#486 - Funkadelic - Maggot Brain

An album like Funkadelic's Maggot Brain is the reason I even wanted to begin the epic task of listening to and reviewing Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums. Before I even listened to this album, I was less than thrilled, despite seeing the title track included on numerous "best of" lists over the years (it was #60 on Rolling Stone's greatest guitar songs). Perhaps, I was not being as open-minded as I normally am when it comes to listening to the albums I've heard so far, but I am not a huge George Clinton fan. I absolutely hate "Atomic Dog." Hate it, for the same reasons that I hated the 2005 re-release addition of "Whole Lot of BS," which is just Clinton's spouting nonsense over music. Actually, the only song associated with Clinton I was familiar with and liked was his appearance on Outkast's "Synthesizer." Yes, I am aware that it was 80's Clinton, but I didn't live in the 70's so color me clueless, I guess. I had never heard the track and upon hearing it....blown away. I can't remember the last time I heard a mostly instrumental track and found myself in a separate world. I have since listened to "Maggot Brain" at least thirty times in this past week and every time it gets better. I have made it my personal quest to introduce the song to anyone who has not had the pleasure of hearing Eddie Hazel's mind-melting musical bliss (and I'm not exaggerating). Every person I have played this song for has been equally impressed, which makes its inclusion on "best of" lists absolutely legit.

Rumor has it, George Clinton told guitarist Eddie Hazel to "play like your mama just died" before he went in to lay down the track (which is also to rumored to have taken only one take). The result was 10-minute plus of musical heaven. Hazel's playing is very reminiscent of Jimi Hendrix. Other great Hazel moments on the album can be found on "Super Stupid" and "Hit It and Quit It."

Besides Hazel's wonderful guitar, I have to mention how much I enjoyed the Jew's harp on "Back In Our Minds." I don't know if I had ever heard a Jew's harp, but kudos to Funkadelic for its inclusion.

"Can You Get to That" was another track I would not have expected from a George Clinton album. The track mixes great acoustics with gospel while creating music that for some reason reminded me of Sanford and Son. I also was partial to the addition Temptations-like "I Miss My Baby" as well as the alternate mix of "Maggot Brain" on the 2005 re-issue. I'd also like to note that I was intrigued by "Wars of Armageddon," which combines random musings and sounds to create a mass of confusion perhaps mirroring the social struggles of the time. While I liked the wordplay used during the "power to the people" portion, I felt like Clinton and his band mates should probably have left out the fart noises towards the end. I am one of those who believes that a fart is always funny, but I don't know if funny is what the song was supposed to entail.

Regardless, great title track. Great album. Worthy.

Here's this album's cover, which is not ridiculous, but instead quite stellar. Also, how sweet is that man's guitar?

-D.



Everyone has been at a party at some point when someone threw on "Flashlight" or "Give Up the Funk." While those Parliament songs are great in their own right, George Clinton had already made one of the best albums of the decade with his other band, Funkadelic. If you only know P-funk from the late 70’s sound that was re-popularized through samples in 90’s rap, you won’t recognize this band. Owing quite a bit to Sly and the Family Stone, Maggot Brain ranges from straight ahead rock to soul to experimental jazz fusion. While some of Clinton’s work has been hit and miss, with some songs lapsing into hallucinogenic rambling, this represents psychedelic music taken to new heights.
The first track is "Maggot Brain." The story goes that Clinton told guitarist Eddie Hazel to imagine being told his mother had died, then finding out she hadn’t. What resulted is possibly the most emotionally charged solo ever put to vinyl. Ten minutes of wailing bends and soul wrenching squeals that words cannot hope to describe. You can hear how the other instruments were faded out in different sections to give the guitar an isolated sound. Anyone who has ever experienced the death of someone close can recognize the effect, simulating the feeling of the world falling away as the mind attempts to cope. I don’t know whether that was intended, but I was drained by the end and had to actually stop the record to gather my focus for the remainder. Truly exceptional.
"Can You Get To That" starts with a folksy acoustic jam that adds layers of voices til the song acquires a nearly gospel sound. A fun song that lightens the mood, acting as a buffer before the album takes off with "Hit It and Quit It." A sick groove and some amazing organ work complete the transformation, making "Hit It" stand out. Add another insane solo from Hazel at the end to carry you out. The most powerful vocal work shows up on "You and Your Folks, Me and My Folks." Some huge moments with immense power had to tear the throat of Billy Bass Nelson, and it harkens even more to Sly Stone.
"Super Stupid" keeps up the trend of versatility, as Hazel steps up to sing a footstomping rocker. Easily reminiscent of Hendrix or the Guess Who, my personal highlight is some great interplay between a soloing guitar and the bass. More than any other, this song would surprise casual fans. "Back In Our Minds" doesn’t really build to anything, instead just riding a nice bass groove. As a whole not that impressive but a lot of the individual performances make it worth a listen. Everything comes to an end with "Wars of Armageddon." Not so much a typical song as an extended freak out jam overlaid with seemingly random clips of speech. From a crying baby, to a studio audience laughing, to a man calling for equality these clips somehow make a story, although I admit to feeling like there is a meaning lying just out of my grasp. Or maybe they just were on a lot of acid. Whatever. Worth checking out for the great work of the musicians, especially Tiki Fulwood’s exemplary drumming. The man’s arms must have been seized up by the end, because he never stops, or misses a single accent over the nine minutes this carries on for.
So where does this stand in the end? From a purely instrumental perspective, it’s pure artistic genius. Anyone who questions if rock music can truly reach the level of ‘art’ can find their answer right here. At the same time, is it an album I would pull out regularly? Maybe not. There’s definitely a level of discomfort to letting yourself get too invested in these songs, as they don’t lack for confrontation both in the lyrics and in the form of opposing musical themes. It’s like the best paintings from Van Gogh. There is no denying the beauty, but sometimes that beauty comes from pain. But then, sometimes there is truth to the term ‘exquisite pain’.

-TFM