Mothership Connection
Parliament
1975
Album Summary
Mothership Connection is the fourth album by American funk band Parliament, released on December 15, 1975 on Casablanca Records. This concept album is often rated among the best Parliament-Funkadelic releases, and was the first to feature horn players Maceo Parker and Fred Wesley, who had previously backed James Brown in the J.B.'s. Mothership Connection became Parliament's first album to be certified gold and later platinum. The Library of Congress added the album to the National Recording Registry in 2011, declaring "The album has had an enormous influence on jazz, rock and dance music."
WikipediaI was not ready for these levels of Funk. My Funkometer EXPLODED and I got Funk particles (Funkocules) all over my room.
This album! I think a person either has to be not into funk music at all or just dull as dishwater to not like this album. It is 38 and a half minutes of pure fun from start to finish. Blasting this in the car yesterday turned a normally frustrating traffic-filled drive into a joyous trip where the usual bad drivers around me couldn't even remotely get under my skin. THAT is the power of funk!
Funk just does something to me that no other genre can do. 15 seconds in and my erection was bursting out of my shorts. 2 minutes in and I was wanking at such a rate that I thought I was going to catch fire. By the end of the album I was broken, crying with happiness, exhausted, delirious and totally overwhelmed. 5 stars and a raging boner for this one. Amen brother!
A story problem: If a Parliament record averages 100bpm, and has a runtime of 38 minutes, how many involuntary head bobs will the listener experience? (The answer is 7600, because you'll listen to the whole thing twice). My personal enjoyment: 4.5/5 Did it belong on this list: 5/5
Incredible album. It feels like the music is unfolding in real time not necessarily as a live show, but as an all encompassing experience. George Clinton's futuristic vision is pervasive and engaging. The personnel on this album are the very best at what they do. This might be the definitive funk album.
Extraordinary, extraterrestrial, talented musicians (the drums are particularly superb) play toe-tapping funk jams with a unique style and swagger. Ingenious.
George Clinton makes a type of funk that is explicitly a character of the genre. It is exaggerated compared to the likes of Curtis Mayfield and Sly & The Family Stone. Parliament brings phatter beats, wonkier bass, and an explosive personality to the vocals. It's so good! Of course, we have to pay respect to Bootsy Collins in the band for bringing awesome bass skills to this funk. This carries over from his significant work with James Brown, making for a truly funky sound. Also worth noting Bernie Worrell's work on the synthesizers, who would go on to work with the Talking Heads on Speaking in Tongues and live album Stop Making Sense. Clearly, a star-studded lineup coming together brought together to just record some fun songs. And they are great! Okay that's it. Go listen :)
Fun, fun, fun (or should I say funk, funk, funk?). The only track I disliked was "Night of the Thumpasorus Peoples" because there was some weird deep warbling synthesizer sound that was making my stomach twist. Aside from that, this was just freakin' fun to listen to, particularly Mothership Connection (Star Child), which I've heard sampled a ton ("Swing down sweet chariot, stop, let me ride"), and of course Give Up the Funk which is an awesome classic. Favorite line of the album: "Can you imagine Doobie in your funk?"
Funktastic voyage for sure. I now get why George Clinton is an oft-cited musical influence. I can hear everything from the Commodores to Bruno Mars in this album. A little too decadent at times but some cool stuff. I found myself laughing at the storyline and personas within P-Funk (like listening to the Ladies Man narrate a song). Sometimes that got annoying later in the album. The underlying beats on both Mothership Connection and Unfunky UFO were super cool. Sometimes it felt like the album blended together too much, but I wonder if he/they were going for seamless.
A few weeks ago, I heard Funkadelic’s “One Nation Under a Groove” and thought it was one of the best parties captured on record. It turns out that George Clinton wasn’t even matching his own efforts from three years earlier. “Mothership Connection” is a rip-roaring, all-singing, all-dancing and by all accounts seminal album in the evolution of funk. I’m ashamed of not having heard it until now, but I’m making up for lost time by repeating it again… and again. The best party tracks are the most famous: “P-Funk (Wants to Get Funked Up)” and “Give Up The Funk” are both so impeccably put together. I’d heard much of the music across the record sampled in Dr Dre’s “The Chronic” (where they were the highlights) so it was a great experience hearing them all in full. The sci-fi overtones are brought in throughout as a campy way without ever feeling trite or forced. There’s just the right amount of synth lines in the mix without letting it feel too dated or kitsch, and the rest is just pure horny goodness… In “Unfunky UFO”, the band channel Sky and the Family Stone with a slightly harder-edged riff, and a delectable “yeah yeah yeah” refrain beaming its way down the minor scale. “Night of the Thumpasorus Peoples” closes on an amazing nonsense singalong refrain. Even “Handcuffs”, bearing perhaps the most questionable lyrical content, has a killer accompaniment which it’s near-impossible not to enjoy. If you aren’t bopping along, you’ve been funked all the way into a black hole. It’s early days but each time I’ve listened to this album, it’s been impossible not to be grinning away, with the sense of experiencing a true classic.
We want the funk. Give up the funk. Best track: Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off The Sucker)
Phenomenal album from start to finish. Opening track is high energy and it doesn't let you all album. Great grooves, basslines, arrangements. Killer album.
Is it possible to not have a good time listening to this album? Nonstop groovin’ from start to finish and it’s infectious. Favorite track(s): “Unfunky UFO” and “Give Up the Funk”
Mocny pretendent do obecnie najczarniejszego albumiku listy, czyli koncepcyjny albumik o kosmicznych murzynach, wyglada na ciekawy pomysl, a brzmi jeszcze lepiej biarac pod uwage kto jest za niego odpowiedzialny, bo parliamentowa banda, a raczej funkodelicowo-parliamentowa to superband na miare mozliwosci kulturowych post nixonowskich murzynskich gett lat 70, wiec tak jak dawniej byly bandy jazzowe ktore graly w 40 osob jak u mingusa, tak przyszla pora na przenesienie tej skali do swiata funkowego rocka, nie bede sie rozpisywal na temat murzynow kosmicznych, bo jest to tylko niewielka czesc uniwersum zbudowanego na przestrzeni albumikow bandy, na co trzeba zwrocic uwage to minimalizm jesli chodzi o overdubing, to jest zywa muzyka taka jaka by moglaby byc grana live stad takie potezne rozmaiary bandowe, ludzie do klaskania, tupania oraz operowania instrumentalami i syntezatorem klawiszowym jak przysstalo na funk, ale nie jest to syntezator w twoja twarz jak to zazwyczja bywa, mastermindem ktory takze udzielal sie wokalnie byl George Clinton funkowa wersja Mingusa wymieszanego z Sun Ra, nie chodzi mi tylko o kosmiczne koncepty, ale o to jak muzyka jest zywa, jak kazde dobre dzielo artystyczne albumik byl inspoiracja dla kolejnych murzynskich wieszczy lat 90, gdzie sample z niego mozemy znalesc po obu stronach USA, czy to u dr dree i snoopa lub wu tangow, malo jest materialow ktore mialy wplyw na instrumentalne brzmienie rapu lat 90, jesli musze wybrac cos na plejliste to wrzucane unfunky ufo oraz star childa, jesli nie mam juz tego na dodanego, ale plyta ma tylko 38 minut, wiec jesli odpala sie, to zazwyczaj cala plyta jest sluchana
5/5 - Having never listened to Parliament, this was excellent - I see why they are in the same vein as James Brown; a fun listen
Just a fun, funky album. At least one of these songs I’ve played in the Ravens Band. Really refreshing to hear.
Great album. Listened to it three times already and will be listening to it a lot more!
Still waiting for We-Funk to give me back control of my radio, but I ain’t complaining. 10/10 a classic. Thank you Dr. Dre for keeping George Clinton and the P-Funkers funkin in everyone’s ear holes even after their hay day.
Outrageously funky (perhaps too much so for me at points- when that ultra low squelching synth whatever it is gets going in Thumpasaurus it feels like something drilling into my spine). Genius, anyway.
Yes a great album. Fun. Skillfully played. Non pretentious. Relentlessly groovy. There's just not a single misstep. Totally cool album. 5 stars
A classic, pure and simple. It is tight, fun, and packed with exploration, groove, and FUNK.
George Clinton and Bootsy Collins at their Phunky Interstellar best. A great album, this band are just so much FUN (Ky) they clearly love music for music sake. Maceo Parker and Fred Wesley are brilliant on this album. Love "P. Funk (Wants to Get Funked Up)" and "Supergroovalisticprosifunkstication" Bootsy funky Bass a highlight throughout. This album justifiably on the list.
Oh man, this is five stars straight up. In my opinion the greatest funk album ever! Psychedelic, sci-fi and seriously funky.
Incredible. Very rarely can an album be all over the place yet thematically consistent. As for this listener, whether one pays attention or not, Mothership Connection and its tractor-beam appeal invokes the sort of positive indifference that may in fact resemble a perfect album. Fun, energetic, yet brilliantly executed, there is just something about this record that balances tongue-in-cheek silliness along with intelligent blink-and-you-miss-it profundities.
Legendary. Also super influential for '90s west coast hip hop. No G-funk without P-funk.
A total journey from beginning to end. Also, unknowingly setting up the future of hip-hop music too.
This album is amazing. You can feel the band having fun while creating a masterpiece of funk music. Every band member contribution is worth noting.
i am positively blown away! i wish i could have experienced how groundbreaking this album was in 1975. this album takes you on a delightful journey, starting with introductions in "p-funk". i can't get over how many genres and instruments they crammed into seven songs. the amount of fun contained in this album... i just had so much fun listening, and i listened to this album a lot today. i can't wait to listen to it again. let us also take a moment to appreciate this absolutely funkadelic album cover. it is so seventies but i don't care. love those platform wedges.
This album shaped the funk genre and is the foundation for so much hip hop that would come out years later. So good.
Always been a huge fan of Give Up the Funk, what an epic TUNE! So nice to hear the whole album, it's wall to wall bangers. Really enjoyed listening today! I'm sure this album had a huge influence on a few different areas of music, I could hear this in a lot of dance music. It's such good vibes. I love that they were trying to shock people by "putting Black people in outer space" it's a great statement but sad that this was considered shocking at the time.
I’m the last person to have the right to label something as cool, but this is cool. Enough funk to ricochet pension month around in the dance floor
Now this is the definition of funk. If you're not movin' and groovin' to this album, your pulse should be checked. Apparently based on Geoge Clinton's vision of the future where black astronauts interact with alien worlds. The names of some of these songs alone make this album great: "Supergroovalisticprosifunstication", " Night of the Thumpasorous Peoples." The Library of Congress added this album to the National Recording Registry for its enormous influence on jazz, rock and dance music. Just in the short time that I've been doing this 1001 challenge, I've heard the influence of Parliament and particularly this album in every hip-hop/rap album that I've listened to. Not only there, a few of these songs reminded me of the late 70's/early 80's Talking Heads. Not to mention the soon-to-be disco era. I'm sure I'll hear it in other areas as I go along. For me, it's Bootsy Collin's bass which really lays the groovy and funky foundation for Parliament songs. But, there is a lot more going here on with horns, keyboards, synthesizers, multiple singers and psychedelic, jazzy-sounding guitars. Of particular note, are the synthesizers/keyboards which add weird sounds, noises and a backdrop which definitely solidifies the whole outer space album concept. Not a bad song here. 7 altogether. To me, some of them stray into jam band territory with their extended jams. The album also has their most recognizable song "Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off The Sucker)." This was a lot of fun.
Oh yeah getting funked up. I like the more psychedelic sound of Funkadelic a bit more but this Parliament album is there finest.
All phunked up and ready to funk :) does not get better - influenced everything that came after. makes everything better
Day 4: This album was amazing, I thought I was being too harsh with previous reviews but, an album or genre will just click. This deserves every right to be in must hear albums.
Classique pour moi, get funked up, starchild. Des souvenirs de jeunesse avec dr dre the chronic. Un 5 pour funkmaster legend georges clinton.
Now this IS what good music is. Takes you somewhere else. I wasn't even ready to cream my pants when those incredibly high funk energy swayed me across astronomical distances. Solid 10/10.
George Clinton, baby. Such a great funk album. I feel like I have so much bias going into this one because of how big a fan of George's projects I am. It is so incredibly easy to get caught in the groove of this album, the music is infectious and contagious. There are some iconic sounds on this album, and they have lived on through samples (mostly hip-hop) and cultural references to this day. This is not a perfect album by any means, but it is so charming and inviting, and that is what has earned this album legendary status in my mind. **Rating = 4.5/5, rounded up Fave tracks: P Funk (Wants to Get Funked Up), Mothership Connection (Starchild), Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker)
This is the album I play for white guys who say they love funk and then put the Chilli Peppers (possibly the most overrated band around) on. Someone has to intervene.
Brilliant, awesome, wonderfully funky, almost perfect (and yet funkadelic still just hits better for me!)
-"P-Funk (Wants To get Funked Up)" has a cool intro story, with an alien funk ship taking over your radio and playing funky music. It's also super catchy during the singing parts. -"Mothership Connection (Star Child)" is a just great, grooving funk song -"Unfunky UFO" starts off with a thumping drum, and then all the other instruments come in for a big, fat, beefy, funky sound. The worbler on the bass, or whatever that effect is called, is cranked up. The guitar, horns, and everything else sounds fantastic. It's the highlight of the album so far. -"Supergroovalisticprofunkstication (The Bumps Bump)" may very well be the best song name across all 1001 Albums. -"Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off The Sucker)" is a great song, and it has this super cool, deep-bass singer during some parts. Very fun. -"Night Of The Thumpasorus People's" is nice and funky (as expected) and has some great lyrics ("Gaga googa ga ga googa") -A great funk album that I thoroughly enjoyed, it never got boring. I plan on listening more in the future!
God we've had some good ones recently. Not much more to say other than this is possibly the best funk album ever made
Previously, I gave Dr. Dre's The Chronic 1 star, primarily for being boring. However, I have to give this, which The Chronic samples heavily, 5 stars. Mad, innit? Anyway, this is rather a tricky album to dissect, mainly because of its excellence. Pointing out the flaws in an album tends to be an easy task. Articulating why an album is good challenges far more. Now, of course George Clinton gives us a ready adjective for that purpose: it's funky. But what do you say beyond that? Well, one aspect bugs me mildly: it's a concept album. For the thankfully uninitiated, the concept album was a disastrous by-product of the more general formation of the album as an artform in itself. With the word "art" now part of their vocab, bands tried recording albums that told epic stories about orcs and aliens, jammed with leitmotifs and musique concrete experiments in order to underscore the profundity of the message, man. Now, the concept album is an almost wholly lamentable concept, and almost every attempt at a concept album irks the listener and degrades the artist. The concept behind any concept album would cause a teacher to humiliate a twelve-year-old if the poor mite submitted it in a creative writing project. Yes, it helps if albums are thematically coherent, but that does not mean attempting a sequel to the Silmarillion, it just means making sure the album flows smoothly. Mothership Connection is one of the vanishingly few concept albums that work, but what's the concept behind this album? Black people in UFOs. As an image, one can feel gladdened by the glorification, the humour and the afrofuturism. But is it enlightening? Not really. But that doesn't matter. The music is plenty enlightening enough on its own. Toasty and ingratiating, there really isn't a badly placed note on this album. It's perfectly acceptable to revel in Mothership Connection without bothering with the narrative. Just love it.
I love funk, and this is the quintessential group. There's a lot of samples from this in popular music.
Simply, the greatest funk album ever conjured into existence. Pure magic! It feels like a loose kind of concept runs through the songs, an elemental Afro-futurism perhaps. 'Mothership Connection' is funny, political, off-the-wall, surprising - but above all else, it's scintillating funk music. 'Night of the Thumpasorus People' contains the single most audacious groove committed to tape.
So loose and lush, flamboyantly fun and futuristically funky, -- “a whole lot of rhythm goin’ round” indeed. This is original and classic, with a warm and welcoming let-it-all-hang-out vibe and great joyfulness. One loves the updating of old-time gospel (“Swing Low Sweet Chariot”) to the space age, which makes George Clinton the Sun Ra of his genre. There’s a reason so much of this is sampled. And bonus points for coining (one thinks) “the bomb."
This shit is cracked bro. The bass parts just slap you on the back of the head. Had me speed big on the highway typebeat. Everything flows together amazingly.
Parliament just rocks out loud. The groove just goes all the way through this album. Delicious!
Silloin kun on Bootsy Collins asialla niin laatu on hyvä, mutta tämän kohdalla tuppas kyllä tuleman ihan timangia! 5/5
Funk is fun as hell and I have not listened to it before. As my frame of reference for funk, I feel like this bar is very high. The only other exposure I have is Awaken My Love and I think this meets that on a funk level. Will Revisit, no favorite songs, 7/8.
It's like the sound of a sexy-ass party beamed straight into my head and it's dope as hell
I like funk a lot. I just don't like it enough to listen to a whole album through and through
Super duper funky. Short and sweet. This album has a specific vibe and when it's right it's right. No standout songs but the whole thing is just good.
Can hear heaps of Thunderfox in there, especially Unfunky UFO. Didn't like the fart synth in Night of the Thumpasorus, overpowered an otherwise sick closing track
Pure unadulterated funk. Can't beat it. Highlights: -Supergroovalisticprosifunkstication -Give Up The Funk
Good album. I've listened to a lot of funk music and there's something about this album that gives it another twist. It's very psychedelic and dare I say... out of this world!
Oh yeah, funky as anything. And sci-fi psychedelic as anything else! Fave track - tempted to say "Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker)" due to the "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" connection, but I'm gonna go with "P. Funk (Wants to Get Funked Up)" as it comes across as a funky manifesto...
Very funky -- really enjoyed, despite not having listened to much music in the genre before
Funk sin más pretensión que la de entretener, haciendo que el oyente disfrute de los casi cuarenta minutos de duración del álbum.
Funk-tioniert für mich ziemlich super in direkter Einheit mit der One Nation Under A Groove neulich. Während aber Funkadelic das Mothership dort wieder gelandet hatten, geerdet mit dicken Gitarren und Psychedelic Rock, hören wir es hier erst einmal auf seinem Weg Richtung Outer Space. Luftig schwebend, schwarz glitzernd und beladen mit diversen auf Goldfolie gepressten Street Sounds, um denen da draußen den Slang der Pimps zu lehren. Das ist sehr locker gefügt alles, hier schwitzt nichts sondern es bleibt immer elegant. Und funky, natürlich, ich weiß nicht ob das irgendwo erwähnt ist. Dr. Dre jedenfalls hat gut zugehört, und wer wie ich z.B. immer mal wieder The Chronic oder Doggy Style rausholt, der fühlt sich sofort zuhause. Für die Wärme, für den Sommer und für mehr Luftigkeit: 3,8!
Is he fucking the controls of the spaceship? why are his legs up like that? Amazing album
OK, another story. In my high school days, Sudbury would not be mistaken for diverse. Of course we thought it was diverse since it had Italians AND French Canadians!. There were very few people of colour. One of my friends was black and when I crashed at his place he played a bunch of funk which, at the time, was a million miles away from what I was otherwise listening to. The only band name I remember was Brothers Johnson but who knows, he could have been spinning Parliament too. This album certainly sounds like the stuff we were listening to back in the day. It was influential for me so whether or not it was Parliament I have a good rating for the genre and the year of release.
Very accessible and groovy. Clean disco funk basslines. The chanty slogans are catchy enough, but the vocals are the weakest point (although they typify George Clinton P-Funk).
Нужно будет послушать внимательно несколько дней. Но этот альбом явно войдет в число любимых.
Surprising how much Parliament has influenced and been sampled by hip hop/pop/all music. Fantastic! I love the concept of putting black people in situations that were never thought of before...Mothership, baby! WOO!
WE WANT THE FUNK, HERE COMES THE FUNK On a side note, I now understand what 'funk' means
This album is just fun. Give Us The Funk is classic and Handcuffs was another fun and funny song. Best listened to as an album I think as opposed to picking and choosing songs from it. You can see why Warren G and Nate Dogg pulled from it.
Definitive funk sound. Prominent use of spoken word. Exceptional vocal performance on “Handcuffs”. Virtuosic rhythm section. A number of catchy melodies. Deserves multiple listens.
I have a disappointing lack of funk in my life and this album cured that. My kiddo loved dancing to it too.
P-Funk. It's funk but with some weird back story linked to space. I think. Dropping acid would probably help. Best Tracks: P-Funk (Wants To Get Funked Up); Unfunky UFO; Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off The Sucker);
Never heard of this band. Recognized a ton of the samples from 90s hip hop. Enjoyed the album!
I don't often listen to funk but when I do I usually like it. And this was top-notch funk by the master himself. Really gets my butt moving. 4 stars.
I know... For all of the times that I bang on albums for repetitive, simple lyrics... But it's funk? And I want my funk uncut? But it's so good, and light years ahead of their time. Musically a 4.5, lyrically a 2-3, replay value 4.5, and 5 for legacy and influence. I can't give this one less than a 4.
8/10. Really sounded like they were just making mouth-farting noises for a lot of the last track, but had some really enjoyable parts as well, and I enjoyed that they had a silly sci-fi conceit. I'd say 8/10 despite being a bit too funky for my taste
One of the best funk albums. Especially the opening monologue adds to the album experience.
Oh damn yes. This is funk. Smooth, tight, just enough synth, chunky bass, and a sense of fun.
Wow, crazy experience. Never heard of them before and was super surprised. Some great bangers on here! Fav tracks: Handcuffs, Unfunky UFO
Great Funk for the Whole Family! Favorites: "P-Funk", "Mothership Connection", "Give Up The Funk"
This has gotta be the funkiest album I've ever heard. If you like funk at all, this is a must hear.
I should preface this by saying I'm not an expert on funk music, but at least off of the top of my head, I'm not really aware of any other concept albums that play within the funk genre, but it seems like a perfect genre to play around with in this way. Further contributing to the idea that these guys don't take themselves TOO seriously, they centered their concept album around something that was already fairly corny during the 70s: space and sci-fi. That said, space-y synth lends itself so well to funk music, and these guys clearly understood that! I was surprised when "Give Up the Funk" started and I recognized the song -- so iconic! I love putting band names and track titles to iconic songs that are embedded in our cultures without us being completely aware, often due to their use in movies and television! My personal enjoyment of this album comes in at about 4/5, but the album's worthiness in this project is a definite 5/5.
Always a good groove with Parliament, and I heard of licks and beats that I recognize from later work like Dr Dre
In the summer of 1993, at a robust 12 years old, I was in love with Dr. Dre’s “the Chronic”. Way too young to be listening; the beats and grooves were so enticing I just had to dive in head first. I had no idea the music I had fallen in love with was actually sampled and based off of a lot of this album. So, here I am almost 30 years later falling in love with this album. A+, so much fucking fun to listen to. I found myself moving and reacting to this the way 12 year old me reacted to “Let Me Ride” or “The Chronic” back on those hot summer days near the apartment complex pool. Instant 5 stars for me, so glad I found this.
I'm not the biggest Funk fan, but there's something about the way Parliament does it that just works for me!
I fell down a PFunk rabbit hole a few years ago. It's a fun time. It's also need hearing where a lot of the Dr Dre/Snoop samples come from.
Ktebt Saf7tine Men Kteb 3l Bouheli Mte3 Dostoevsky. Still With The sickness Chwayet. Ahmed Needs Help, That's Why.
This is great - had never heard of the band or the album (but do know their other work as Funkadelic). Not a bad track on this album, but none that are absolutely stellar, stand-out individually either - that's why it only gets a 4 for me even though I really like it and will be listening again. It has great energy, a bit of attitude, and a really cool sound that fits beautifully with the zany track titles, lyrics, and broader theme of the album.
Ah man the FUNKY FUNK. So fricken funky I can't handle it. But in a very good way. So fun and a bit silly at times. Puts you in a good mood. Loved it!
Good funk album, enjoyed it - more upbeat than Maggot Brain. Think I still liked maggot brain more
I liked this quite a bit more than the other funk album that was generated earlier (Maggot Brain by Funkadelic). I think the instrumentals are cool and fairly easy to listen to without being especially boring.
So close to 5 stars. So funky, but the fart bass on the last track was just toooo much for my ears.
Pretty awesome funk album. Don’t think many people have done it better than parliament. This album has some classics and some other nice songs that were new to me. This is a nice funk album. 8.0/10
This is great party music (as funk always is) with a cosmic futuristic sound. It's a loose jazzy concept album that doesn't take itself too seriously. All in all a pretty solid album with nothing sticking out as being particularly memorable or bad.
Very good, very funky. I really liked the concept and style of the album. 100% relistening.
It's silly, funny, and self-parodying, but the groove is infectious - plus it's very sexy music. Puts me back in teenage mid-seventies discos. Can hardly distinguish one track from another, they all have the same driving rhythm - it's just one long continuous stream of funk - but that's OK because I like it. They must have had a lot of fun playing it. Dig that crazy beat, man!
It seems that the influences from this album - or that were formative for this album - are ever-present in modern music. A quick check of "WhoSampled" shows 70 songs that sampled this album, and assuredly the non-credited influences are much more difficult to track. A good education, great sound, and a little too funky to put on repeat.
Oh yea, this is some good stuff. Super solid album by Parliament, anything George Clinton does just drips with groove and style. So many layers, sounds and things going here, and you really get the sense they're just having fun with it. The one minor complaint I have is I felt like the songs dragged out just a little long sometimes, especially with all the repeated chorus sections. To me, this is a very strong 4. I feel like it's missing just a bit of a "je ne sais quoi" to push it into 5 territory, but it's still a great album. Fav Tracks: P. Funk, Give Up The Funk
Cool vibes and some really good tunes. Like the opener and of course “Give up the Funk”. 3.5 and rounding up because the world is a better place with Parliament in the mix.
I'd like to live in this album. I need to live in this album. Just an all around party.
Intéressant comme album. Un peu bizarre pour la thématique spatiale, mais la musique est vraiment excellente. Ça groove en sale. Probablement pour ça que c'est un album qui a été samplé régulièrement. Mon premier du groupe et je serais content de l'avoir dans ma collection.
Truly a very funky album. One way you can tell is by how often they use the word "funk" in song titles and lyrics. Speaking of song titles: Night Of The Thumpasorus People really is a pretty amazing title.
George Clinton, Bootsy Collins and Bernie Worrell are the best funk power trio out there. I discovered them in my long quest of listening to all Buckethead's collaborations and their music stayed with me. What a groovy insane album that had a strong influence on the 80s/90s hip-hop. Really like this one!
Great Funk, a lot of talented artist involve in the project. Fews hits, but good overall vibe, that will put a smile on your face :)
Funking good. I might've gotten bored if it wasn't so short, but it's an album about getting groovy on a spaceship, what's not to love
I mean, look - t's Parliament. There are a lot of albums that have this much swagger and don't have even half as much to offer. I'm looking at you, The Chronic. This is just effortlessly good. It's not even engaging the whole time, but every bit of it is right. I might give this 5 stars and it'll be the first one I've given 5 stars that is kind of a background album for me. But I might not. We'll see tomorrow.
Busy album. Cool to hear the roots to Dre and Snoop Dogg's Let me Ride here. Parliament brings the funk here. Mothership Connection belongs on this list, no doubt. It's more of a feeling than anything though. It's about the funk, making the funk, showing others how to funk, all things funky. That makes for fun album, and there's nothing wrong with that.
I like the original Funk genre, and this album is a great example of it. The songs are fun to listen to and the rhythm throughout the album feels great, and I particularly like the opening track's radio welcome. If I have any one issue with the album is that every song in it feels "good" but nothing feels "great". A thoroughly enjoyable listen for anyone who's a fan of the genre and somehow doesn't know the album, and overall really solid.
LOVE these guys. What a classic album intro for George Clinton. Maybe still prefer funkadelic slightly more.
This is my shit. Never heard of this band before but definitely will more after this one. The sax, hats and kickdrum that come in at the second half of "P-Funk" were mucho mucho bueno (just have to get through the vapid narration for the first 2 mins). Who knew sci-fi hip hop was a thing.
2nd August 2022 Listened in the morning before going to the office. Saw Sav and Booty in the evening to chat stag stuff. Love it, still funkadelic after all this time.
It's a funkadelic funkalicious funktastically funky Parliament album. The Mothership came down and influenced thousands of artists in the years to come.
Man, imagine not liking PFunk. Couldn’t be me. A-. These songs are meant to be heard live, but I can’t imagine going any lowee.
I do indeed feel funked up, as promised. It will be interesting figuring out where the lines between soul and funk (which I apparently like) and hip hop, R&B and rap (which I'm not sure I do like) lie over time.
Pretty dang funky, though not as "funky as funk" compared to Flash Light, also by Parliament. Overall okay.
Funky not Rachel's kind of music normally but liked it Vibey fun time big beats Almost historical
Feels like this album is great in certain situations - lively party, not necessarily while working or just hanging out. but good and funky
Funk is a silly and fun genre - Give Up The Funk is a true classic but the rest is pretty forgettable
This outlandish brand of funk is not my preferred one, but it's an overall enjoyable album. Guess it'll be my entrypoint to the rest of P-Funk's discography, of which I'm largely ignorant.
For song titles, it's a five. "Night of the Thumpasorus Peoples" is my favourite. I remember seeing the NWA movie, and at parties, the DJs always played Parliament and Bootsy Collins. They had a major influence on everything funky that followed. I also like the science fiction schtick, which was popular in the 70s.
02/16 - Yesterday I worked on getting the Drum Storage Building drawing set ready for DC, updating UL details in the MFG set, and cleaning up site plan and DSB elevations for issue to the city. I usually like music like this and this album was really no different. I was very surprised when I heard the song Give Up The Funk as I didnt know it was by Parliament.
I had the 45 of Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off The Sucker) when I was a kid. The rest of the album does not sound like this track. While it may be a little difficult to access for someone as white as I am, one thing that really comes through is how much JOY went into making this music.
Enough funk to sustain but I wanted much less random chattery faff and much more actual funky music
Some good funky tunes, but did lose me along journey in parts. The better songs make it 3*
Saved Prior: None Off Rip: Mothership Connection (Star Child) Cutting Edge: None Overall Notes: We want the funk, give up the funk (if it's not live.) Coming to you from my laptop speakers, this is underwhelming. I would adore this live though, when you can really feel the rhythm. An enjoyable 2.5, and since most of my other 2s are albums I didn't like, I'll round this up.
Funky music in this album. This was an experience from the first song to the last, as it feels like each song melts into the next. Really well done album, but not my type of music.
Funk?! Interesting. Never purposefully listened to a funk album so this'll be fun. I really liked it for the most part but this style does get repetitive with it's strange optimism and repeated beats. The last song was terrible.
It's funky. So it's great. I listened while conversing, doing other things, and none of the songs particularly stood out to me. In addition, it's full of "background noise", which I wasn't into at the moment. But maybe it's better if you're really devoting your attention to the music. Definitely worth another listen.
This is the kind of music I enjoy in small amounts - a song or two. I listened to the album through then it started playing “similar” songs on Spotify and replayed several of the same songs I had just listened to and I didn’t notice. Not bad music by any means - just not memorable enough for me to go back to
Muy chistoso, muy funk, ese inicio con marcianos, toda una época. En fin, sigue conservando cierto espíritu festivo y un interés musical mediano, yo diría. No hay tracks favs. 7.5/10
3 I suppose. Definitely enjoyed but not sure I'd seek it out again. Their logo is an all time best too.
A funky ball of tits. The problem with Parliament is that there have been so many comedy pastiches of P Funk that all I can hear is the comedy pastiches. I'm Old Gregg! You ever drink Baileys from a shoe? I got a mangina etc, etc. If this album was a footballer, it would be Noel Fielding.
Another hard-fought, highly entertaining thriller. If this was a 90's TV personality, it'd be Mr Motivator.
i want to say this is another example of an album that has 2-3 good tracks and a load of filler on it, but the funk genre is whats confusing me. is 'give up the funk' a shining example of how good funk can be or is it the pop track that isn't really a good representation of funk? is this album one funk masterpiece and a load of filler or is it a stone cold amazing funk album with a pop track on it? either way this album makes me feel like a jellyfish.
January 16th 2022. The best of this album IMO: - Mothership Connection (Star Child) - Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker) - and now I know where the original sample comes from for that one Snoop Dogg song! I wants to get funked up! Enjoyable. I like tracks where the musicians are jamming and the singers are talking over the music with some random music shit. Good funk. 3.2/5
Po nazivima pjesama već znaš u koju sferu glazbe ulaziš. Mothership Connection (sad znam gdje je Dr. Dre preuzeo sample za njegov klasik Let It Ride). Iskreno ima dosta ovak sampleova šta se koristilo u G-Funk/West Coast Hip Hopu. Funk po mojoj definiciji je dobra glazba, zabavna, više manje povezano za crnačkom kulturom i vjerujem da su tu gdje se oni najviše opuste i zabave radeći takvu vrstu glazbe. Meni ne smeta, uživam i ja u tome. DOOO I HAVE TO PUT MY HANDCUFFS ON YOU, MAMA
Very funky album. Interesting to hear the sample for Dr Dre's "Let Me Ride" in "Mothership Connection (Star Child)". "Give Up The Funk" also very popular. 6/10.
First Parliament record I heard front to back. I enjoyed it! They're usually hit or miss for me but it was actually good background workday music for me.
Nice album; easy to listen too while at work. nice rthym; loved the lyrics "let me put my shades on so i can see what i'm doin."
Ooo, this album was a funky one. Very charmingly 70s, and "charming" and "70s" aren't two words I usually put together. That said I wouldn't re-listen. It's just not really my thing. That said: my fave track, the classic "Give Up the Funk" is a fucking jam and I defy anyone to not dance to it.
Gave me a good boost 6 miles into my walk, and as a lover of Toejam & Earl, I was on the wavelength to enjoy this. Some of it meandered a bit without keeping my attention, but enjoyable and kept me smiling. Appreciate them curing my arthritis, rheumatism and migraines through the sheer power of P-funk, as promised.
Sounds a bit like a mix of funk and psychedelic. Bit often used the word funk... (6/10) FT: Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker)
wanted to like this more than I did. Give up the Funk is the banger it's always been, but the rest didn't hit me incredibly hard. That said, still pretty cool to see a pioneering example of Afrofuturism in the 70's in comparison to where the genre across media is today (and specifically compared to The Archandroid album which is also on this list from 35 years later).
just not my jam. too loose and impromptu for my liking. not the biggest fan if funk to begin with, so unfortunately it doesn't take much for me to "meh" the fuck out on an album like this.
Very fun, very funky - but mad as a bag of hammers and feels like I'm a bit too old to get excited about being funked up
p364. 1975. 3 stars Perfectly acceptable fodder, well produced with a sense of humour but... not my thing. It's missing standout tracks. Listened to it, thought it was OK, then forgot about it.
El problema con el funk (al menos de este tipo de funk) es que solo sabe hablar del funk: la gente quire el funk, ama el funk, necesita el funk, nunca obtiene todo el funk, etc. La música del funk es excelente, pero esas letras del funk no son tan buenas y tristemente le quitan todo el mérito. Encima, como los músicos de funk aman tanto el funk, creen que es su misión hacer que el funk dure muchos muchos minutos, sin importar que ya escuchaste ese funk. Y sí, hermano… chida tu línea de bajo o tu arreglo de metales, pero nadie necesita escucharlo 180 veces. Así que un disco con potencial para cinco estrellas en el primer minuto, se convirtió en algo que alcanza la tercera solo de churro.
Buen funk. Música agradable, sonidos diversos y buenas voces aunque no me encantó el exceso del theremin. Sólido 3.
Parliament and Funkadelic place a lot of store in being funky. It is just as well, then, that on a scale from 'not at all funky' to 'really very funky indeed' this is off the chart. It's a concept album about the band travelling around the universe (in a funk powered spaceship), spreading funkiness to any unfunky civilisations they meet. It's really quite out there, but has a serious point as well, and is also very, very, very funky. Rating: 3/5 Playlist track: Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off The Sucker) Date listened: 05/07/22
What happens when you triple distil a funky album to make a super strength funky spirit. Just like Whiskey though, consume too much of this funk and you'll end up in a bit of a state
Funky. Good album to stick on in the background and very easy to zone out to but still enjoy though I can't imagine I would take any tracks and listen to them again in isolation.
I like a bit of funk but this never kicked into gear. It starts out with a clunky number that sets the tone all wrong, then even though a few of the other tunes really hold up there are heaps of spots where it kinda drops the ball. I do like the ridiculous album cover though, and the catchy bits are still catchy. 3/5.
I can see some of the sounds Dr.Dre pulled from for sure. It’s a decent listen for the background, but it tends to just go on and on if you listen consciously, with little changes between the songs. I appreciate the progressiveness of album as well as its carrying the space and funk theme throughout.
I wonder if our alien progenitors will have mercy on ungraceful people like me when they return to check up on their colony, to see if we've learned the lessons of Funk, to observe the glides in our strides and the dips in our hips. I am sorely lacking in this department, but perhaps the funk-aliens will beam me up and teach me something of which this music is but a prelude.
Pretty good. Didn't realize just how much of The Chronic was taken directly from this album. I want to play SNES NBA Jam all of a sudden...
I gave this a few listens, and while I do appreciate the funky, groovy vibe of a lot of these songs, this just isn't something I would want to listen to again.
This is definitely not my cup of tea. I usually enjoy funk & soul but this just didn't take itself seriously enough for me. A ton of repetition both lyrically and musically that made each song feel very samey and kinda' boring.
2.5 - overall enjoyable. does get quite repetitive and all the songs seems pretty much the same. lyrics are funny, though.
I was really looking forward to discovering some gems here because I like some good ol' soul and funk but I found this boring and repetitive and not very imaginative. I mean they probably say the "F" word on this record more times than the other "F" word was uttered in the movie Scarface. George Clinton should have done better.
Not a huge fan. Just didn't quite work for me. Actually thought I would like this more.
Enjoyable to listen to and very funky, but not something I think I would return to. A little repetitive, but fun nonetheless Saved: Give Up The Funk
I know that Mothership Connection is considered a classic funk record, but I beg to disagree. The first two tracks are ruined by overbearing Starchild raps, horrid synth patches, and wretched vocals. That's already 14 minutes shot out of a 38-minute album. Fortunately, things improve after that. Starchild's raps get less ubiquitous, and the synth patches and vocals markedly improve. It's a shame because the bass playing and the horn charts are tasty throughout. Unfunky UFO and Handcuffs are both downright funky. Ugh. Here we go again. The otherwise effective Give Up The Funk (Tear the Roof Off The Sucker) is spoiled by a wretched synth patch. It's a shame because the performance is full of energy and the arrangement is creative, especially that killer bassline and the propulsive drums. The otherwise fine closing track, Night of the Thumpasaurus Peoples, is marred by substandard vocals. I understand the horrid synths. Many an otherwise fine funk record was ruined that way in the mid-70s. For some reason, artists who should have known better actually seemed to like thin, metallic synth patches. But the vocals? There's no excuse for that. The decade was chocoblock with fantastic R&B vocalists. I think George Clinton made the deliberate decision to avoid slick R&B vocals in favor of rough vocals and unision singalongs to promote a party atmosphere. Commercially, it was a masterstroke. Artistically, it sucks balls. 2/5
Probably would have got into it more sat outside a cool bar in the sunshine. Not so much washing up during winter.
2/5 - Album seems to be a collection of just ad-libbing with songs that never progress beyond the initial build up! Give Up The Funk - only song I'd heard before but then doesn't progress in nearly 5 minutes! Not my thing. Quite dated too.
Missing the experimentation and energy of their other LPs. Most songs tend to beat an already dated melody to death over the course of 4-5 minutes, and even those that shine pale in comparison to the tracks this band can knowingly produce.
Didn't find this interesting at all, I don't think it has any redeeming qualities either.
Just another funk album. Love a good funky tune, but for nearly forty minutes? No thanks.
Was soll das? Ein Album, das niemand braucht. Husch husch zurück mit Euch ins Mutterschiff, nehmt um Himmels Willen Euren 'Pee-Funk' mit und dann lasst euch bitte nie wieder blicken, ja?
Oje, hier ist es…das selbstreferenzielle Funk Monstrum! Darf man das schon als Gehirnwäsche bezeichnen, wenn das Genre 69.372 Male (hab mitgezählt) genannt werden muss, damit auch jedes Sektenmitglied rafft, wer sein Herr und Erlöser ist? Schrecklich wissenschaftliche 0.342
First two songs are pure filler. Extremely corny instrumentals/sound effects/skits. Great vocals but not used efficiently. Occasionally there was a nice jazzy instrumental but most of it sucked.
Funk :( I'm getting nothing but repetition and not much in the way of hooks. It's just not for me