Maggot Brain
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| Maggot Brain | |||||
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| Studio album by Funkadelic | |||||
| Released | July 1971 | ||||
| Genre | Psychedelic soul Psychedelic Funk Hard rock |
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| Length | 36:56 | ||||
| Label | Westbound | ||||
| Producer | George Clinton | ||||
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| Funkadelic chronology | |||||
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Maggot Brain is a 1971 album by the American funk band Funkadelic. It was released on Westbound Records. The music swings through psychedelia, hard rock, gospel and soul music, with tremendous variation between each track.
In 2003, the album was ranked number 486 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. Pitchfork Media ranked it #17 in their Top 100 Albums of the 70s[1] list.
Contents |
[edit] Track listing
- "Maggot Brain" (George Clinton, Eddie Hazel) – 10:20
- "Can You Get To That" (Clinton, Ernie Harris) – 2:50
- "Hit It And Quit It" (Clinton, Billy Bass Nelson, Garry Shider) – 3:50
- "You And Your Folks, Me And My Folks" (Clinton, Judie Jones, Bernie Worrell) – 3:36
- "Super Stupid" (Clinton, Hazel, Nelson, Tawl Ross) – 3:57
- "Back In Our Minds" (Fuzzy Haskins) – 2:38
- "Wars Of Armageddon" (Clinton, Tiki Fulwood, Ross, Worrell) – 9:42
[edit] 2005 Re-release bonus tracks:
- "Whole Lot of BS" (Clinton, Worrell) - 2:11
- "I Miss My Baby" (Haskins) - 5:02
- "Maggot Brain (Alt. Mix, recorded 1971) (Hazel, Clinton) - 9:35
[edit] Personnel
- Lead Guitar: Eddie Hazel
- Rhythm Guitar: Tawl Ross
- Keyboards: Bernie Worrell
- Bass: Billy Nelson
- Drums: Tiki Fulwood
- Vocals: Parliament, Gary Shider, Bernie Worrell, Tawl Ross
[edit] Track listing
[edit] "Maggot Brain"
- See main article at Maggot Brain (song)
[edit] "Can You Get to That"
This song is a departure from the groove-oriented Funkadelic sound and is more of a traditional lyric-based acoustic rock piece. It begins with a decending acoustic guitar line which is joined by piano, bass and drums which support a cast of singers. It is a rewrite of a song by The Parliaments titled, "What You Been Growin'" and is heavily influenced by gospel music stylistically.
Where the Parliaments version was a break-up song, the singer of the Funkadelic version begins with the line 'I once had a life, or rather, life had me' (a possible reference to The Beatles' "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)"): rather than a bitter reminiscence about a woman, it becomes an account of the singer's revelation that living on principles of co-operation, sincerity and the principles of karma ('When you base your life on credit and your loving days are done / Cheques you sign with love and kisses later come back signed 'Insufficient Funds' ' - interestingly, this line seems to echo part of Martin Luther King Jr.'s 'I Have a Dream' speech) mark him out from the un-elightened crowd and exalted his life.
- Lead Vocals: Garry Shider
- Backup Vocals: Pat & Diane Lewis, Rose Williams, Ray Davis, Bernie Worrell, George Clinton
- Drums: Fuzzy Haskins
[edit] "Hit It and Quit It"
The song feature Bernie Worrell's vocals and organ-playing, as well as an extended Eddie Hazel solo at the end.
- Lead Vocals: Bernie Worrell
[edit] "You and Your Folks, Me and My Folks"
Some claim that this song is, lyrically and musically, a sequel to "Hit It And Quit It" (the previous song on the same album). It is a very class-conscious song, with the singer pleading for unity among the poor because without doing so, equality could not be achieved.
The song's refrain is very similar to an old folk rhyme that was first published in Thomas T. Talley's Negro Folk Rhymes (Wise or Otherwise) (1922):
| Funkadelic: If you and your folks love me and my folks Like me and my folks love you and your folks If there ever was folks That ever ever was poor. |
| Negro Folk Rhymes: If you an' yo' folks likes me an' my folks, Lak me an' my folks likes you an' yo' folks; You's never seed folks since folks 'as been folks, Like you an' yo' folks lak me an' my folks. |
- Lead Vocals: Billy Bass Nelson
[edit] "Super Stupid"
The title of this song refers to a drug addict who buys the wrong drug accidentally. He is also referred to as having a "maggot brain". The verse of the song uses similar combination of rap singing over drum rhythm plus occasional guitar chords as is heard on "Crosstown Traffic" by Jimi Hendrix.
The supergroup Audioslave has done several live covers of this song, as well as an unreleased studio recording.
- Lead Vocals: Eddie Hazel, Billy Bass Nelson
[edit] "Back in Our Minds"
This song seems to be about the singer and someone else (possibly different races, former lovers or friends) having reconciled and are now "brothers."
- Lead Vocals: George Clinton, Tawl Ross
- Trombone: McKinley Jackson
- Bongos: Eddie Bongo
- Jew's Harp: James W. Jackson
[edit] "Wars of Armageddon"
The music is a bizarre mix of music and special effects-type sounds, and intelligent, though unusual and abstract, lyrics.
This song is socially conscious, as the singer demands immediate freedom from oppression, as well as "power to the people" (and many more demands, many nonsensical, see above).
[edit] Liner notes
The liner notes to Maggot Brain and America Eats Its Young feature lengthy passages from a pamphlet by The Process Church of The Final Judgment, an apocalyptic cult religion that, according to "Fuzzy" Haskins, flirted with Satanism.
[edit] External Reviews
- Five stars (highest rating)
- Listed in David Keenan's "The Best Albums Ever...Honest" by the Scottish newspaper The Sunday Herald.
[edit] Chart positions
Billboard Music Charts (North America) - album
- 1971 Pop Albums No. 108
- 1971 Black Albums No. 14
- 1990 Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums No. 92
