back-to-dorsum No. i singles on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart that February and March.
However, no one would have guessed that Clinton's next No. 1 success would come from Funkadelic, whose metaphorical anthem would reign for six weeks from the end of September through early on Nov, while its titular album dominated the Hot Soul Albums list for four.
This week, the same three old guys who kicked off the classic album triple review characteristic with Marvin give their private takes on One Nation.
These three guys, who connected in a Facebook music group chosen Album of the Moment (seek it out if you're and then inclined) were all only teenagers – or on the cusp of condign then – whenOne Nation was first issued.
Since so, these three have had a collective 125 years worth of funking information technology up to develop a deeper than deep (or every bit the late Pedro Bong would call it, "zeep") appreciation for what is arguably the P-funk collective's greatest work…or is it?
Hither at present is each man's take on Funkadelic'southwardOne Nation Under A Groove, the album:
Bloomberg:
Pedro Bong's typically astounding cover art depicts a quartet of outer-space funketeers in an Iwo Jima pose atop a tiny earth, hoisting a flag labeled "R&B"; the "B" means "Business", and George Clinton & Co certainly do, as well.
This was the 10th album under the Funkadelic umbrella, their first with valuable new fellow member Junie Morrison (ex-Ohio Players), their 2d for the Brothers Warner.
And in the wake of Parliament'southward increasing nautical chart success, and the publicity generated past the previous year's P-Funk World Tour, information technology's the right time to release their most commercially-appealing album however, in society to expand their P-Funk empire (both fiscal and musical), and spread The Funk all around; and Bell's colourful, witty cartoon panels draw the diaspora: First the big cities, and then the due west, and into to the vanilla suburbs, and eventually "The Southward Funks Again!" (Even a stray sheepish Klansman is converted – "I came for the funk, boy!" – his hood hanging impotently backside his head.)
Additionally, "Brand Xers are catching on!" – other, lesser bands trying for their ain piece of the funkin' pie (exemplified by "Punk-A-Delic", whose hideous bassist bears a familiar widow's-top -and foot-long tongue philharmonic.)
And finally, the funk flows beyond the U.S. border to England and French republic, and even Planet NASTAR (tho apparently non Canada (Puckadelica?), the band'due south many Toronto connections notwithstanding.)
Also, at that place'due south a serial of panels devoted to a PSA about "Funkadelic Sperm"; plus a nutty apocalyptic sci-fi tale of the Funk Wars (1984 B.C.), and evil Barft Vada's disco ban of 1982, and much talk of blaflammic discospheres and heliotart pussookas and spankatron boxes…basically, it's nigh too much to take in, equally an sound-visual package, there'southward and so much to stare at and read, so many words in the notes, and the lyric sheet, including references to P-Funk mythology and the canon of works.
And the music is similarly dumbo, all those elaborately arranged voices and overdriven guitars and synthesizers always fighting for space atop the multiple rhythms. The songwriting, 10 years on from George's initial mail-Motown derivations, has moved further from conventional pop-structured songwriting toward open up-ended stream-of-consciousness grooves; vocal lengths average over vi:00, of which there are 9 in total, on 19 inches of vinyl. (Or a unmarried CD, or 8-runway tape if you were me in November, 1985.)
Ofttimes cited as the band's artistic peak (alongside "Maggot Brain"), I used to call up it was an overrated item in the catalog, but I've long since come up around to rethinking that; at present, it'southward definitely in my superlative 3 or iv. Depending. Anyways, let's begin!
The uptempo championship hit begins without, with a rotating cement-truck total of percussion instruments (plus whistle; and minus standard drumkit, from what I tin hear) over a basic handclapped 2/iv, synth-bass whirring and blurping, rhythm guitars atypically unfuzzed, Parliament-style.
More dancefloorable than usual from these Undisco Kidds, information technology's a mission statement in beat out form; "So wide y'all tin can't get around it/So low you tin can't getter nether it", this vanquish, and it's effortlessly, nigh indifferently funky, never much rising or falling in intensity (even every bit the scene-stealing percussionists constantly shift and rotate); information technology just races past like water through a canal, hurtling everything that floats along with it, can't stop the states now!
Lyrically, it'due south a series of playful slogans and phrases, a manifesto to spread The Funk all across "The United Funk of Funkadelica", and the diverse singers earnestly pledge their "Groovallegiance" (Runway 2); they too promise to costless our minds, not for the first time, and the temper is appropriately contemplative, mildly psychedelic.
The beat is from Herbie Hancock's "Chameleon", and the soloists (and bass strings) stretch out for a bit of moody jazz-fusion expression during a long tag. "Who Says a Funk Ring Tin can't Play Stone?" (Track 3) Who indeed??
Nobody who hears THIS funk band, not with a riff similar this one. Mike (Kidd Funkadelic) Hampton gets a lot of well-earned solo time throughout this anthology; here he abandons the usual Hendrix/Isley swirliness, choosing a punkish feedback-edge tone and aggressive flurries of notes, in farthermost contrast with the unruffled minimalism of the disco-Stonesy beat out. Shit, goddamn, etc. A superb starting time side.
No Funkadelic joint properly complete without a long, irksome druggy spoken-word experiment – and like all experiments, even the failures are instructive –
Side Two gives usa "Promentalshitbackwashpsychosis Enema Squad (The Doo Doo Chasers)", a 11-infinitesimal telephone call-and-response scatological sermon-sales pitch, a "musical bowel motility" to clear up all of those shitty futures and shitty memories and constipated xix-now nows and all the residuum of that shit. A playful, late-afternoon melody provides a constant sweetener to this sonic overdose – atop the lyrical content, we have indecipherable falsetto soul-testifying throughout, plus more acid-blues guitar wanking, and it's all competing for the sonic space alongside the random jokey murmured asides, with lyrical intelligibility occasionally an issue, regrettably. (I'm grateful for the lyric sheet!)
Overall effect is not different to something Frank Zappa might've washed, had he taken as many drugs every bit George Clinton and crew.
"Into You" is a ballad in the "You And Your Folks"/"Smokey" mold, with a simple vocal mantra ("Into you lot now/Into you my people,") that serves as the album'southward best hook; the backing singers chant information technology over and over during the fade, pushing the solo vocalists and Hampton's near-abiding reversed-tape prog-wank to waves of ecstasy, so beautiful.
Side 2 finishes with a testimonial from "Cholly (Funk Getting Ready To Whorl)", lover of Beethoven & Bach, jazz & rock (and the waltz!) whose friends lead him to epiphany after a dark on the town. "I must get with the funk", he concludes, and so do we, as Bootsy's fat-funky-worm bass commentary pulls us in and takes usa out.
Then far, we've had ane fine side, and one very fine side. So if the additional material on the bonus vii" is a bit underwhelming or redundant (and well-nigh entirely instrumental), I'm not gonna complain likewise much – especially with such instrumentalists as Hampton, Bernie Worrell, Junie Morrison and others doing what they practise.
Anyways, we go i) alive version (full-band) of "Maggot Brain", with Hampton frustratingly faded mid-cadenza; 2) a further four:18 of Hampton/Worrell fireworks in "Doo-Doo Chasers ('Going All-The-Way Off Instrumental Version')"; and finally 3) something new, "Lunchmeataphobia" (fearfulness of beingness eaten by a sandwich) is heavy Dee-troit guitar-army madness, all bulldozer riffs and feedback over that "Chameleon" crush once again, Bernie Worrell's Moog bass plump and juicy.
"Recall! It ain't illegal yet!" we're warned, over and over, an echoing chant besides elicited from the Louisiana crowd after the "Maggot Brain" performance. And to emphasize the importance of the message, it shows up over and over in Bell'due south comprehend art likewise, in red/yellow/greenish lettering,
And some other inspirational slogan sketched within will serve as a serviceable closer to this review: "It is better to open your optics and say you don't empathise…than to shut your eyes and say that you don't believe."
And that tin can utilise every bit to ears.
MC Crawdad:
In another life, George Clinton would take been an advertisement-man. Who knows, in an alternate universe he probably is. His lyrics are frequently slogans strung together into a narrative. Sometimes those words are not even his own. "Ane Nation Nether a Groove'southward" opening verse is lifted wholesale from the Temptations or, more specifically, Motown writers Norman Whitfield and Barrett Potent. At this point it does non matter: those words belong to pop culture now.
TheOne Nation Under a Groove album was the P-Funk commonage'south starting time play for commercial viability under the Funkadelic banner. While scoring big time as Parliament for the previous iv years, as Funkadelic, George and company kept things guitar-oriented and scatological. "Get Off Your Ass and Jam" and "Take Your Dead Ass Habitation" were not exactly bids at universal acceptance if whatever at all.
A couple of things happened. First, the Funkadelic brand changed record companies from Detroit independent Westbound to the giant Warner Brothers. Secondly, quondam Ohio Players keyboardist Junie Morrison joined the P-Funk commonage. More than anyone, he is the engine that makes this album work.
When I say commercial viability, I should authorize that. For the virtually part, this follows the Funkadelic ethos of no horns (not the norm in 70'southward funk or soul) and prominent and one-time loud guitar. I don't want to brand it sound similar the band was turning into the Isley Brothers. For one matter the guitars were interwoven into the arrangements whereas Ernie Isley tended to have his flash moments just kept his rhythm playing on the downwardly low.
Michael Hampton was painting with a wider castor on this anthology. There are more than exceptions of class. Plus, more than chiefly, P-Funk had just lost the one true soul man it e'er had in Glen Goins.
Part of the bid was the toning down of the Pedro Bell artwork. While still eccentric, this isn't as garish or, to be honest, as funny as the last five he did for the band. One subtle change was the apply of a white background as if to lighten the mood. The Iwo Jima motif was also a more universal theme.
The main reason for this album's greatness is Junie. George'due south other P-Funk procreators, Bootsy Collins and Bernie Worrell accept the backseat here although the former's bass is inescapable in spots. Junie weaves things together like a tapestry whereas Bernie was more like painting on a sail. For whatever reason, George never let Junie run the show like this e'er again.
If the title cut is the main joint here, it is not the just ane. The two Bootsy co-writes, "Into You" and "Cholly (Funk Getting Fix to Coil)," are especially noteworthy. Actually, I kind of wish there was a Rubber Band version of the sometime, not to asperse bass human being Ray Davis and one of his few lead vocals. Prince was certainly listening to "Who Says a Funk Band Can't Play Rock?" Actually, he was probable listening to the whole album, simply I digress. (Someone needs to turn the tables on this ane and exercise a version chosen "Who Says a Rock Band Can't Play Funk?" They can slow information technology downwards similar before Funkadelic did with "I Call My Infant Pussycat" and Sly'south "Thanks for Talkin' To Me Africa.")
The other two songs on the album, the subtly reggae "Groovallegiance" and the give thanks-god-for-cut-and-paste "Promentalshitbackwashpsychosis Enema Team (The Doo Doo Chasers)" are probably the best examples of what I'k talking nearly when it comes to Junie'southward arroyo to arrangements. On the latter, George and his cohorts give the one bow to their satirical roots while Junie sings nearly god-knows-what underneath.
It reminds me of the Velvet Underground'southward "Murder Mystery," only smoother.
This being released in 1978 when vinylite was yet king was a little as well long to fit on a record effectively, so nosotros got a 7-inch EP for our added pleasure. There'due south a loud rocker chosen "Lunchmeataphobia" sub-titled with another dandy slogan "(Remember! It Ain't Illegal Nonetheless)." There is a shorter instrumental version of "P.E. Team" and a live Michael Hampton-led "Maggot Brain" that proves he has well-nigh as much soul as Eddie Hazel.
In the end, this is the Funkadelic make'due south greatest album. They were not only firing on all cylinders, there are no wasted cuts (I'thousand not including the second "P.E. Squad," nor should you lot) that commonly finish the Westbound albums. While ii of the other three Warner Brothers albums (Hardcore Jollies and Electrical Spankings of War Babies) are nigh as skilful, the EP puts this i over the edge.
While trying to put together a suitable conclusion to this blurb, I'yard reminded of our wannabe dictator of a president who is trying to silence criticism of his idiocy on social media. I am amazed, just not surprised.
If y'all tin can sort out that loophole in my words, congratulations.
Call back! It Ain'T ILLEGAL YET
DJRob:
Admittedly, there were just ii reasons I bought theAne Nation Under a Groovealbum in the autumn of 1978 at age 12: the title track and the album's artwork, and I'1000 sure it was more than the latter than the former, because I was conspicuously more into ownership singles at the time and would have been just as satisfied plopping down less than a dollar for the "One Nation" 45 and leaving the more budget-stretching album on the store shelf (thank you, Pedro Bell).
Appropriately,One Nation Under a Groove may have been merely the second album I always purchased with my own money, with Heatwave'southwardPrimal Heating from a couple months earlier being the commencement. All the others before had come courtesy of Mom or Dad.
The cover, with its comic strip-like depictions of whatever mind trip Funk Nation Overlord George Clinton (or, more accurately, Bell) was on at the fourth dimension, appealed to the newly pubescent 12-year-sometime me. My dad'due south Adam & Eve catalogs couldn't hold a candle to the bountiful, blue-lipsticked sista that graced the 1 Nation front encompass, or, more chiefly, the nude "R&B" chick laid out on the left inside flap. Oh, and for the unenlightened, the "R&B" in this P-funkNation stood for "rhythm and business."
There was definitely far more happening in the catholic P-Funk universe than my preteen mind could cover. But the album'south "Rastacryptic Scriptic" liner notes and "Funkablastic Fine art Strokations," which included various custom phrases, courtesy of Bell, like "Thumpasaurians" (the bass players) and "Blamgusta Vocaloids" (the singers), were attending-grabbers all the same, and I'm sure I wasn't the only one among the million-plus consumers who initially came to this funk party because of Bell's outrageous (and legendary) pictorials.
Keeping our attention were two stories printed on the album's inner right cover: "The Funk Wars (1984 B.C.)," a funk parody of Star Wars, where on "Planet Splurge," Funk was "THE Forcefulness" and characters like "Barft Vada" (Darth Vader) were introduced; and the comic strip "Funkadelic Sperm," which, well, was a how-to from Mario T. Maggot on "nationalizing the groove," which was included simply considering we needed that tutorial.
If your mind was freed enough, Bell'due south artistic renderings fit this anthology's concept perfectly, a true testimony to his souvenir when because that he rarely heard the Funkadelic albums before laying downwardly their encompass art.
Yet even though all the allusion and metaphorical references contained on the album'southward covers and in its music escaped me at the time, I did understand one matter: what the title track was about.
"One Nation Under a Groove" was the P-Funk universe's new national anthem, courtesy of Clinton, with its central rallying point existence funk music and the need for all of u.s. to get down to it. If that courtroom oath ("practice you promise to funk, the whole funk and nothing but the funk?") didn't brand yous pledge your groovallegience, then certainly Clinton and his Vocaloids' rally weep in the chant-like chorus would.
To further convince you that yous would be among many converts, Funkadelic and Bell included on the album's right inner flap various public service announcements – still in comic strip form – about the many parts of this country (and beyond) that had already succumbed to the funk, including places similar Chicago, New York, the Due south, France and fifty-fifty "Planet Nastar."
Information technology was all part of Clinton'southward vision – one that he'd been teasing for years with Parliament'southward biggest hits – only one that he apparently felt needed this previously hitless sister band's exclamation point to bulldoze it home.
Funkadelic certainly delivered, and the second track, "Groovallegiance," was a continuation on the theme. Though not as catchy equally the championship track, it had its own chorus filled with patriotic metaphors and uniquely sung in reggae-similar cadence over a funk beat ("Pledge a groovallegiance to the funk; The United Funk of Funkadelica; Uh, dey funk, well dey funk, today funk….with the United Funk we tin fly").
If there was any dubiety about the band's mission or its sincerity, consider this line from the song's opening verse (delivered in a loftier-pitched squeal that was part novelty and part weirdly soulful): "For if our cause was unjust; We couldn't bring this funk to you; So nosotros experience that it'southward a must…It is something we should practise…"
"Groovallegiance" might have been the natural candidate for a second single from1 Nation, except for two things – 1) Funkadelic had already dipped zeep into the funk patriotism well with the title runway; and two) "Groovallegiance" jammed out also hard for radio, especially in the song's second half, which was substantially an instrumental vehicle for Clinton and Co. to highlight the band'southward funk-rock roots.
Instead, Warner Bros. went with "Cholly (Funk Gettin' Ready to Roll!)" equally the next 45. In it, a reluctant character (Clinton's "Cholly") is introduced to the world of funk after declaring his love for classic musicians Bach and Beethoven and other non-funk derivatives. This testimony unfolds over a relatively thin funk production, with off-shell handclaps accompanying the "Keybo' Dans & Synthezoidees" Bernie Worrell and Walter "Junie" Morrison. Keyboardist Morrison co-wrote the vocal with Clinton and bassist/drummer Bootsy Collins.
Inevitably, in the vocal's plot, the funk wins out – naturally – and our protagonist realizes he must go with it, presumably leaving the waltz and other unfunky music forms backside.
As follow-up singles get, "Cholly" didn't live up to its predecessor'south performance on the Billboard charts, peaking at a low No. 43 on the soul chart and not even making the Hot 100 popular list.
But the story was far different in the parallel universe that was my personal charts, which I had only started creating at the cease of 1978/early 1979. Not but did it nautical chart at that place, but "Cholly" reached No. i on my list, and spent an overfunked 31 weeks on the list. It wound up ranking as the second-biggest vocal on my personal chart for 1979, behind Chichi's "Proficient Times," which, as most regular readers know, is a huge statement on how much I truly dug the Funkadelic classic.
Some otherOne Nation tune that did well on my personal list (a tiptop-10 entry that spent 22 weeks on the entire elevation-75 chart) was the slow-playing "Into You lot" (also co-written past Clinton, Bootsy and Junie). "Into You" featured a very Larry Graham-sounding atomic number 82 vocal waxing over the things he couldn't get into. Examples included the neutron bomb, the poisoned state, bad romance (pre-Lady Gaga) and other things that he didn't understand. Spoken like a true head-of-state for this new funk nation, the narrator declares that his only focus is his people ("Into y'all at present…Into yous, my people").
As for the remaining two songs on the chief album (in that location was also an accompanying vii-inch EP consisting of three additional tracks, more on that momentarily), nothing could stoke a 12-year-old juvenile's mind quite like the xi-minute, constipation-focused jam session that was "Promentalshitbackwashpsychosis Enema Squad (The Doo Doo Chasers)," on which Clinton delivers a gastrointestinal sermon nearly further liberating ourselves from our constrictions.
In the vocal, Clinton and Junie make every bowel movement and toilet reference known to human. It borders on sociopolitical commentary with phrases similar "we're in a land of mental diarrhea – talking shit a mile a minute; or in a land of constipated notions – can't call back of nothin' simply shit."
Except in that location's no mention of any politicians, making this musical bowel movement seem like just an excuse to throw in as many doo doo references as the ring could. That they stretched it to 11 minutes – and still managed to continue it interesting – is a testimony to Funkadelic'due south mastery of weirdness.
The remaining runway fromOne Nation'south chief vinyl LP is the jam "Who Says a Funk Band Tin can't Play Stone?" which serves every bit P-funk empire'south guitar-heavy ode to itself. The claw says it all: "Who says a jazz band – can't play trip the light fantastic toe music? Who says a rock ring – can't play funky? Who says a funk band – can't play rock? Oh yeah! Nosotros're gonna play some funk so loud, we're gonna rock and roll around…watch them trip the light fantastic toe, watch 'em dance!"
Funkadelic managed to do all of the above in just six songs onOne Nation's master album, only there was still more.
The accompanying 7-inch EP (included in the original U.South. release) was a record consisting of 3 more often than not instrumental tracks: "Lunchmeataphobia (Recall! Information technology Ain't Illegal Even so!)"; a live version of the band'south before classic "Maggot Brain" (recorded in April 1978 in Monroe, Louisiana); and "P.East. Team/Doo Doo Chasers," a shortened instrumental version of the eleven-infinitesimal fourth track – the i with that long-ass title to match.
Funkadelic's fusion of rock, R&B, gospel, and funk onOne Nation Under a Groove remains one of R&B's greatest wonders for these reasons: the unexpected Funkadelic vehicle from which it came; the musical gumbo that Clinton and his bandmates effortlessly created; and, of course, the enduring nature of its title track, which is nevertheless considered ane of the greatest funk jams of all time, if non the greatest.
As for the album and whether it's funk music's Caprine animal, an anthology can't be this immersed in funk andnot exist. Only nosotros'll leave that to readers to determine. What say you?
Feel costless to provide your comments below or on whatever of the blog's social media feeds.
My sincerest thanks to my fellow old guys – guest writers RetroDawg Digital and Scott Bloomfield a/k/a "Bloomberg" – who continue to astonish me with their vast musical tastes.
(July vii, 2020) Nosotros get corrections:
Tim Kinley, an archivist/historian for Parliament-Funkadelic who has functioned in that capacity for over forty years, offered the post-obit fact checks to this article, courtesy of findings that are the direct result of conversations he's had with diverse P-Funk ring members over the years:
Aside from noting that "Tear the Roof Off the Sucker" and "Wink Light" were George Clinton's two biggest pop hits (both of which came under the Parliament banner), Kinley notes that Bernie Worrell (not Bootsy Collins) did the bass line on "Flash Light" via the bass synthesizer. Bootsy was the drummer on the track.
Also, Kinley notes in that location are two bassists on "Cholly (Funk Getting Ready To Roll)": Bootsy Collins and R Skeet Curtis. Finally, the1 Nation album was released on September 22nd, 1978.
Thanks to Mr. Kinley for taking the fourth dimension to check out the blog and for providing his valuable insights.
DJRob
DJRob is a freelance blogger who covers R&B, hip-hop, pop and stone genres – plus lots of music news and current stuff! You can follow him on Twitter@djrobblog.
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