mrwiggles said:

That video is damn near obscene and rated x but I'll be damned if I can't stop watching the chyt.

on one of the Facebook P-Funk pages that I go to,the guy who posted the video left a message saying : "Parental Guidance suggested"

It's time for George to take it easy. Now he'll have plenty of time to put together the George Clinton Family Series Vol. 6-50!

new Parliament album 'Medicaid Fraud Dogg' due this Tuesday,May 22!!

SoulAlive said:

mrwiggles said:

SoulAlive said:

new Parliament album 'Medicaid Fraud Dogg' due this Tuesday,May 22!!

Tuesday?!? New music comes out on Fridays. No?

Anyway... Bout time!!!

So, a few years ago, when First Ya Gotta Shake The Gate came out, it was just like this... It came out digitally with no release date (or even info) on a physical release, and so, I bought the digital, only to fnd out a couple days later that there would indeed be a physical release, which I bought again on CD when it came out.

I'm not doing that again. I'll buy the CD when it's available. George WILL get my $.

In the meantime... I'mma have to bump this free copy I'm spinnin'.

[Edited 5/24/18 7:30am]

Searchin' through articles, looking for a physical release date, PASTE says this will be a Digital Only release... That sucks! I want a CD, and maybe an LP. C'mon, George, take my $ and gimme a disc!

EDIT: PledgeMusic is offering signed copies of CDs & LPs for pre-orders, so, I'm gonna take this whole "digital only" thing as a "right now" thing and assume there will indeed be some physical release soon.

[Edited 5/24/18 8:08am]

Waaaay too much mediocre hip-hop drowning out the funk... more even than was on Shake The Gate.

Upon first listen...

What I like:

I'm Gon Make U Sick was a great choice for a lead single as it's clearly the standout track on this set. It's head and shoulders above everything else on the album, the only "classic" in the bunch...

I'm digging that title track too. That's a good one.

Very cool that George resurrected the Bernie track Insurance Man. Drop the rap out of the mix and I would be lovin' it...

The horns are nice throughout. Not "the bomb" they were on the classic Parliament albums mind you, just a nice vibe to off-set some of the hip-hop elements.

I like the lyrics to Antisocial Media. Too bad the music backing them isn't better.

Not so much:

Several jarring song transitions, it often sounds like a random playlist with tracks from a variety of sources, varying levels, soundscapes and overall vibe with little concern for a smooth flow from track to track.

I'm not feeling most of the rap & hip-hop production. Some of it works for me but a lot of it's cringe-worthy. Just sayin'...

Bottom line:

I'll still drop cash for a CD (probably pass on the vinyl though). George & P-Funk are my second fav after Prince. I'll happily show my support and keep my collection complete. I'm Gon Make U Sick is reason enough to buy it and there's plenty more to like on this sprawling 1hr47min set to make it worth the money. I can for sure trim this down to a tight set of tracks I dig.

But, as a hard-core P-Funk fan I can't help but be disappointed, especially after the high expectations set by the lead single. I'd rate most of George's output from the past 25 years higher than this one. I like Shake The Gate, How Late, TAPOAFOM, Dope Dogs, Axiom Funk & Hey Man much better than this. I do like this better than Gangster Of Love & Remixed By Detroiters, though, so there's that.

So yeah, a handful of tracks I think are worthy of the legend, and the rest are a split between throw-away and "not great but decent enough". Still looking forward to that Brainfeeder album from George.

I'll say this, I like the tracks I'm Gon Make U Sick & Medicaid Fraud Dogg better than anything on Bootsy's new one, even though I think Bootsy's is a better album than this one. So that's a plus.

[Edited 5/24/18 10:54am]

mrwiggles said:

Interesting take from ya on this one. I know a brudda said to me man he shouldn't have touched Bernie's Insurance Man. It's like a sacrilege. End of the day I was expecting a lil more than this from The Dr. Then again I am really feeling the Bone vocals and Fred arranged horns throughout. I like a few of these better than Sick though. 69, Oil Jones, All in, No Mos are early faves. I like some of the heavy Parliament grooves he gets going on Kool Aid. Chyt I like all the grooves, Riddle Me This, Ya Habit & Higher. The mix is questionable at best. Sick is louder than the rest of em. I guess when he puts it out himself he gets that without major label backing.

On repeated listens:

01 Medicated Creep - s'alright, I'm not loving it but I don't dislike it either. I could do without the autotune.

02 Psychotropic - can't wait till I own a disc and can refer to (hopefully) some liner notes. That's to say that I don't know who's singing, but wanna know. I like the guitars in the mix. It's nice, but again, not great.

03 69 - this one's growing on me, lovin' the horn parts, but again, not so much the autotune... definitely an old school vibe on this. I dig it.

04 Backwoods - don't like it. at all.

05 Oil Jones - do I hear a bit of the Paisley Park outtake, Oil Spill, in there? That's cool... don't care for this track though. meh.

06 Proof Is In The Pudding - this is pretty boring, the muted trumpet sounds pretty good, but, I'm just not feeling it.

07 I'm Gon Make U Sick O'Me - Love. It! Great track. Would love to hear it without Scarface's part, but, I still dig it as is.

08 Antisocial Media - absolutely LOVE the lyrics, and the vocals, the trumpet and piano are nice too, but the "backmasked" backing track is just annoying. I want a acapella version of this one.

09 All In - not feeling this one, it's just all right.

10 On Fire - another one that's growing on me, it's giving me a Dope Dog vibe. I like Dope Dog so that's a good thing.

11 Loodie Poo da Pimp - that's just all cringe... Skip.

12 Mama Told Me - this one's too ridiculous to be mad at it. I don't like it, but I must be entertained 'cause I'm laughing at it, not with it, at it...

13 Set Trip - I might like this one, if it was instrumental. I'm not feeling the vocals.

14 Kool Aid - I like some of the elements, but something seems off in the mix, the vocals sound disconnected from the loops they're layered over.

15 DaDa - it's just boring... right?

16 Pain Management - decent track, absolutely hating the autotune again though (that shit hurts my brain), other than that I dig it.

17 Riddle Me This - now this might be the most "Parliament" sounding track in the set. This is some old school funk. I dig it.

18 No Mos - and this one might be the most "Funkadelic" sounding track in the set, LOL. Good one! The raps even work for me on this one. Love it.

19 Ya Habit - I can groove on this!

20 Higher - And keep right on grooving with this one. Niiiiice!

21 Medicaid Fraud Dogg - the only thing I don't like is that dam autotune, and dammit George, you don't need it, the rest of the vocals on this track are some of the best on the album. Just sayin'.

22 Insurance Man - yeah wiggles, I hear ya about touching a classic, but, George did co-write and produce the original song (and album), no? So, it's his too, I guess. And it works well with the theme of the album. Plus, I really like this version, I'm even starting to like the rap on it.

23 Type Two - meh, no strong feelings either way. Don't hate it (except the autotune) but not feeling it either. That end, with the sudden fade... weird.

Overall, this feels way more "All-Stars" than it does "Parliament". There's a lot of tracks I'm not feeling, but with 23 tracks over an hour & 47 minutes, there's plenty to love. I'm happy every time George puts out a new set. I'll buy this as soon as CDs are available and still can't wait for the one from Brainfeeder. Bring it on!!

djThunderfunk said:

Searchin' through articles, looking for a physical release date, PASTE says this will be a Digital Only release... That sucks! I want a CD, and maybe an LP. C'mon, George, take my $ and gimme a disc!

EDIT: PledgeMusic is offering signed copies of CDs & LPs for pre-orders, so, I'm gonna take this whole "digital only" thing as a "right now" thing and assume there will indeed be some physical release soon.

Some fans who ordered physical copies from Pledgemusic asked when their copies would arrive,and they were told "in 3 months".I hope that's not true but anyway,in the meantime,I'll enjoy the digital copy.

djThunderfunk said:

Waaaay too much mediocre hip-hop drowning out the funk... more even than was on Shake The Gate.

This is my only problem with the album.Too much rap/hip-hop! I grew up listening to P-Funk and other funk bands.I want the funk,the whole funk and nothing but the funk! Thankfully,there is enough good stuff here to keep me entertained,but I may have to skip over some of the heavy hip-hop flavored tracks.

SoulAlive said:

Too much rap/hip-hop!

I have no problem with rap/hip-hop. I do have a problem with bad rap. Trazae is awful. His desparate rapping ruins several tracks. DaDa is the exception thankfully.

The lyrics of Mama Told Me confuse me; what is that dude's message? It sounds like a bunch of violent negative cliches. Am I missing a clever twist?

The raps on Insurance Man are brilliant - '... if that's the bus you're looking for you just missed it ...'. And that second rap is Buttress, a very interesting artist from original home of the p-funk New Jersey who was in the Brainfeeder/Flying Lotus movie Kuso with GC.

How about these alternative track listings:

Funkadelic

Oil Jones

Psychotropic

Backwoods

Antisocial Media

Pain Management

Mama Told Me

Proof Is In The Pudding

No Mos

Higher

Insurance Man

Parliament

Medicated Creep

69

I'm Gon Make U Sick

All In

On Fire

Set Trip

Kool Aid

DaDa

Riddle Me This

Ya Habit

Medicaid Fraud Dogg

Type Two

[Edited 5/27/18 7:16am]

Reponding because you are just wrong on many points...

.

djThunderfunk said:

.

01 Medicated Creep - s'alright, I'm not loving it but I don't dislike it either. I could do without the autotune.

.

Fred Wesley on the break. Probably a Junie Morrison production. Not my favorite track either though.

.
02 Psychotropic - can't wait till I own a disc and can refer to (hopefully) some liner notes. That's to say that I don't know who's singing, but wanna know

.

GC's grand-daughters Kandy Apple Red.

.
03 69 - this one's growing on me

.

It's brilliant.

.

04 Backwoods - don't like it. at all.

.

...me neither tbh.

.

05 Oil Jones - do I hear a bit of the Paisley Park outtake, Oil Spill

.

Yes, rehashing the same Oil Spill stuff over a mechanic studio beat. Don't get what people see in this.

.
06 Proof Is In The Pudding

.

Local Florida jazz player Whitney Russell on trumpet. Guitar solo by Brad Scarface Jordan. Ruined by a Trazae rap.

.
07 I'm Gon Make U Sick O'Me

.

Nowhere near the best track on the album. It is OK. Junie Morrison co-production.

.
08 Antisocial Media - absolutely LOVE the lyrics

.

Cringey lyrics. Music half-hearted attempt to do something experimental/unstructured.

.
09 All In - not feeling this one, it's just all right.

.

Gary Mudbone Cooper, George Clinton and his granddaughters recorded this the night Robert P-Nut Johnson passed away. They had visited him in hospital that day. He was still clinging to life. They said 'P-Nut is still with us' during the sessions.

.
10 On Fire - another one that's growing on me

.

It's OK. Love to hear GC's old skool falsetto in this.

.
11 Loodie Poo da Pimp - that's just all cringe... Skip.

.

Agree. Treylewd (and son Trazae) have their rare inspired moments. This is not it.

.
12 Mama Told Me - this one's too ridiculous to be mad at it. I don't like it, but I must be entertained 'cause I'm laughing at it, not with it, at it...

.

This one has the entire current live band on it, playing live. Agree the rap is bad - unless I am missing a clever twist?

.
13 Set Trip - I might like this one, if it was instrumental. I'm not feeling the vocals.

.

Inspired Treylewd moment on a full band jam sample.

.

14 Kool Aid - I like some of the elements, but something seems off in the mix, the vocals sound disconnected from the loops they're layered over.

.

Fan service. I like it. Would not be surprised/disappointed if this turns out to be a cut/paste job.

.

15 DaDa - it's just boring... right?

.

Fucking masterpiece with Fred Wesley + Pee Wee Ellis on horns and Chris Dave (D'Angelo) on drums.

.

16 Pain Management - decent track, absolutely hating the autotune again though

.

GC pouring his heart out. Auto-tune was turned way down from earlier mixes I've heard.

.
17 Riddle Me This - now this might be the most "Parliament" sounding track in the set

.

Fan service. Pretty good. But who is on this? I have no idea.

.
18 No Mos - and this one might be the most "Funkadelic" sounding track in the set, LOL.

.

Steve Arrington + Blackbyrd McKnight. Agree, they should have saved this for one more Funkadelic album.

.
19 Ya Habit - I can groove on this!

.

It's OK. Dealing with a dark subject.

.

20 Higher - And keep right on grooving with this one. Niiiiice!

.

Kendra Foster.

.

21 Medicaid Fraud Dogg - the only thing I don't like is that dam autotune, and dammit George, you don't need it, the rest of the vocals on this track are some of the best on the album. Just sayin'.

.

Gary Mudbone Cooper + Robert P-Nut Johnson (Bootsy's Rubber Band) with a bit of autotuned Sly Stone at the start. Fred Wesley horns.

.
22 Insurance Man - yeah wiggles, I hear ya about touching a classic, but, George did co-write and produce the original song (and album), no? So, it's his too, I guess. And it works well with the theme of the album. Plus, I really like this version, I'm even starting to like the rap on it.

.

Clearly a tribute to Bernie Worrell.

.

23 Type Two - meh, no strong feelings either way. Don't hate it (except the autotune) but not feeling it either. That end, with the sudden fade... weird.

.

Another masterpiece. I don't mind Trazae raps getting faded... And it kinda works; it repeats where the track started, making it feel like it never really ends.

[Edited 5/26/18 12:22pm]

modified said:

Reponding because you are just wrong on many points...

I don't know how my opinion can be "wrong" or "right", but, okay...

And unless I'm missing something in reading your opinions, it looks like we actually agree on more than we disagree.
But, tha's cool.

Thanks for clearing up who some of the players are. I usually can't tell by ear and haven't seen any credits or liner notes anywhere yet.

02 Kandy Apple Red - I'm not familiar with her. I've always had a soft spot for Sativa, is she on this album too?

18 Arrington & McKnight.... niiiiice!

20 Kendra Foster - I can never get enough of Kendra

21 Mudbone, P-Nut & Sly - yeah that explains it! Love it...

[Edited 5/26/18 8:29am]

Guess I'm gonna have to listen to DaDa again to see what I'm missing that you guys dig.

The last third of this record is especially good, but I wish the whole were shortened and sequenced better.

I feel the album is toploaded with too many slow songs. "Psychotropic" is fine, but should probably be the last track on here, not the second. And put "Type Two" (a great P-Funk song) right after "Medicated Creep."

What is the repeated chant being sung in "No Mos"? I love the melody of it, but some of the lyrics are hard for me to make out.

OperatingThetan said:

There's really only a handful of truly hip-hop oriented songs. I have a killer 18 song tracklist here that I consider the best George Clinton album I've heard in decades - deep and focused. There's a few sequencing issues at the beginning but from 'Da Da' (genius track!) onwards it actually flows pretty perfectly.

Yup, I'm liking the majority of the songs on this album, too. Same complaint as others about some lame rap on a few songs. Gonna give it a second spin today...

[Edited 5/30/18 6:44am]

Well, well, Uncle George been a long run though !

Yeah, I agree with the comments about the hiphop nonsense on it. The problem isn't even that there's hiphop on the album - the problem is that it's not terribly good hiphop and it doesn't stylistically match the P-Funk vibe.

However, I'm listening to the set for the third time and the stuff from Kool Aid / Dada onwards is pretty good and definitely has the P-Funk vibe (a few tracks placed earlier in the set, like "On Fire", get a pass from me too).

I guess George's more recent releases are a bit like an old man's stories - sprawling, incoherent and he simply doesn't care if people really pay attention to him.

Heartbreaking news. I was lucky enough to see him on stage 5 times (or was it 6?), including 3 consecutive magic shows in a small club in the summer of 1995 (they played 12 hours of music in 3 evenings, the longest show being 5 bloody hours!!!).

As he won't come to China, it means I probably won't ever see him on a stage again. But the memories will live on forever.

IDK when the last show will be nor where, but I suppose it's going to be a very moving event. Lucky those who will attend.