Amazing stuff from Isaac Hayes! Although Ike had first appeared on LP with the album "Introducing", this was the first record to really expose his true soul genius – and it was also the first release on Ike's successful sub-label at Stax, Enterprise Records. The record shows that for all the years Ike was working away on other folks' songs for Stax, he was carefully cooking up his own style of soul that would forever change the way we think about the music. Back in 1969, the album must have blown more than a few minds for its incredibly baroque approach to soul music – taking common elements like strings, piano, and funky rhythms, and stretching them out into long waves of sound that cycle over and over, working a sly subtle magic along with Ike's super-sexy vocals, and his monologue-heavy approach to popular tunes. The album features incredible remakes of pop hits "Walk On By" and "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" – both of which run for over 10 minutes, and which completely transform the songs into something way more than simple radio fodder. Also features the psychedelic soul masterpiece "Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic", which has this crazy funky piano, and a messed-up sound that would make even George Clinton weep! CD

The pleasure principle is in full effect here – a really special sort of feeling that strongly shows off the female side of the Parliament/Funkadelic mothership! The album's got a groove that's way different than most female disco of the time – more offbeat and angular, thanks to funky backings from George Clinton and crew – with arrangements from Bernie Worell and Fred Wesley that have lots of great twists and turns! In a way, the mix of funk and club almost echoes the vibe of work on the P&P labels – but with a bit more punch and polish too, thanks to Clinton's great production. The whole thing's great – way more than just another female disco album – and titles include "Mr Melody Man", "Cookie Jar", "Love Amnesia", "Misunderstanding", "Are You Dreaming", and "Pleasure Principle". LP, Vinyl record album

Ahhhhh . . . By this point, George Clinton and the P-Funk team were on top of the world! The record is a masterful dose of slick mothership jamming – perfectly woven together with that tightly compressed style that really served Clinton's production work well. The tracks are long, but never too loopy – and thanks to help from the Bernie Worrell, Jerome Brailey, Gary Shider, and the Horny Horns, the album stays very tight instrumentally all the way through! Loads of Parliament classics, including "Bop Gun", "Funkentelechy", "Sir Nose D'Voidoffunk", and the massive "Flash Light", which we've heard a million times, but which never ceases to amaze us! CD

Here's where it all happens – the huge culmination of all the years of heavy funk and psychedelic soul created by George Clinton and the P-Funk empire – fused into an amazingly tight groove that helped win over much bigger audiences than ever before! The album title and cover are very fitting – as George Clinton launches the mothership, forges his classic space-funk image, and blows the P-Funk empire into an arena-filling mega-star act – all with grooves that are still some of the tightest, sharpest funk you'll ever hear – all these many decades later. The instrumentation is razor-sharp – played by giants like Fred Wesley, Maceo Parker, Bootsy Collins, and Bernie Worrell – and the lyrics still have all the edginess and naughtiness of the earlier years – tied together wonderfully to make a very unified album, and one that's full of classics too! Titles include "Mothership Connection (Star Child)", "Night Of The Thumpasorus Peoples", "P-Funk (Wants To Get Funked Up)", "Handcuffs", "Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off The Sucker)", and "Unfunky Ufo". LP, Vinyl record album

The Mothership goes under water – as George Clinton and crew groove away nicely on this water-themed set of tracks designed to raise Atlantis from the deep! The overall sound is perhaps not as totally perfect as some of the earlier albums, but the P-Funk machine is still in full effect – cranking away nice and hard on tracks like "Liquid Sunshine", "Motor Booty Affair", "Deep", "Rumpofsteelskin", and "(Your'e A Fish And I'm A) Water Sign". Plus, the album more than makes up for a lack of standout tracks with a nicely-united theme – almost a "concept album" of the funky type! CD

Vintage live recordings by George Clinton and his mighty P-Funk empire in the mid 70s – rehearsal sessions for the famous P-Funk Earth Tour – recorded in an airplane hanger in upstate New York! The sound is incredibly crisp and vibrant – these aren't sloppy rehearsal moments, but the group at their best – working with a tightness that's mindblowing, and having a sense of presence that's maybe even more upfront than the famous live album from the tour – as the smaller venue and recording style really captures the spontaneous energy of the performance! All the classic names are here, except Bootsy Collins – Fuzzy Haskins, Garry Shider, Jerome Brailey, Bernie Worrell, and even Fred Wesley and the Horny Horns – on titles that include "Standing On The Verge Of Getting It On", "Undisco Kidd", "Gettin To Know You", "Comin Round The Mountain", "Do That Stuff", "Dr Funkenstein", and "Mothership Connection". LP, Vinyl record album

After beginning life as a super fuzzed-out psychasouladelic band, Parliament emerged as one of the best pop-funk combos of the mid/late 70s – with a tight tight sound that mixed the smooth major label sound of Casablanca with the mad funk genius of George Clinton. This huge 3LP set brings together some of the band's best tracks from their glory years of the late 70s – when they were hitting the charts and selling a huge amount of albums to college kids stoned out of their mind waiting for the mothership to land. Tracks include "P-Funk (Wants To Get Funked Up)", "Mothership Connection (Star Child)", "Testify", "Mr. Wiggles", "Bop Gun", "Up For The Down Stroke", "Theme From The Black Hole", "Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off The Sucker)", "Flashlight", "Ride On", "Rumpofsteelskin", "Agony Of Defeet", and "Children Of Production". 25 tracksin all! CD

Well, it wasn't Purple Rain – nor Parade – but this 3rd Prince soundtrack still had some nice moments, thanks to an ever-expanding Paisley Park family that included George Clinton, Morris Day, and Mavis Staples! The older funk acts don't come off as nicely as Prince and The Time do – but with 2LPs worth of material, there's enough good numbers to pick out of the set. Titles include "New Power Generation", "Can't Stop This Feeling I Got", "Love Machine", "Tick Tick Bang", "Shake", "Thieves In The Temple", "Still Would Stand All Time", "Graffiti Bridge", and "The Latest Fashion". LP, Vinyl record album

Public Enemy gave us plenty of knowledge and power back in the day – and we maybe need their message more than ever in 2020 – a year that marks their return to their original home at Def Jam! The group have help from plenty of guests here – maybe more so than they would have had back in the day, but very much in keeping with the legacy they inspired – in a lineup that includes Questlove, DJ Premier, Cypress Hill, Impossebulls, Black Thought, Nas, YG, Run DMC, Mike D, Ad Rock, and even George Clinton! The tunes have plenty of old school PE vibes – and titles include "Go At It", "Rest In Beats", "RIP Blackat", "Grid", "State Of The Union", "Toxic", "Yesterday Man", "Fight The Power Remix 2020", "Beat Them All", and "Smash The Crowd". LP, Vinyl record album

The first really major album from Rare Earth – issued on their own self-named subsidiary of Motown! The set's a perfect blend of the rich undercurrents of the heady Detroit scene of the late 60s – at one level a tripped-out rock record with styles that almost hint at MC5, at another level a batch of blue-eyed funky soul, with keen appreciation for the grooves coming out of the headier end of the Motor City indie spectrum! There's lots of tripped-out guitar work on the set – reminiscent of contemporary work by Dennis Coffey and George Clinton – mixed with a Mitch Ryder, R&B-inspired vocal style that actually comes across pretty darn well. Added to this is the group's flat-out ability to jam – showcased best in the side-long title cut "Get Ready" – a massive jammer which runs for nearly 22 minutes, and takes up all of side two! Other tracks include "Train To Nowhere", "Magic Key", "Tobacco Road", and "In Bed" – plus the bonus tracks "Generation (Light Up The Sky)" and "Get Ready (single version)"! CD

The first album ever issued with the name of Bernie Worrell on the cover – and a great set that really sums up all the amazing keyboard work he'd been bringing to the P-Funk universe of George Clinton! The set's got a vibe that takes off nicely from the Funkadelic/Parliament sound of the late 70s – definitely more keyboard heavy, in a great way – and really opening up with some of the special madness that was Bernie's own, and often hidden behind the light of the bigger stars in Clinton's galaxy. Worrell sings lead, and also plays a mountain of keyboards – and the set also features help from a huge number of P-Funk friends – including Eddie Hazel, GaryShider, Bootsy Collins, Parlet, Brides of Funkenstein, and even Fred Wesley & The Horny Horns. George Clinton co-produced with Bernie – and titles include "Much Thrust", "Woo Together", "Insurance Man For The Funk", and "Hold On". LP, Vinyl record album

Bootsy Collins' first solo album as a leader – and a masterpiece of slow bassy funk that set the tone for countless other groups to come! Bootsy steps into the spotlight with a tremendous amount of confidence and personality on the record – emerging as the one real star that could shine brightly on its own in the P-Funk galaxy – oozing personality, sexuality, and super-funky grooves throughout! George Clinton's helping Bootsy out on production a bit, and the rest of the P-Funk regulars are in the group as well – but the album's clearly Bootsy's own, and takes mainstream funk into a whole new sound – one that would really set a high bar for much of the west coast scene in years to come! Includes the massive "I'd Rather Be With You" – plus "Physical Love", "Love Vibes", and "Psychoticbumpschool". LP, Vinyl record album

Bootsy's still keeping the P-Funk flag flying high at the end of the 70s – arguably stepping out here with a sound that's got more of the Parliafunkadelicment elements intact than some of George Clinton's other spinoff groups! The tracks are long, and plenty jamming – still with plenty of star power from Bootsy upfront – but also some wonderfully tight rhythms from the rest of the players too, all in that mix of hard-rolling, and light-tripping funk modes that still set the P-Funk groups apart from the pack of imitators who'd cropped up in their wake! Titles include "Jam Fan (Hot)", "Bootsy Get Live", "Under The Influence Of A Groove", "Chug-A-Lug", "Oh Boy", and "Shejam". LP, Vinyl record album

Bootsy Collins steps strongly from the shadow of George Clinton here – and wrote, arranged, and produced most of the album himself! Of course, George was having plenty of his own troubles at the time – but that only allowed Bootsy to take the helm even more, and step out with a batch of grooves that still keeps his star power plenty high. Of course, he's got some great help here too – from Fred Wesley & The Horny Horns, Midnight Star, Godmomma, and P-Funk regulars Bernie Worrell and Gary Shider – all of whom help contribute some classic elements to grooves that include "Shine O Myte", "#1 Funkateer", "So Nice You Name Him Twice", "Take A Lickin & Keep On Tickin", and "Countracula". LP, Vinyl record album

Bootsy's tightening things up a bit from before, but still sounding plenty darn great – that classic Collins groove in all its P-Funk glory! All the best elements are certainly in place – production by George Clinton and Bootsy, horn arrangements by Fred Wesley, and the slinky soulful sound that made Bootsy's albums some of the most enduring of the P-Funk posse. The album shows a bit of the transformation in soul bass playing that Bootsy helped to foster during the late 70s – but it's still not as "whompin" as some of the many groups that were springing up in his wake – a good thing, to us, because so many of Bootsy's imitators had a way of playing their bass way too much! Titles include "Mug Push", "Is That My Song", "It's A Musical", "Sound Crack", and "Fat Cat". LP, Vinyl record album

A surprisingly wonderful record! Back in the day, we remember that we didn't like these later P-Funk albums because they weren't as druggy, trippy, or guitar heavy as the early stuff. Now, though, they sound pretty darn sweet to our ears – especially this one, which has lots of cool pre-electro grooves with sweet keyboards, vocoder vocals, and spacey basslines that blow out in deep rich waves of funky soul. The whole thing's an amazing evolution of the George Clinton groove – and titles include "Electric Spanking Of War Babies", "Funk Gets Stronger", "Shockwaves", "Icka-prick", "Brettino's Bounce", and "She Loves You". Nice Pedro Bell cover, too! CD

An insane classic from one of the wildest funk bands ever! According to reports, George Clinton and the band cut this set in a marathon 48-hour stretch in the studio – working like mad all night and day long, after dropping a motherlode of some mighty fine acid! We don't know if that story's entirely true, but the music on the album certainly backs it up – as it's some of the band's freest, most open-ended, most heavy-jamming work ever recorded! Guitars dominate over funky bass and drums – and the whole thing's an amazing blend of music, swirled together into a non-stop psychedelic party that includes P-Funk gems like "Funky Dollar Bill", "Free Your Mind", "Eulogy and Light", and "I Wanna Know If It's Good To You". CD

One of the darkest records to ever come out of the Detroit soul scene! As you might guess from the title, the album is Funkadelic's first – and it's a swirling mass of psychedelic guitars, echoey drums, and bass-heavy riffing, all topped off by the band's harmony vocals, which sound like a perversion of the deep-Motown styles of groups like The Temptations or Undisputed Truth – taken into even headier territory! The original 5-member version of the group includes Eddie Hazel, Mickey Atkins, Tawl Ross, Bill Nelson, and Tiki Fulwood – all working here with some mindblowing George Clinton production! Tracks include classics like "I Bet You", "Mommy, What's a Funkadelic", "Music for My Mother", and "What Is Soul" – and the album's the stuff that made these guys a legend right out of the box! CD

A heavy best-of from Funkadelic – one that covers the full range of their classic sounds – from the trippy fuzz of the early days to the tighter funk of stardom years! The package has a power that's undeniable – a really massive batch of music that forever changed the face of funk – arguably the best that George Clinton ever had to offer, especially when you realize that Funkadelic was definitely the farthest-reaching of his many musical projects! Most cuts here are in shorter single versions – but there's a few LP-length jams – and titles include "Undisco Kidd", "Maggot Brain", "Cosmic Slop", "Standing On The Verge Of Getting It On", "Sexy Ways", "Better By The Pound", "One Nation Under A Groove (part 1)", "Whatever Makes My Baby Feel Good", "A Joyful Process", "Loose Booty", "I Wanna Know If It's Good To You", "I'll Bet You", "Red Hot Mama", "Comin Round The Mountain", and "I Got A Thing You Got A Thing Everybody Got A Thing". CD

Amazing stuff from Isaac Hayes! Although Ike had first appeared on LP with the album "Introducing", this was the first record to really expose his true soul genius – and it was also the first release on Ike's successful sub-label at Stax, Enterprise Records. The record shows that for all the years Ike was working away on other folks' songs for Stax, he was carefully cooking up his own style of soul that would forever change the way we think about the music. Back in 1969, the album must have blown more than a few minds for its incredibly baroque approach to soul music – taking common elements like strings, piano, and funky rhythms, and stretching them out into long waves of sound that cycle over and over, working a sly subtle magic along with Ike's super-sexy vocals, and his monologue-heavy approach to popular tunes. The album features incredible remakes of pop hits "Walk On By" and "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" – both of which run for over 10 minutes, and which completely transform the songs into something way more than simple radio fodder. Also features the psychedelic soul masterpiece "Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic", which has this crazy funky piano, and a messed-up sound that would make even George Clinton weep! LP, Vinyl record album

An obscure early 80s electro effort from George Clinton – all the more surprising, given how much he pretended to hate hip hop! At some level, Jimmy G & The Tackheads are mostly an 80s groove outfit – using lots of bass and keys to pop and lock the groove, while throwing in plenty of wikki-wikki instrumental touches to complicate things. And at another level, there's even a bit of Go-Go inspiration in the mix – particularly in the use of percussion on a few tracks, and the overall party feel of the set. But given the name of the group, and the kind of "street" feel of the album's graphics (which includes a lot of photos and images of early 80s street hustler tackhead culture), the album's also trying for a definite appeal to the old school crowd – with a look that's trying for a lot more cred than Clinton's own work of the time. Jimmy G's actually Jimmy Giles, a relation of Clinton – but from the sound of things, George and co-producer Steve Washington are firmly in control – on tracks that include "Clockwork", "I Want Your Daughter", "Family Funk", "Lies", and "Slingshot". LP, Vinyl record album

The big single off Atliens, which would've been a standout track any day! "Elevators" defied trends in the mid 90s, strongly influenced by early 80s era George Clinton productions, with Outkast's southern swagger. 7-inch, Vinyl record

A bouncing P Funk jam off the Urban Dancefloor Guerillas LP, the meeting of Sly Stone and George Clinton that was aided by the later P-Funk crew, which sounds many times better to us today than it did back then, both tracks filled out nicely with a heavily synthesized groove. 12-inch, Vinyl record

Groovy female club tracks – with George Clinton producing, and funky horn arrangements by Fred Wesley and the usual crew. A bit more uptempo than regular P-Funk material, but with some nice moments, nonetheless. Tracks include "Wolf Tickets", "I'm Mo Be Hittin' It", "Funk Until the Edge of Time", and "Help from My Friends". LP, Vinyl record album

An oft-overlooked gem from Parliament – released during the year 1976, and sometimes hidden between monster LPs like Funkentelechy and Mothership Connection – but every bit as great as those two classics! The album's got that tightened-up P-Funk sound that was working so perfectly at the time – still with all the fuzzy haired elements of earlier years, but presented with a bit more focus – and a powerhouse swing that really drives the tracks home with a funky groove on the bottom! There's a flowing sort of energy here that almost makes you think that the whole thing just emerged naturally from the brain of George Clinton – but all ensemble players have a strong hand in the action, and really get some great moments in on the set. Cuts include "Gamin' On Ya", "Do That Stuff", "Children Of Production", and "I've Been Watching You (Move Your Sexy Body)". LP, Vinyl record album

By this point, George Clinton and the P-Funk team were on top of the world! The record is a masterful dose of slick mothership jamming – perfectly woven together with that tightly compressed style that really served Clinton's production work well. The tracks are long, but never too loopy – and thanks to help from the Bernie Worrell, Jerome Brailey, Gary Shider, and the Horny Horns, the album stays very tight instrumentally all the way through! Loads of Parliament classics, including "Bop Gun", "Funkentelechy", "Sir Nose D'Voidoffunk", and the massive "Flash Light", which we've heard a million times, but which never ceases to amaze us! LP, Vinyl record album

Here's where it all happens – the huge culmination of all the years of heavy funk and psychedelic soul created by George Clinton and the P-Funk empire – fused into an amazingly tight groove that helped win over much bigger audiences than ever before! The album title and cover are very fitting – as George Clinton launches the mothership, forges his classic space-funk image, and blows the P-Funk empire into an arena-filling mega-star act – all with grooves that are still some of the tightest, sharpest funk you'll ever hear – all these many decades later. The instrumentation is razor-sharp – played by giants like Fred Wesley, Maceo Parker, Bootsy Collins, and Bernie Worrell – and the lyrics still have all the edginess and naughtiness of the earlier years – tied together wonderfully to make a very unified album, and one that's full of classics too! Titles include "Mothership Connection (Star Child)", "Night Of The Thumpasorus Peoples", "P-Funk (Wants To Get Funked Up)", "Handcuffs", "Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off The Sucker)", and "Unfunky Ufo". CD features a bonus version of "Star Child", a promo radio version! CD

The Mothership goes under water – as George Clinton and crew groove away nicely on this water-themed set of tracks designed to raise Atlantis from the deep! The overall sound is perhaps not as totally perfect as some of the earlier records, but the P-Funk machine is still in full effect – cranking away nice and hard on tracks like "Liquid Sunshine", "Motor Booty Affair", "Deep", "Rumpofsteelskin", and "(Your'e A Fish And I'm A) Water Sign". Plus, the album more than makes up for a lack of standout tracks with a nicely-united theme – almost a "concept album" of the funky type! LP, Vinyl record album

A seminal album from Parliament – one that's very very different than the freaky fuzz of their Osmium debut – and which has the tight ensemble really coming down on the money, in the best funky 70s George Clinton mode! The record features a much more stripped down sound – nice and funky, with a blueprint of the bass-driven groove that would dominate the P-Funk sound of the 70s. Bootsy's on bass, and the group features Eddie Hazel, Bernie Worrell, and other likely suspects – all working with a news sort of sharpness compared to earlier P-Funk material – virtually the blueprint for everything else to come. Clinton, Hazel, and Worrell produced – and titles include the monster jammer "Up For The Down Stroke", plus other goodies like "The Goose", "Testify", "Presence Of A Brain", and "All Your Goodies Are Gone". LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of late Motown albums from Undisputed Truth – both issued here back to back, as they originally appeared for the label! First up is Cosmic Truth – a fantastic 70s album from Undisputed Truth – and the first to fully feature the new version of the lineup, after the Magictones had been recruited to form the second version of the group! The sound here is even funkier and more guitar-based than before – a fully-realized take on the Norman Whitfield modes that had been brewing up since his late 60s work with The Temptations – almost as tripped-out at times as early 70s Funkadelic – as if Undisputed Truth were being put forth as a Detroit challenge to the George Clinton universe! Production and arrangements are great – very far-reaching at times, with some bigger ideas in the mix – although all the tight funky soul elements that always made these guys so great. Titles include "1990", "Squeeze Me Tease Me", "Earthquake Snake", "Spaced Out", "Lil Red Ridin Hood", "Got To Get Me Some Lovin", and the great cut "UFO's". Higher Than High is a great later Motown effort from the Undisputed Truth – working in a groove that's a bit tighter and more upbeat than before, but still plenty darn great! Norman Whitfield is still very firmly in charge of the group's sound on the record – arranging, producing, and writing most of the cuts on the album – and he's doing a great job of keeping his sound fresh here – not just sticking in the bass-heavy styles of previous years, and instead moving into some fresher territory that has the group continuing to grow nicely. In a way, the whole thing's almost a precursor for the grooves to come on Norman's own Whitfield label – a great batch of well-crafted titles that include "Overload", "Higher Than High", "Poontang", "I Saw YOu When You Met Her", "Help Yourself (second version)", "I'm In The Red Zone", "Boogie Bump Boogie", and "Ma". CD

A great little album of tracks from Wynne – former lead singer of The Spinners, sounding great here amidst some tightly woven arrangements produced by Ron Dunbar and George Clinton. The album's not a P-Funk sounding one – but a strong batch of modern soul tunes that works off the sublime quality of the early 70s Spinners recordings in Philly, and which updates the sound in a mode that's almost Philly modern. Titles include "We Dance So Good Together", "Put Your Own Puzzle Together", "Never Gonna Tell It", "You Gotta Take Chances", and "Breakout". LP, Vinyl record album

Music from George Clinton, Nona Gaye & Prince, Mayte, the Steeles, the NPG, Margie Cox, Mavis Staples, Madhouse, and MPLS. CD

Music from Larry Clinton, Cecil Washington, Doni Burdick, Eddie Holman, Detroit Executives, The Proffessionals, George Blackwell, Melvin Davis, The Remarkables, Little Joe Cook, Tony Hestor, and more. CD

A full on funky soul Christmas gift from Aloe Blacc! AB wasn't messing around with the title here, he delivers genuinely funky Christmas cheer from beginning to end, all the more endearingly so, as it's rooted strongly in new original songs rather than leaning on the classic Christmas songbook like so many modern holiday albums. Even the couple covers are pretty loosely adapted! His soaring soul vocals are as out front and instantly recognizable as on his major label work of the previous few years, but he ultimately steers clear of the pop soul sound of some of it in favor of diverse funk & soul influences from the 70s onward. Includes the Aloe originals "Tell Your Mama", "I Got Your Christmas Right Here", "I Can't Wait For Christmas", "The Mrs Saved Christmas", "All I Have Is Love", "At Christmas", "Funky Ass Christmas", "Love Comes Home" and the aforementioned covers – Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You" and Wham's "Last Christmas" – pairing spacious funky bass and beats with seasonally appropriate chimes on the former, soaring soul vocals and an electro-era George Clinton-inspired backdrop on the latter. LP, Vinyl record album

Massive work from Bootsy Collins – one of his best-ever solo albums, and a perfect summation of the P-Funk groove – focused strongly through Bootsy's own sense of stardom! George Clinton worked with Collins on production, and the album's as tight as the best Parliament or Funkadelic work of the time – particularly the latter on their killer 70s sides for Warner, which was also the home for Bootsy. The Horny Horns are helping out on this one, which gives the album a strong instrumental drive – but the real star is Bootsy, whose sexy vocals and good sense of soul keep things firmly on track throughout. Features the cuts "What's A Telephone Bill?", "Munchies For Your Love", "We Want Bootsy", "The Pinocchio Theory", and "Rubber Duckie". LP, Vinyl record album

A prime pair of late 70s classics on Atlantic Records from Brides Of Funkenstein – a funky female group from the P-Funk empire – back-to-back with bonus tracks! The Brides are one of George Clinton's few girl-based projects of the 70s, and a group who are markedly more funk-based than Parlet! Vocals are by the duo of Lyn Mabry and Dawn Silva – but the main sound of the set comes from the tightly crafted rhythms served up by a cast of well-known P-Funk regulars – all hitting a spaciously snapping vibe that reminds us a lot of the best energy of late 70s Parliament albums on Casablanca! The tracks on Funk Or Walk, which is on Disc 1 here, are longish, but nicely focused – with less of the disco that you might expect, and more of a slow-stepping groove overall! Titles include "Disco To Go", "War Ship To Touchante", "Just Like You", "When You're Gone", "Amorous", "Nappy", and "Birdie". 2 bonus tracks: single mixes of "Amorous" and "War Ship Touchante". Never Buy Texas From A Cowboy is tremendously soulful session – with plenty of funky Clinton touches in the mix – including rumbling basslines, raspy guitars, and a tightly focused groove that has the singers working equally with the larger group of musicians on the record. Production is by Bootsy Collins and Clinton, with horn arrangements by Fred Wesley – which makes for some great Horny Horns funk touches on most tracks! The title cut – "Never Buy Texas From A Cowboy" – runs on as a long P-Funk groove for about 15 minutes, but other tracks are shorter, and titles include "I'm Holding You Responsible", "Smoke Signals", "Party Up In Here", and "Didn't Mean To Fall In Love". The 2 Part single version of the title track is here as a bonus track. CD

A second sublime set from Ruth Copeland – a funky female singer from the Detroit scene of the early 70s, with key ties to the P-Funk universe, and a unique groove that mixes singer/songwriter modes with the fuzzier funkier elements of artists like Betty Davis or Yvonne Fair! There's a bit more emphasis on soul here than the funk of Copeland's previous efforts – but in a way that makes for an even more impressive record overall, especially when you realize that Ruth arranged and produced the whole thing. George Clinton and Eddie Hazel both had a hand in co-writing songs with Copeland – and instrumentation features Hazel on guitar, plus Bernie Worrell on piano – so there's still a key P-Funk link. Titles include the breakbeat track "Suburban Family Lament", the fuzzy stoner funk number "Don't You Wish You Had", and covers of the Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter" and "Play With Fire" – plus "Crying Has Made Me Stronger", "Hare Krishna", and "The Medal". CD features bonus single versions of "Hare Krishna" and "Gimme Shelter". CD

A killer 2CD set – both of the Ruth Copeland albums for Invictus – plus bonus tracks too! First up is Self Portrait – a surprisingly groovy little set, and one of a few outings cut by singer Ruth Copeland – kind of an enigmatic figure in the early P-Funk years! The approach here is more rock than soul, but there's definitely some funky undercurrents too – of the sort that have always made Copeland a favorite with break freaks over the years – thanks to help on the album from Dennis Coffey, Eddie Hazel, Bernie Worrell, and George Clinton! Ruth arranged, performed, and produced the core part of the album herself – but the production style is surprisingly strong – with a use of space and strings that almost shows a bit of Axelrod influence at times, although more skewed towards the Detroit soul scene that Copeland called home. Titles include the classic "Your Love Been So Good To Me", which starts with a very fuzzy electric break, and "I Got a Thing For You Daddy", which has some great spacey guitars on the intro – plus "Child of the North", "No Commitment", "A Gift of Me", and "The Music Box". I Am What I Am is a second sublime set from Ruth Copeland! There's a bit more emphasis on soul here than the funk of Copeland's previous efforts – but in a way that makes for an even more impressive record overall, especially when you realize that Ruth arranged and produced the whole thing. George Clinton and Eddie Hazel both had a hand in co-writing songs with Copeland – and instrumentation features Hazel on guitar, plus Bernie Worrell on piano – so there's still a key P-Funk link. Titles include the breakbeat track "Suburban Family Lament", the fuzzy stoner funk number "Don't You Wish You Had", and covers of the Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter" and "Play With Fire" – plus "Crying Has Made Me Stronger", "Hare Krishna", and "The Medal". Bonus tracks include single versions of "Hare Krishna", "Gimme Shelter", "The Music Box", "A Gift Of Me", and "No Commitment". CD

Maybe the funkiest album ever cut for the legendary Westbound label in Detroit – and that's saying a lot, given that the company was the initial home to Funkadelic! Yet on this stunning full length set, The Counts maybe do that famous group one better – pushing aside their vocals for some incredible instrumental interplay that comes from bumping Hammond lines, wickedly sharp drums, and non-stop riffing guitars – all of which take center stage, while the vocals only seem to be part of the mix to urge the instruments onward! Tracks are long and jamming – ala the early Westbound work from George Clinton – and although The Counts recorded before and after the space of this album, this set is definitely the group's masterpiece. Titles include "What's Up Front That Counts", "Rhythm Changes", "Thinking Single", "Why Not Start All Over Again", "Bills", and "Pack Of Lies". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the last great soul albums on the Westbound label! Eramus Hall have a vague P-Funk connection – and according to legend, the band were given their name by George Clinton, who had seen a building in Chicago named Eramus Hall – but the sound is a lot smoother than any of the P-Funk projects of the time, and the group's strongest point is their smooth soul groove, augmented by a tight jazz funk style on the best cuts. In a way, they're sort of like a morphed version of late Parliament – with a funk sound that's nicely compressed, but still a lot more true than any of the countless other bands on the market who were aping P-Funk at the time. Highlights include the groovers "Your Love Is My Desire" and "She Shined A Light", both with nice sample moments – and other tracks include "Stuck In The Mudd", "Funk Permit", and "Think Positively". LP, Vinyl record album

Madly tripped out guitar funk – and a real turning point in the career of guitarist Eddie Fisher! Eddie began his career as a straighter guitarist on the St Louis scene – and although his first album for Cadet was a relatively traditional soul-jazz outing, this one's a wild batch of tripped-out guitar licks! The band's a fuzzy psychedelic one – not in a rock-styled way, but more in an early George Clinton kind of mode, with plenty of rumbling bass at the bottom, warm electric piano lines, nicely placed drum beats, and Eddie's fuzzbox guitar snaking and wah wah-ing over the top! Eddie arranged and produced, and the record's a perfect batch of kicked-back stoner funk numbers that go on and on and on and on! Titles include "Land Of Our Father", "Beautiful Things", "East St Louis Blues", "Another Episode", "Either Or", and "Jeremiah Pucket". CD

Madly tripped out guitar funk – and a real turning point in the career of guitarist Eddie Fisher! Eddie began his career as a straighter guitarist on the St Louis scene – and although his first album for Cadet was a relatively traditional soul-jazz outing, this one's a wild batch of tripped-out guitar licks! The band's a fuzzy psychedelic one – not in a rock-styled way, but more in an early George Clinton kind of mode, with plenty of rumbling bass at the bottom, warm electric piano lines, nicely placed drum beats, and Eddie's fuzzbox guitar snaking and wah wah-ing over the top! Eddie arranged and produced, and the record's a perfect batch of kicked-back stoner funk numbers that go on and on and on and on! Titles include "Land Of Our Father", "Beautiful Things", "East St Louis Blues", "Another Episode", "Either Or", and "Jeremiah Pucket". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the darkest records to ever come out of the Detroit soul scene! As you might guess from the title, the album is Funkadelic's first – and it's a swirling mass of psychedelic guitars, echoey drums, and bass-heavy riffing, all topped off by the band's harmony vocals, which sound like a perversion of the deep-Motown styles of groups like The Temptations or Undisputed Truth – taken into even headier territory! The original 5-member version of the group includes Eddie Hazel, Mickey Atkins, Tawl Ross, Bill Nelson, and Tiki Fulwood – all working here with some mindblowing George Clinton production! Tracks include classics like "I Bet You", "Mommy, What's a Funkadelic", "Music for My Mother", and "What Is Soul" – and the album's the stuff that made these guys a legend right out of the box! CD

One of our favorite Funkadelic albums ever – a tightly grooving classic that never lets up at all! There's a sense of perfection to everything here – one that really gets the group past their tripped-out early years, and firmly into the sublime territory George Clinton hit with Parliament – an amazing sound that's wrapped up perfectly on every single track – grooves that definitely raised the bar for a huge amount of mainstream funk acts who were popping up at the time. Production is never too slick, and there's still lots of tasty guitar licks wrapped up in the mix – and titles include the classics "Freak Of The Week" and "Not Just Knee Deep" – plus "Field Maneuvers", "Holly Wants To Go To California", and "Foot Soldiers". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite Funkadelic albums ever – a tightly grooving classic that never lets up at all! There's a sense of perfection to everything here – one that really gets the group past their tripped-out early years, and firmly into the sublime territory George Clinton hit with Parliament – an amazing sound that's wrapped up perfectly on every single track – grooves that definitely raised the bar for a huge amount of mainstream funk acts who were popping up at the time. Production is never too slick, and there's still lots of tasty guitar licks wrapped up in the mix – and titles include the classics "Freak Of The Week" and "Not Just Knee Deep" – plus "Field Maneuvers", "Holly Wants To Go To California", and "Foot Soldiers". CD

A lesser-known P-Funk project from the start of the 80s – a group that features a trio of female singers, tight production work from Bootsy Collins, and help from other members of the George Clinton universe! Vocals are by Carolyn Myles, Cynthia Girty, and Tony Walker – working with an approach that's fuller and more funky than some of the more disco-oriented P-Funk female groups – stepping along with a wickedly bassy groove that definitely shows the Bootsy influence, but in a way that's open to some of the newer funk ideas from both Ohio and the west coast – which makes the whole thing sound nice and fresh, maybe more so than some of George Clinton's early 80s material. Fred Wesley and The Horny Horns are along for the ride, too – keeping things nice and tight – and tracks include "Taste Of Magic", "Godmama Here", "Hands Up", "I Like It", "Spice", and "Be All You Can Be". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic solo work from Fuzzy Haskins – a key early member of the George Clinton P-Funk empire – breaking out here on his own with a fresh new take on the Parliafunkadelicment groove! The work here is pulled from two albums and other recordings (some unissued) that Fuzzy did for the Westbound label – home to his initial work with Funkadelic, and a very respectful spot to launch his solo career – which takes of in similar late 70s funk territory to some of his former associates, especially Bootsy Collins – but with a vibe that's definitely his own! Some of these tracks were ones that Fuzzy had written years ago, but held back from Funkadelic sessions – and they're performed here with help from familiar Detroit funk giants – including Bootsy on bass, Bernie Worrell on keyboards, and Donald Austin on guitar. Titles include "Gettin It Off", "Thangs We Used To Do", "Not Yet (12" version)", "This Situation Called Love", "Silent Day", "Gimme Back", "Cookie Jar (alt version)", "Mr Junk Man", "I Think I Got My Thang Together (12" version)", "Right Back Where I Started From", "The Fuz & Da Boog", "Sinderilla", "I Can See Myself In You", and "Silent Day". CD

A mighty nice solo project from Fuzzy Haskins – one of the many side projects from the P-Funk side of the universe, from a time when it seemed like the influence of George Clinton knew no bounds! As with Bootsy Collins before him, Haskins steps away from ensemble for some great time of his own in the spotlight – yet still wraps things up in plenty of classic P-Funk styles – wicked basslines, slow-stepping drums, and some great guitar that trips things out in all the right ways – just what you'd expect from a guy named Fuzzy! The record's a great one to add to your collection next to other P-Funk related albums of the period – sets by Horny Horns, Parlet, and others – and tracks include "Sinderilla", "I Think I Got My Thang Together", "Gimme Back", and "Thangs We Used to Do". LP, Vinyl record album

A mighty nice solo project from Fuzzy Haskins – one of the many side projects from the P-Funk side of the universe, from a time when it seemed like the influence of George Clinton knew no bounds! As with Bootsy Collins before him, Haskins steps away from ensemble for some great time of his own in the spotlight – yet still wraps things up in plenty of classic P-Funk styles – wicked basslines, slow-stepping drums, and some great guitar that trips things out in all the right ways – just what you'd expect from a guy named Fuzzy! The record's a great one to add to your collection next to other P-Funk related albums of the period – sets by Horny Horns, Parlet, and others – and tracks include "Sinderilla", "I Think I Got My Thang Together", "Gimme Back", and "Thangs We Used to Do". LP, Vinyl record album

A massively tripped-out set of guitar-based funk – played to perfection by the legendary Eddie Hazel, best known for his work in the George Clinton P-Funk empire! The album offers a different side of Eddie's talents – one that's produced with a smoothly compressed California groove, in a mode that's almost an extension of some of the themes explored by Shuggie Otis on his own 70s albums – taken with a bit more of a P-Funk style. George Clinton produced the set with Eddie – and the tunes have a nice slow-stepping groove that really opens up the guitar solos wonderfully. The record kicks off with a massive cover of "California Dreamin" – but the whole thing's great, with a wonderfully unified feel throughout! Other titles include "Frantic Moment", "What About It?", "So Goes The Story", "Physical Love", and a great cover of "I Want You (She's So Heavy)". CD

A massively tripped-out set of guitar-based funk – played to perfection by the legendary Eddie Hazel, best known for his work in the George Clinton P-Funk empire! The album offers a different side of Eddie's talents – one that's produced with a smoothly compressed California groove, in a mode that's almost an extension of some of the themes explored by Shuggie Otis on his own 70s albums – taken with a bit more of a P-Funk style. George Clinton produced the set with Eddie – and the tunes have a nice slow-stepping groove that really opens up the guitar solos wonderfully. The record kicks off with a massive cover of "California Dreamin" – but the whole thing's great, with a wonderfully unified feel throughout! Other titles include "Frantic Moment", "What About It?", "So Goes The Story", "Physical Love", and a great cover of "I Want You (She's So Heavy)". CD

Kendrick Lamar takes wider creative left turns than ever before on To Pimp A Butterfly – with a funk steeped production style that filters tried-and-true P Funk influences through leftfield modern beatcraft styles, inspired by cats like Madlib to Thundercat, the latter of whom is an official contributor. Fresh material from an increasingly pivotal figure – who may not be revolutionizing the game on the level of the heavy critical praise he's heaped with, but he's certainly marching to his own beat, rather than chasing hits! Includes "Wesley's Theory" with George Clinton & Thundercat, "King Kunta", "These Walls" with Bilal, Anna Wise & Thundercat, "Aright", "For Sale?", "Institutionalized" with a Slick Rick-homage of a guest verse by Snoop Dogg (sign us up for any record that gives props to The Ruler...and extra points for transplanting that style of flow to Compton), "Momma", "Hood Politics", "The Blacker The Berry", "How Much A Dollar Cost" feat James Fauntleroy & Ronald Isley, "Mortal Man" and more. CD

A classic from One Way – who're still going strong in the early 80s! The group's ace in the hole was always the great work of Al Hudson – a fearless leader who kept things funky, and who wrote in some great hooks to tracks that give them uncommon strength. Case in point is the classic "Cutie Pie", which is the leadoff track here – with a funky bassline would be right at home on George Clinton's Computer Games – but it really takes flight thanks to One Way's deeper-sinking hook. The album is among their bigger hits of the period – but it's also proof that they were still going strong creatively, too. No foolin'! Lots of solid cuts, including "Runnin Away", "Who's Foolin Who", "Sweet Lady", "Give Me One More Chance" and "You're So Very Special". CD

A classic from One Way – who're still going strong in the early 80s! The group's ace in the hole was always the great work of Al Hudson – a fearless leader who kept things funky, and who wrote in some great hooks to tracks that give them uncommon strength. Case in point is the classic "Cutie Pie", which is the leadoff track here – with a funky bassline would be right at home on George Clinton's Computer Games – but it really takes flight thanks to One Way's deeper-sinking hook. The album is among their bigger hits of the period – but it's also proof that they were still going strong creatively, too. No foolin'! Lots of solid cuts, including "Runnin Away", "Who's Foolin Who", "Sweet Lady", "Give Me One More Chance" and "You're So Very Special". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing album that's probably one of the most unified albums that George Clinton ever recorded! The band's rawer style has been firmed up and economized – but a lot of the best elements are still in place, including a strange approach to vocals that has male and female voices interacting and counterbalancing in a similar style to that heard on some of Roy Ayers' best work from the early 70s. Clinton's begun introducing a lot of elements of Funkadelic into the group – but the tracks are still short and very tight, with a focused approach to both funk and lyrics that really makes the album stand up to repeated listenings over the years. The album begins with the sublime "Chocolate City", a surprisingly political number that has these incredible jagged piano lines that echo away madly – then it rolls into other great numbers like "Side Effects", "What Comes Funky", "If It Don't Fit, Don't Force It", and "I Misjudged You". CD includes 3 bonus tracks – "If It Don't Fit Don't Force It (alternate)", "I Misjudged You (alternate)", and "Common Law Wife (previously unreleased)". CD

Here's where it all happens – the huge culmination of all the years of heavy funk and psychedelic soul created by George Clinton and the P-Funk empire – fused into an amazingly tight groove that helped win over much bigger audiences than ever before! The album title and cover are very fitting – as George Clinton launches the mothership, forges his classic space-funk image, and blows the P-Funk empire into an arena-filling mega-star act – all with grooves that are still some of the tightest, sharpest funk you'll ever hear – all these many decades later. The instrumentation is razor-sharp – played by giants like Fred Wesley, Maceo Parker, Bootsy Collins, and Bernie Worrell – and the lyrics still have all the edginess and naughtiness of the earlier years – tied together wonderfully to make a very unified album, and one that's full of classics too! Titles include "Mothership Connection (Star Child)", "Night Of The Thumpasorus Peoples", "P-Funk (Wants To Get Funked Up)", "Handcuffs", "Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off The Sucker)", and "Unfunky Ufo". CD features a bonus version of "Star Child", a promo radio version! CD

Although these days, Parliament's best remembered for their classic studio albums, back in the 70s, the real P-Funk experience was the incredible live shows served up by George Clinton and the group! George, Bootsy, and the rest were undeniably at the top of their game at the time – rolling into cities and taking them by storm with their space-themed sets, wild costumes, and intense ability to jam live with a force that even blew away their records! This double live set is a great document of the P-Funk sound of the time – and features some great tunes from mid 70s Parliament, served up in modes that range from straight to very long and drawn out. Titles include "Give Up The Funk", "Get Off Your Ass & Jam", "Night Of The Thumpasorous Peoples", "Let's Take It To The Stage", and "Gamin' On Ya!" – all done with the sort of live jamming feel that made their shows go on forever and groove all night long. CD

Although these days, Parliament's best remembered for their classic studio albums, back in the 70s, the real P-Funk experience was the incredible live shows served up by George Clinton and the group! George, Bootsy, and the rest were undeniably at the top of their game at the time – rolling into cities and taking them by storm with their space-themed sets, wild costumes, and intense ability to jam live with a force that even blew away their records! This double live set is a great document of the P-Funk sound of the time – and features some great tunes from mid 70s Parliament, served up in modes that range from straight to very long and drawn out. Titles include "Give Up The Funk", "Get Off Your Ass & Jam", "Night Of The Thumpasorous Peoples", "Let's Take It To The Stage", and "Gamin' On Ya!" – all done with the sort of live jamming feel that made their shows go on forever and groove all night long. LP, Vinyl record album

The first really major album from Rare Earth – issued on their own self-named subsidiary of Motown! The set's a perfect blend of the rich undercurrents of the heady Detroit scene of the late 60s – at one level a tripped-out rock record with styles that almost hint at MC5, at another level a batch of blue-eyed funky soul, with keen appreciation for the grooves coming out of the headier end of the Motor City indie spectrum! There's lots of tripped-out guitar work on the set – reminiscent of contemporary work by Dennis Coffey and George Clinton – mixed with a Mitch Ryder, R&B-inspired vocal style that actually comes across pretty darn well. Added to this is the group's flat-out ability to jam – showcased best in the side-long title cut "Get Ready" – a massive jammer which runs for nearly 22 minutes, and takes up all of side two! Other tracks include "Train To Nowhere", "Magic Key", "Tobacco Road", and "In Bed". LP, Vinyl record album

Garrett Shider's lost none of his charm over the years – and although contemporary, the set's got the same sharp crackle he first delivered back in the day, when working as part of George Clinton's P-Funk empire! Shider sings and plays lots of tightly-riffing guitar – in a nicely spare setting that's mostly just got a lot of bass, funky drums, and keyboards for support – plus chorus vocals that have that same back/forth vibe of a late 70s Parliament jam! The whole thing's surprisingly hip – much better than just some lame P-Funk cash-in, with a quality level that's honestly better than most of the later Clinton productions – and a style that's more early 80s P-Funk than 21st Century. Titles include "Nightcap", "Rawlife Theme", "Sugar Rush", "Bop Gun 17", "Hard Pill", and "Jamnastics". CD

A massive treasure from the P-Funk empire – an unreleased George Clinton project during his glory days on Westbound Records! The group features Gary Shider in the lead on vocals – with support from other US Music members, and a fair bit of the current Funkadelic lineup too – musicians who played on the legendary America Eats Its Young sessions, recorded at the same time as this one! The sound is incredibly sinister – even more tripped-out, fuzzy, and psychedelic than most regular Funkadelic work – with lots of dark moments, and basslines that are sure to blast out your speakers – courtesy of Cordell Mosson. Other group members chime in with Shider, too – in the best Clinton-directed style of the time – and the whole thing has a massive ensemble feel that's wonderful, and right up there with the well known Westbound P-Funk recordings of the time. Why this one wasn't released is a real mystery to us – but we're mighty thankful to finally have it out! Titles include "This Broken Heart", "Baby I Owe You Something Good", "Be What You Is", "I Miss My Baby", and "Rat Kiss The Cat On The Naval". CD also features 2 bonus cuts – mono single mixes of "I Miss My Baby" and "Baby I Owe You Something Good". CD

A massive treasure from the P-Funk empire – an unreleased George Clinton project during his glory days on Westbound Records! The group features Gary Shider in the lead on vocals – with support from other US Music members, and a fair bit of the current Funkadelic lineup too – musicians who played on the legendary America Eats Its Young sessions, recorded at the same time as this one! The sound is incredibly sinister – even more tripped-out, fuzzy, and psychedelic than most regular Funkadelic work – with lots of dark moments, and basslines that are sure to blast out your speakers – courtesy of Cordell Mosson. Other group members chime in with Shider, too – in the best Clinton-directed style of the time – and the whole thing has a massive ensemble feel that's wonderful, and right up there with the well known Westbound P-Funk recordings of the time. Why this one wasn't released is a real mystery to us – but we're mighty thankful to finally have it out! Titles include "This Broken Heart", "Baby I Owe You Something Good", "Be What You Is", "I Miss My Baby", and "Rat Kiss The Cat On The Naval". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes selections by Queen, Dio, Katrina & The Waves, George Clinton, Helix, Jon Butcher Axis, King Kobra, Eric Martin, Urgent, and Adrenalin. LP, Vinyl record album

Bootsy Collins' first solo album as a leader – and a masterpiece of slow bassy funk that set the tone for countless other groups to come! Bootsy steps into the spotlight with a tremendous amount of confidence and personality on the record – emerging as the one real star that could shine brightly on its own in the P-Funk galaxy – oozing personality, sexuality, and super-funky grooves throughout! George Clinton's helping Bootsy out on production a bit, and the rest of the P-Funk regulars are in the group as well – but the album's clearly Bootsy's own, and takes mainstream funk into a whole new sound – one that would really set a high bar for much of the west coast scene in years to come! Includes the massive "I'd Rather Be With You" – plus "Physical Love", "Love Vibes", and "Psychoticbumpschool". CD

A heavy best-of from Funkadelic – one that covers the full range of their classic sounds – from the trippy fuzz of the early days to the tighter funk of stardom years! The package has a power that's undeniable – a really massive batch of music that forever changed the face of funk – arguably the best that George Clinton ever had to offer, especially when you realize that Funkadelic was definitely the farthest-reaching of his many musical projects! Most cuts here are in shorter single versions – but there's a few LP-length jams – and titles include "Undisco Kidd", "Maggot Brain", "Cosmic Slop", "Standing On The Verge Of Getting It On", "Sexy Ways", "Better By The Pound", "One Nation Under A Groove (part 1)", "Whatever Makes My Baby Feel Good", "A Joyful Process", "Loose Booty", "I Wanna Know If It's Good To You", "I'll Bet You", "Red Hot Mama", "Comin Round The Mountain", and "I Got A Thing You Got A Thing Everybody Got A Thing". CD