#486 Funkadelic- Maggot Brain (1971)

I have a hard time discerning between Funkadelic, Parliment and P-Funk...suffice to say all are brain-child to George Clinton.  Maggot Brain was the third album released by the Funkadelic line-up.  What makes it distinguishable enough to be on the list?  Let's find out.

Maggot Brain - "Mother Earth is pregnant for the third time, for y'all have knocked her up"  I enjoy the "street poetry" that opens up this 10+ minute acid-waltz guitar solo instrumental that comprises one third of the album.  Clinton directed guitarist Eddie Hazel's to play the one take guitar solo as if someone told him his mother was dead, but then he found out it wasn't true.  For me, it's like going to see an epic 3D movie, but no one gave me the glasses, ya dig?

Can You Get to That-  An acoustic guitar groove that at first reminds me of a mix of the Black Crowes "She Talks to Angels" and The Band's "Up On Cripple Creek"... but quickly becomes a celebration of gang singing. "I once had a life, or rather,  it once had me" an allusion to the Beatles Norwegian Wood or am stretching?

Hit it and Quit it-  Could this possibly be the first time the Hammond B-3 Organ has made a prominent appearance on the blog?  Another classic sound of rock that never sounds dated to me.  Normally paired with the Leslie Rotating Cabinet, it made the keyboard player's weighty gear the most despised by touring band's road crew for years until lighter synthesizers could better emulate the unmistakable sound.

You and Your Folks, Me and My Folks-  I'm sure it sounded funky and all back in the day, but that ring modulator or maybe it's a pipe-reverb on the drums, I find it hard to listen to, and it ruins the song for me.

Super Stupid-  A marriage of Jimi Hendrix, organ, and Rare Earth's "I Just Wanna Celebrate".  Lenny Kravitz sounds like this when he's dreaming, and Audioslave has often covered this gem.

Back in our Minds-  It's hard not to laugh at the Jaw Harp (Jew's Harp) bouncing back and forth in this song.  It disarms you, and I think that's the point in this song about brotherhood and reconciliation.

Wars of Armageddon-  Crying babies, protesting crowds, sirens and more color the backing funk music.  This almost 10 minute experimental bookend to Maggot Brain makes up another third of the album.  I did laugh at the "more power to the people, more pussy to the power, more pussy to the people, more power to the pussy" sequence.

With the first and last track totaling 20 minutes, there's only about 17 minutes of music in-between.  Look, after two hours of Smashing Pumpkins, I'm not complaining, but does this album belong on the list?  My vote is no.  Eddie Hazel's guitar work is phenomenal, yes.  The 4-5 songs in-between are funky, but maybe I missed what was so groundbreaking or relevant about Maggot Brain.  It's short enough that I could re-listen to it twice more to seek enlightenment and still have 9 minutes left over from yesterday's double disc marathon, but I think this album was meant to Hit it and Quit it.

Next up-  #485  Loretta Lynn- All Time Greatest Hits (2002)