Search - Parliament :: Trombipulation

Bring Me The Groove and The Thing That You Shake....

yygsgsdrassil | Crossroads America | 01/30/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"....10 Stars ain't enuff for this great Parliament swan-song featuring a cast of thousands. And I do mean thousands.Sometimes certain tunes here have a bit of Funkadelic themed lyrics ('Trumpbipulation' you think is about elephant-nosed aliens???)...whoever mixed this bad boy was hitting them swtiches so deftly we'd hear Bernie Worrell's key boarding run into Phillipe Wynne's vocal riffing run into Bootsy's drum and high hats. "The Long Way Around", by the way, has Worrell's piano intro with Bootsy's time keeping and Dr. Funk and Shider(?Wynne?) giving some vocal warm up. It is one of the most interesting pieces P-Funk has ever done, because it is nearly classical with it's snatches of strings to synthesizer and vocal choral harmonies. (Ya wanna get an idea of how deep I get? "Long Way Around" recalls both "Woo Together" and "I'll Be Good to You" On Bernie's rare "All the Woo in The World" album.)Later on in another track, Dr. Funk and crew implores "talk to me in body language--" where "talking ain't saying a word" to a very anti-disco-ish carnival thing. You can hear the trappings of a precuror "Atomic Dog" in the vocals and the electronics there. (But, of course, "Atomic Dog" is minimalist but layered synthesizer funk.) "Body Language" and "Peek A Groove" are no holds barred, lets go out with a bang, funk tracks chocked full of so much, your brain tries to keep track of which signals your ears are getting, but it's all mucho enjoyable, dig? Dr. Funk in "Peek..." relates, "I recall my (in) child hood days a little ol' man with the groove".... and "we don't 'almost move' you" in an eight minute funk fest in which the bass is slappingly thumpy, the horns are big and bossy, and the drums--well, they are working overtime. The album ends with Dr. Funk's "I've got a thing for you, I've got a thing for you..." rantings being handed over to a female vocalist (Silva? Jackson?) who gives a gut bucket, fire and brimstone vocal vamp over some of the most groovalishus P-funkery ever. (It'll make you hit the replay button every time because although it is some eight minutes long it ain't long enuff...).The hit from the album, "Agony of Defeet", is my least favorite track on the album. It sounds as if somebody up the ranks at Casablanca Records requested, no, demanded, a radio-playable tune on the level of "Flashlight" and Dr. Funk sent his second string in the studio and they came up with "Agony..." It ain't a really bad track, it just ain't up to the excellence exhibited on the title track or the crazy "New Doo Review"...Like I've harped about for years, this is one of the most underrated pieces these boys (and gals) have ever done. And obviously, it is one of my favorite albums, period. By now though, the rest of the Western World has caught up with what they were doin' back there in '80. And someone had the genius to re-release this great music..."

Album will stand the test of time...

bustin bob | seat of Funkadelica | 11/19/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Many a funk brother fell out with the Mob for this record. Said they were riding on 'e'. But again I tell you, upon closer inspection its a classic. Bootsy all over it on bass, guitar and drums. Described by George Clinton as the ultimate Sir Nose album, we find the band going for the New Doo Review, getting the conk-hair process back in fine fashion and still a blueprint for Trick James to copy from (as in Process and the DooRags). A lil dab of this funk will do ya. The Parliament swan song for Casablanca and launching of Clinton's quickly defunct Choza Negra Records. Sounds like they had a helluva lot of fun producing this record, especially cuts like "Agony of DeFeet" the title track and "Crush It". Love the classic string arrangements on "Long Way Around" , an astounding Clinton vocal tourdeforce."

UUUNH!

UGeneGreen | Pluto | 12/10/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I can't stop funkin it.It is truly an underrated classic,there ain't a weak track on here especially body language and peek a groove-which has bubbly-bangin bassline,tight ass synthesizer effects in the background to make you vanish from sight in broad daylight.Crush It and Trombipulation are also ahead of time.If you don't funk with that 79-81 p-funk you might not like this cd.Well I could go on and on about this cd but to understand how out of realm itis you have to hear it yourself. Chuuch!"