486 - Funkadelic - Maggot Brain

[csberry]

For an album that certainly fits the description of a confusing acid trip, it sure was a fun ride. This album rocks more than any other Parliament and/or Funkadelic album with guitar musicianship that rivals Jimi Hendrix.

The title track is Exhibit A to that last statement. This 10 minute song features emotionally mind-blowing guitar. Legend states that George Clinton told the guitarist (Eddie Hazel) to play "like your momma had just died." I would be honored to have been his mom if this guitar is his tribute to her death. The guitar plucks slowly, then swells, screams in anguish and sighs with sadness, while the notes carry on and on with an echo that stretches time. I think the best comparison for this song is if you imagine if Jimi Hendrix played on Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon. Yes, it is 10 minutes long, but I never found myself glancing at the player to see where in the song I was. It started, I was enraptured, and it ended faster than I expected.

"Maggot Brain" is followed by several shorter songs that play with the common ground of soul, rock, funk, and psychedelia. Comparisons to Sly and the Family Stone are possible, but this album rocks much more than Sly did. The album not only uses the rock sound, but is also filled with the spirit of a rock band. "Can You Get to That" and "Hit It and Quit It" should have been covered by the Black Crowes at some point. "Super Stupid" could easily be tweaked to fit into either Led Zeppelin's or Grand Funk Railroad's discography. The album comes to a close with another long song - the nine minute "Wars of Armageddon" that throws in samples of airport intercom announcements, explosions, protest chants, and numerous babies, guitars, sirens, and angry folks wailing.

Songs I knew I liked: None

Songs I didn't know but now like: While I've downloaded tracks I've discovered off of albums I've reviewed while going through the Rolling Stone Top 500, this is the first album that I plan on downloading the whole thing. Of particular interest to me were "Maggot Brain," "Can You Get to That," and "Super Stupid"

Songs I can go the rest of my life without hearing again: None I would never want to listen to again, but I could see myself skipping past "Back in Our Minds."