Greatest Funkin’ Hits (1996)
This CD features a collection of George Clinton classics covered by rappers like Coolio, Busta Rhymes, and Digital Underground. Some funk purists may hate it, but you can’t deny that the rap guys bring a raw energy to tracks like “Flashlight” that makes these remade grooves eminently listenable. Check out “Booty Body Ready for the Plush Funk”; listen to that bass line–it’s pure Bootsy. Or “Bop Gun” — listen how Ice Cube has internalized Clinton’s inner dialogue from albums like “Funkentelechy” and “Gloryhallastoopid”, remixed it and shipped it back to us first class. Everything is there (except maybe “Sir Nose d’Avoidoffunk” and we’ll catch him next time). Of course the rappers bring their own style with them, but their love and admiration for Clinton shines through always. This is more than sampling; this is a hommage to the man who made funk what it is. (Amazon)
“George Clinton/Greatest Funkin’ Hits” is not your typical best of, essential, greatest hits collection. If you’re looking for a collection of G.C.’s original recordings taken from his Capitol solo albums…this ain’t it! Instead, what we have here are remixes of some of George’s funkiest tracks with the assistance of some of the most accomplished Hip Hop artists in the business…Ice Cube, Q-Tip, Busta Rhymes, Coolio and Digital Underground are some of the talented ‘G.Funk Generation’ who pays homage to the one and only ‘Dr. Funkenstein’ on this most ‘unusual’ but most ‘elaborate’ compilation. “Flashlight”, “Bop Gun (One Nation)”, “Break My Heart”, “Plush Funk” and both of the “Mothership Connection” remixes are prime examples of the ‘P.Funk BOMB’ that created the legacy that IS George Clinton. The run of the mill greatest hits album this is NOT! But if you’re a true fan of George Clinton and Parliament/Funkadelic…This is so much more! (Cduniverse)
Tracks:
1. Atomic Dog (Dogs of the World Unite remix) (feat. Coolio)
2. Flashlight (The Groovemasters’ mix) (feat. Q-Tip, Busta Rhymes, Ol’ Dirty Bastard & P-Funk)
3. Booty Body Ready for the Plush Funk
4. Bop Gun (One Nation) (feat. Ice Cube)
5. Break My Heart (Stop Tha Bleedin’ remix)
6. Mothership Connection: Starchild (Fully Equipped mix)
7. Knee Deep (Deep as a Mutha Funker remix) (feat. Digital Underground)
8. Hey Good Lookin’ (Booty Enhanced remix)
9. Do Fries Go With That Shake (Know What I’m Sayin remix)
10. Atomic Dog (Original Extended Version)
11. Knee Deep (Midnight mix) (feat. Digital Underground)
12. Mothership Connection: Starchild (The Second Coming)
**Listen**
George Clinton – Greatest Funkin’ Hits (1996)
Julio 3, 2009 a 11:30 pm (Hip Hop, Modern Funk)
Prince & The New Power Generation – Diamonds And Pearls (1991)
Julio 3, 2009 a 9:51 pm (Modern Funk)
Diamonds And Pearls (1991)
Prince spent the latter half of the ’80s courting the pop audience, and by the time of Graffiti Bridge, he had lost much of his R&B fan base. As a response, he formed the New Power Generation and recorded Diamonds and Pearls, his first record to reconnect with the urban audience since 1999, as well as his first to acknowledge the hip-hop revolution. Although he still has a problem with rap — “Jughead” is simply embarrassing — he manages to skillfully reinvent himself as an urban soulman without sacrificing his musical innovation. The New Power Generation is a more skilled band than the Revolution, and they are able to make Prince’s funk jazzier, particularly on “Willing and Able,” the breezy “Strollin’” and “Walk Don’t Walk.” It’s clear that these subtly textured songs are where his heart is at, but the songs designed to win back his audience — the slamming dancefloor rallying cry “Gett Off,” the sexy T. Rex groove “Cream,” the extraordinary Philly soul of the neglected masterpiece “Money Don’t Matter 2 Night,” and the drippy mainstream ballad “Diamonds and Pearls” — are all terrific pop singles. However, much of the rest of Diamonds and Pearls is comprised of middling funk and R&B that sounds less like inspired workouts than stylistic exercises. Even with such weak moments, Diamonds and Pearls is a fine record, even though it’s only marginally better than Lovesexy and Graffiti Bridge. (AMG)
Tracks:
1. Thunder
2. Daddy Pop
3. Diamonds and Pearls
4. Cream
5. Strollin’
6. Willing and Able
7. Gett Off
8. Walk Don’t Walk
9. Jughead
10. Money Don’t Matter 2 Night
11. Push
12. Insatiable
13. Live 4 Love
**Listen**
Jody Watley – Jody Watley (1986)
Julio 3, 2009 a 8:59 pm (Pop, R&B)
Jody Watley (1986)
After achieving considerable success as a dancer and member of popular R&B/rock group Shalamar, Jody Watley staged a spectacular debut as a solo artist with her self-titled album. This set not only scored five hit singles, but also a Grammy for Best New Artist. For a few years, Jody Watley was almost as hot as Madonna, scoring major pop, R&B, and dance hits. Of all her albums, her debut was the most successful (and the most dance-oriented), and produced some of the most memorable dance hits of the decade. Included here is “Lookin’ for a New Love,” which spent four weeks perched at number two on the U.S. pop charts, as well as the Top Ten hits “Don’t You Want Me” and “Some Kind of Lover.” However, both those songs were remixed when released as singles — hence, the versions on this album are inferior to the single mixes (but those versions can be found on her Greatest Hits). Also on this set is the stunning second single, “Still a Thrill,” which wasn’t a big pop hit, but featured Watley singing in her lower register, and ranks as one of the funkiest and oddest dance tunes of its time. This album also contains another minor pop/R&B hit, “Most of All,” as well as a forgotten duet with George Michael (who was also at the top of his game at the time), “Learn to Say No.” This album really doesn’t possess any duds (or ballads), with other album tracks like “Love Injection” proving almost as infectious as the singles. This album clearly ranks among the artist’s best, but if one desires the hit versions of most the singles, then one would be better off with Greatest Hits. (AMG)
Tracks:
1. Looking for a New Love
2. Still a Thrill
3. Some Kind of Lover
4. For the Girls
5. Love Injection
6. Don’t You Want Me
7. Do It to the Beat
8. Most of All
9. Learn to Say No
10. Looking for a New Love (Extended Club Version)
**Listen**
Michael Jackson – Bad (1987)
Julio 3, 2009 a 8:05 pm (Pop)
Bad (1987)
The downside to a success like Thriller is that it’s nearly impossible to follow, but Michael Jackson approached Bad much the same way he approached Thriller — take the basic formula of the predecessor, expand it slightly, and move it outward. This meant that he moved deeper into hard rock, deeper into schmaltzy adult contemporary, deeper into hard dance — essentially taking each portion of Thriller to an extreme, while increasing the quotient of immaculate studiocraft. He wound up with a sleeker, slicker Thriller, which isn’t a bad thing, but it’s not a rousing success, either. For one thing, the material just isn’t as good. Look at the singles: only three can stand alongside album tracks from its predecessor (“Bad,” “The Way You Make Me Feel,” “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You”), another is simply OK (“Smooth Criminal”), with the other two showcasing Jackson at his worst (the saccharine “Man in the Mirror,” the misogynistic “Dirty Diana”). Then, there are the album tracks themselves, something that virtually didn’t exist on Thriller but bog down Bad not just because they’re bad, but because they reveal that Jackson’s state of the art is not hip. And they constitute a near-fatal dead spot on the record — songs three through six, from “Speed Demon” to “Another Part of Me,” a sequence that’s utterly faceless, lacking memorable hooks and melodies, even when Stevie Wonder steps in for “Just Good Friends,” relying on nothing but studiocraft. Part of the joy of Off the Wall and Thriller was that craft was enhanced with tremendous songs, performances, and fresh, vivacious beats. For this dreadful stretch, everything is mechanical, and while the album rebounds with songs that prove mechanical can be tolerable if delivered with hooks and panache, it still makes Bad feel like an artifact of its time instead a piece of music that transcends it. And if that wasn’t evident proof that Jackson was losing touch, consider this — the best song on the album is “Leave Me Alone” (why are all of his best songs paranoid anthems?), a tune tacked on to the end of the CD and never released as a single, apart from a weirdly claustrophobic video that, not coincidentally, was the best video from the album. (AMG)
Tracks:
1. Bad
2. The Way You Make Me Feel
3. Speed Demon
4. Liberian Girl
5. Just Good Friends
6. Another Part of Me
7. Man in the Mirror
8. I Just Can’t Stop Loving You
9. Dirty Diana
10. Smooth Criminal
11. Leave Me Alone
**Listen**
