RS #479: Funkadelic – Maggot Brain

#479

Funkadelic, Maggot Brain

Release Date: 1971
Previously Owned: Yes
Funkadelic - Maggot Brain
The album cover is the least weird thing about this album

Impressions:  Okay, I loved this album back when I stumbled upon it in college. I’m 100%  sure I ‘ll still feel that way, but we’ll listen to it anyway…  Starts off with George Clinton’s opening spoken word schpiel about Mother Earth tasting maggots in the brain of universe and maybe drowning in his own shit, is just bonkers bizarre, but at least it let’s you know you are in for something different. Not even Hendrix himself would have opened an album with a 10 minute guitar emotional freak out (well, maybe he would have.)  The criminally underrated Eddie Hazel was told to play “like his mama just died” on the title track and does so. The tune sometimes seems to get close to falling apart, but it holds up and then we are off. After that, there’s sweaty funk workouts (“Hit It and Quit It,”) acoustic guitar driven soul shouters (“Can You Get To That,”) and lots of funky, rockin’ craziness crammed into a way-too-short album. On every track, Hazel’s got heavy riffs and solos for days. This album is all over the place in a fun, mind-bending way. Every track is completely different. Jazzy, funky vamping keyboards? Distorted funky drums? Trombone solo? Crazy samples (before that became popular?) Okay, I’m sold, I still love this album.

Starred Songs:  “Maggot Brain,” “Can You Get To That,” “Hit It and Quit It” and probably every other song
Sneaky Track:  “Super Stupid”
Should this album be on the list? Fuck, yeah. Higher even.
Will you listen to this again?  Fuck, yeah
Verdict: Super-listenable visionary guitar-rock-funk hybrid that helped launch the P-Funk Mothership.
Rating: ★★★★★