Search - Eddie Hazel :: Game Dames & Guitar Thangs

Game, Dames, & Guitar Thangs

Morton | Colorado | 06/06/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Eddie Hazel-Game, Dames, & Guitar Thangs *****



When I first bought this I put it in the stereo the second I got home, and I loved it so much I cancelled my plans for the rest of the day and listened to the album over and over and over again. As a guitar player and someone who the first thing he notices is the guitar in the song, I was absolutely amazed by this and still am. I can't believe how a guitar player as great as Hazel was didn't get the recognition he deserves. I'm not gonna compare him to Hendrix because the only comparison I can think of is that they are both black so that would be a little silly.



But as a whole the album, Game, Dames, & Guitar Thangs is simply breathtaking. With a majority of the album being written by the great George Clinton (Hazel's partner in Parliament and Funkadelic) with the exception of two covers. 'California Dreamin' starts off the album, which is a Mama's & Papa's cover and while it isn't as great as the original it is a great vehicle for Eddie's guitar acrobatics. 'Frantic Moment' is one of the most stellar guitar grooves of all time, released in the time of the guitar God it would make most of them blush. 'So Goes The Story' is a weird and funky groove, and while yes it is strange it is classic Hazel. The Beatles cover 'I Want You (She's So Heavy)' is in my opinion a major improvement upon the original, and once again a perfect vehicle for his playing. 'Physical Love' would make Steve Vai and Joe Satriani scratch their heads, and 'What About It?' is the only track less than amazing, and yet it is still very enjoyable. However the 'California Dreamin (Reprise)' is slightly pointless other than to bookend the album.



It's a shame that Hazels fantastic musicianship has gone largely unknown much like Game, Dames, & Guitar Thangs has. But with the help of his Funkadelic band mates Hazel created one of the greatest unsung albums of all time, it's just to bad he quit music not to long after this due to his loss of control to substance abuse, which later killed him...at least we have this. Highly recommended."

An excellent debut from the king of funk guitar

finulanu | Here, there, and everywhere | 07/28/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"An all-too-rare cult classic. Fans of Hazel's work with Funkadelic should know that this is in a similar vein: trippy funk-rock with a lot of Hazel's guitar. The dark "Frantic Moment" is especially in this style. And Hazel cranks up the distortion knob on the entertaining "So Goes the Story," playing a solo that's a lot like his work on Standing on the Verge of Getting it On. The two sixties rock covers are also very, very good. Eddie takes on the Beatles' "I Want You (She's so Heavy)" and the Mamas and the Papas' "California Dreamin'" into a slow, stoned haze, and turns both of them into showcases for his awesome guitar playing. "I Want You" especially benefits from this, and although the Beatles are my favorite band and Abbey Road is my favorite album ever, this is my pick for the best version of the song. Just because his many solos are so good. He pulls out all the stops, and does some of his most imaginative playing this side of "Maggot Brain." His version of Bootsy Collins' "Physical Love" is just a vehicle for his guitar playing, so it's good that his solo there is excellent. Sadly, the last two tracks are disappointing. "What About It?" isn't very exciting compared to the rest of the material, and there's an annoying reprise of "California Dreamin'". Still, fans of the P should get this if they can find it."