Funkentelechy Vs. the Placebo Syndrome

Artist: Parliament
Label: Island / Mercury
Category: Music

Average customer rating:

Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 1

UPC: 042282450128
EAN: 0042282450128
ASIN: B000001FCK

Release Date: 1990-02-21

Funkentelechy Vs. the Placebo Syndrome

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Tracks:

Bop Gun (Endangered Species)
Sir Nose D'Voidoffunk (Pay Attention-B3M)
Wizard Of Finance
Funkentelechy
Placebo Syndrome
Flash Light

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Amazon.com essential recording

On this follow-up to Mothership Connection, George Clinton uncharacteristically sticks to the same funk-disco formula. Unlike most sequels, however, this 1977 work is nearly as compelling as the original. Check your brain at the door while Clinton feeds you infectious dance rhythms and irreverent lyrics that fuse anthemic chants with bizarre fairy tales and stream-of-consciousness ramblings. On "Wizard of Finance," Parliament returns to melodic 1960s soul while Clinton's hysterical lyrics are backed by soulful doowop-style vocals. "Flash Light" became a huge dance-floor hit but actually pales in comparison to the rest of the grooves. With talents including Bernie Worrell, Maceo Parker, and Fred Wesley on board, it's no wonder the profunk forces defeat the antifunk contingent. <I>--Marc Greilsamer</I>

Customer Reviews:

"Dance, sucka!".......2006-12-03

Really, who can resist bursting out laughing when George shouts that line out in the middle of Flash Light? Not me, that's for sure. This is a classic, arguably the best Parliament album (though one could make a case for Mothership Connection). Like Mothership Connection, it's a concept album that doesn't take itself even remotely seriously. On the contrary, it's a riot.
First off is Bop Gun (Endangered Species). What a song! Funky bassline, great ensemble vocals, cool horn chart and an awesome fake ending... classic stuff there. Then comes the first of the two ten-minute grooves: Sir Nose D'voidoffunk (Pay Attention - B3M), which introduces ol' Smell-O-Vision himself, Sir Nose D'Voidoffunk. This song is arguably the funniest in Parliament's catalogue, and certainly one of the funkiest. The clever, charming Wizard of Finance is a more Motown-sounding song, with a great bassline and horn part. It's funny, too!
Now for Funkentelechy, arguably Parliament's best song EVER. It's a monster eleven-minute groove that'll have you dancing and laughing at the same time. The basic concept of the song: choose funk (which stands for all that is good) over the fake, material things in the world. Maybe I'm overanalyzing, but whatever. It's great. Placebo Syndrome is probably the weakest song here, but it's still pretty good, with a solid groove. The Placebo Syndrome, if you were curious, is disco (which stands for all that is fake and material). The whole thing closes out with Flash Light, which revives the Nose. This ended up their biggest hit, a masterpiece with great bassline, a hilarious chant taken from a Bar Mitzvah, cool fake ending, and Clinton yelling out "Dance, sucka!" - two words that sum this album up perfectly.
Ah, yeah... THIS is how ya play funk!

How's Your Funk en-telech-y? How's Your Funk entelechy?.......2006-09-13

Yo this is the mood control....Need I say anything else? This masterpiece of dance/funk and just plain fun camE out hardbody!
It starts off with Parliament/Glenn Goins "On Guard, Defend Yourself!". The Pfunk was letting you know that if you are devoid of funk, you are gettin' hit with the Bop Gun! And the ever famous Sir Nose D'Voidoffunk.You got to be out of your natural mind or at least from out of space to come up with those lyrics! The music is smooth and Bootsy Collins just ripped that Bass line!Now outside of all that and the never dying Flashlight, my all time favorite is "Funkentelechy". Parliament's musical performance on this was slammin' From the Drums/Bass/Guitars setting it off and Ray Davis' "Yo' this is the mood control......."sets you in a place where you are on the Mothership chillin'. I know, musically, I've been there! You really need to sit back and let this cut do it to your earhole! It is like being on the Mothership kicked-back with some Kool-Aid playin' spades and tellin' "Your mother is so fat" jokes! Funkentelechy is not just a song but an experience----"How's you Funkentelechy?=-----FUNK ON---YO HO!!!!!

More Funk Magic.......2006-03-21

Parliament's superlative follow up to The Mothership Connection.

The finest blend of funk, rock & dance music, at a time when James Brown was going through a dry period and Sly had pimped himself out.

Clinton, Collins, Worrell & Co. were truly unsung magicians, who deserved a lot more publicity then they received through their career. They are hardly known outside the US, UK and Australia. Yet they are probably the biggest influence on rap and hip-hop music.

This is the one that got me.......2006-02-15

In 1983, at 11 years old, music was already a major part of my life. In Jr. High School everyone was either listening to Culture Club, Huey Lewis, or Lionel Richie, while I was in the dusty stacks pulling stuff like U-Roy, Fatback Band and Trouble Funk from my childhood Mecca, the KLAATU record shop in Heidelberg, Germany.

Then one day at the Library (of all places), I uncovered the craziest album I'd ever seen or heard; whacked-out pimpadelic alien motherfletchers brandishing Bop Guns at Sir Nose (D'Void of Funk? What the Fu-?). Man, I had no idea I was about to be recruited to be a soldier in the Army for Uncle Jam.

But there it was, from the massive horns, to the heart puncturing bass, building up and breaking down all the preconcieved notions I had about music. Now, 23-years later, we all know that this is one of the definitive dance records, so I won't even bother to go into tracks like Bop-Gun and Flashlight, because if you're here looking this album up, you've probably already heard those tracks. "Wizard of Finance", my second favorite track, feels like it jumped over from a Funkadelic album, and no matter where you are, or what you're doing, you MUST sing along when it comes on.

But, through all the dance-able tracks, the one that really got me was that swampy groove of "Placebo Syndrome". This, to me, was the hamhock in my cornflakes. This was the template that I would later require of all my "lay-back, smoke-some-sheeba and ut-the-headphones-on-ten" jams like Bootsy's "Sacred Flower" & "I'd Rather Be With You", or Funkadelic's "I'll Stay" and "Maggot Brain". The sweet Parlet harmony crossed with the rasp of Gary and that Synth whine still strikes a chord with me.

So there you have it, when it comes to the party, there is none better, but when the party's over, and your girl's passed out next to you, put on the phones and groove to Placebo one last time before drifting off to visit the Mother Ship.

What in the world is George talking about?.......2006-01-12

Back in 1977 I went to the record store and saw them opening the boxes and pulled the album out. I was already a die hard P-Funk fan. When I took the album home, i knew i was in for a treat. "Bop Gun" had to grow on me but I loved "Sir Nose D'Void Of Funk". George Clinton was brazen at times about his drug use. AS one of the other review wroters said . "Look at the album cover". It looks as if he is snorting cocain on the sly. Same thing with the "Trombipulaton" album with stuf like. "Eeny Meeny Miney Tootie, Ring around the blowsee". In any event I was naive that time. I thought he was just being cool in the suit he had on. "Funkentelechy" is a asong about "sublimnal suggestion" in which George (in his strange way) was trying to make us aware of somebody wants our minds. Overall the music is dynamic but when I heard Flash Light, I could not stop playing that song and could not believe how funky that song was. This is a great album. Musically, & Vocal wise. Put the title cut on and get down with the get down.

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