Episode 86 - Mothership Connection by Parliament

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Before we delve into the funk let’s start by saying that we’re a little out of our depth here because funk, and specifically P-funk, is a mad, mad sci-fi psychedelic world of slap bass, 70s keyboard freak outs, horny horns, gospel-esque backing vocals, R&B melodies, the occasional Hendrix-style guitar freak out and more funk than James Brown could shake a stick at.

The mythology behind Parliament’s 10 (!) concept albums is deep, freaky, hilarious and acts as a critique on 70s Black America. It’s also neigh on impenetrable, yet remains a cornerstone of Afrofutrism. It is, in many ways, absolutely fascinating.

Your mileage may very. Chris finds funk hard to connect with, whilst Mark and Dave are keen to extol the influence and legacy of Parliament-Funkadelic’s mental freaky funk outs.

Along the way we run down Parliament’s discography, talk about the enduring legacy of George Clinton, Bootsy Collins and Bernie Worrell’s contribution to popular music.

We’re more than aware that Mothership Connection is Parliament’s biggest, most well known album. One could make the argument that is anything but unsung. Yet in a discography that is overwhelmingly white, we think it’s time we let our audience know about something a bit different.

Should we add it to our discography? As ever, you decide.