Parliament- "Trompibulation"
After Gloryhallastoopid, most had concluded that George Clinton\'s P-Funk empire had come to a close. For the most part, they were correct. Clinton\'s tightly knit unit featuring Bernie Worrell, Bootsy Collins, Fred Wesley, and Maceo Parker as arrangers as well as musicians had splintered. And not coincidentally, Clinton seemed less and less enthused about music, struggling instead with personal issues. Not surprisingly then, Trombipulation sounds like a scattered collection of songs composed by an ensemble cast of session musicians — the credits seemingly extend to infinity, as if a new band played every song. Furthermore, Worrell stepped forward to take the helm of Parliament, which explains this album\'s emphasis on keyboard-driven songs. Bootsy played a minor role as well, but his contributions seem overly self-interested, as if he\'s writing solo material. In sum, the musicians lack cohesion, and piecing together a rousing funk rhythm demands a tight band, something that just wasn\'t an option here. "Agony of Defeet" was supposed to be the album\'s big single, another "Flashlight" or "Aqua Boogie" — but it wasn\'t even close. In fact, this particular song parodied past Parliament anthems, its funk ineffective, its vocals far from catchy, and its humor undeniably distasteful. If there is one song here worth laboring over, it\'s "Let\'s Play House," an obvious Bootsy song. The other songs are all keyboard-driven funk substituting glossy studio polish for the gritty thump of early P-Funk. Arguably a bit more inspired than Gloryhallastoopid, though thanks more to Worrell than Clinton, Trombipulation concludes the Parliament cycle of albums in a disappointing manner. If you\'re really curious about latter day P-Funk, look instead to Funkadelic\'s Electric Spanking of War Babies, a 1981 album that Clinton actually put some heart into.
http://www.sendspace.com/file/88ukniParlet- "Invasion Of the Booty Snatchers"
Parlet\'s second album, Invasion of the Booty Snatchers, found Parliament/Funkadelic leader George Clinton supervising a new edition of the female trio. Jeanette Washington was still on board, but this time, she joined forces with Shirley Hayden and Janice Evans instead of Debbie Wright and Mallia Franklin. However, Invasion of the Booty Snatchers (whose title is based on the 1950s sci-fi/horror movie Invasion of the Body Snatchers) isn\'t a radical departure from Parlet\'s first album, Pleasure Principle. Clinton (who produced this 1979 LP with Ron Dunbar) still goes for variety, and Parlet\'s sophomore album is as unpredictable as their first. While goofy numbers like "No Rump to Bump" and "Huff-N-Puff" are very Parliament-sounding, "Ridin\' High" (a minor hit) and the glossy "Booty Snatchers" have more of a disco influence — "Ridin\' High," in fact, almost sounds like a marriage of P-Funk and Chic. Meanwhile, the pleasing "Don\'t Ever Stop (Lovin\' Me, Needin\' Me)" is a conventional Northern soul ballad — conventional by Clinton\'s standards, that is. As strong as Invasion of the Booty Snatchers is, the LP wasn\'t a huge multi-platinum seller; many of the P-Funk addicts who bought Parliament and Funkadelic\'s albums religiously didn\'t spend a lot of dollars on Parlet. Nonetheless, Invasion of the Booty Snatchers is arguably the group\'s finest and most impressive release.
http://www.sendspace.com/file/blcws5Parlet- "Play Me Or Trade Me"
If 1979\'s Invasion of the Booty Snatchers is Parlet\'s best and most essential album, Play Me or Trade Me runs a close second. This 1980 LP, which George Clinton produced with Ron Dunbar, offers the same Parlet lineup heard on Invasion of the Booty Snatchers — Jeanette "Baby" Washington is joined by Shirley Hayden and Janice Evans. And many of the familiar P-Funk faces are on board, including Bootsy Collins (who plays guitar but doesn\'t sing), saxman Maceo Parker, and trombonist Fred Wesley. Play Me or Trade Me, which was Parlet\'s third album, isn\'t quite as diverse as its two predecessors. But if the trio sacrifices some diversity on this record, they don\'t sacrifice quality — Play Me or Trade Me is impressively consistent, and Parlet sounds inspired and focused throughout the LP. Side one is a nonstop P-Funk party; it kicks into high gear with "Help From My Friends" and Parlet keeps the momentum going with "Watch Me Do My Thang" and "Wolf Tickets." Side two, meanwhile, also has a strong P-Funk orientation, although there are hints of Chic on the title track and "I\'m Mo Be Hittin\' It." And the fact that Chic managed to have some type of influence on one of George Clinton\'s acts speaks well of the Nile Rodgers/Bernard Edwards team. Back in 1980, Rodgers and Edwards were not music industry veterans; Chic\'s first album came out in 1977. But they had become extremely influential, and even the mighty Clinton — someone who was incredibly influential himself — is affected by the distinctive Rodgers/Edwards sound on parts of this album. Unfortunately, Play Me or Trade Me was the end of the line for Parlet, but at least the group ended their brief recording career on a high note.
http://www.sendspace.com/file/6i5g3lMutiny- "Funk Plus The One"
Mutiny continued to emulate Parliament/Funkadelic on their second album, Funk Plus the One; unfortunately, Jerome Brailey\'s band didn\'t do it as convincingly this time. While Mutiny\'s previous release, Mutiny on the Mamaship, was quite focused and inspired — unoriginal, but definitely inspired — the grooves aren\'t as memorable on Funk Plus the One. This isn\'t to say that Funk Plus the One is a bad album. Unremarkable cuts like "Anti-Disco" and the rock-influenced "Reality" are catchy enough. Also decent is "Semi-First Class Seat," one of the few Mutiny tunes that isn\'t terribly George Clinton-minded; the song finds the funksters getting into Slave/Steve Arrington/Aurra territory for a change. But while Mutiny on the Mamaship truly burned, this LP merely simmers. Although Mutiny had a small following, Funk Plus the One wasn\'t the big commercial breakthrough that Brailey was hoping for. Not surprisingly then, Columbia dropped the band after this uneven album.
http://www.sendspace.com/file/z13kbcDJ Walt- Work That Red Hot Funk
This is a fantastic compilation of 12" singles from the P-Funk fam.
http://www.sendspace.com/file/nlv66oBootsy Collins- "Player of the Year"
Released in 1978 at the height of Parliament-Funkadelic mania, Bootsy? Player of the Year finds Bootsy far from short of quality material despite his affiliation with the numerous P-Funk-affiliated projects being churned out at this time. In fact, this album finds Bootsy at his peak; his previous two albums may have their share of brilliant moments and were no doubt filled with great ideas, melodies, and funk, but here he seems to have perfected his songwriting. There really isn\'t a dull song on Bootsy? Player of the Year. The up-tempo songs — "Bootsy?," "Bootzilla," "Roto-Rooter" — rate as some of the most exciting P-Funk material ever released, each song clocking in over five minutes and chock-full of elastic basslines. On the other hand, the abundance of slow jams — "May the Force Be With You," "Very Yes," and "As In (I Love You)" — helps maintain a good balance, providing a breather from the sweatier moments. Then there is "Hollywood Squares," a song that teeters somewhere between a dance song and a ballad, sometimes picking up the pace, other times slowing it down to a strut. Along with Stretchin\' Out in Bootsy\'s Rubber Band (1976) and Ahh...The Name Is Bootsy, Baby! (1977), Bootsy? Player of the Year rates among the most enjoyable P-Funk albums ever. Unfortunately, it also marks the end of a glorious run. By the following year, 1979, it was clear that the P-Funk army was running out of fresh ideas, and Bootsy was no exception, as he\'d struggle creatively for a couple years to come. This makes Bootsy? Player of the Year seem all the more special in retrospect, because it was among the last of the great P-Funk releases.
http://www.sendspace.com/file/m3qoa5Fuzzy Haskins- "Radio Active"
An oustanding guitarist, Fuzzy Haskins was part of the original Funkadelics backing band that accompanied George Clinton and his Parliaments. Clinton subsequently changed the name to Parliament, then folded Funkadelic into Parliament and began using both lineups interchangeably. Haskins went on to play with numerous Clinton groups, and released two albums for Westbound, 1976\'s A Whole Nother Thang and 1978\'s Radio Active. An Ace compilation from 2001 reissued both albums on one CD.
http://www.sendspace.com/file/2royzxThe Brides of Funkenstein-"Never Buy Texas From a Cowboy"
George Clinton guided and directed a new Brides of Funkenstein lineup on the group\'s second and final album, Never Buy Texas From a Cowboy. This time, the Brides were a trio instead of a duo. Dawn Silva was still on board, but Lynn Mabry was gone, and Silva\'s new allies were Sheila Horn and Jeanette McGruder. With the new Silva/Horn/McGruder lineup in place, the Brides delivered a sophomore effort that is as unpredictable as their first album, Funk or Walk. "Smoke Signals" (which Clinton wrote and produced with Bootsy Collins) and "Party up in Here" are very Parliament-like, which is to be expected. But "I\'m Holding You Responsible" and the 15-minute title song find the Brides delivering an unlikely mixture of Chic and P-funk, and "Didn\'t Mean to Fall in Love" isn\'t P-Funk at all. The only tune on the LP that Clinton didn\'t produce or co-produce, "Didn\'t Mean to Fall in Love" is a romantic northern soul item along the lines of First Choice, the Three Degrees, or Honey Cone. Like Funk or Walk, Never Buy Texas From a Cowboy contains its share of surprises, and it demonstrates that the Brides of Funkenstein did the right thing by being unpredictable.
http://www.sendspace.com/file/kjaght