PARLIAMENT
OSMIUM (1970)
REMASTER
320 KBPS
The first Parliament album as such was a mixed-up mess of an affair — but would anyone expect anything less? The overall sound is much more Funkadelic than later Parliament, if with a somewhat more accessible feel. Things get going with an appropriately leering start, thanks to "I Call My Baby Pussycat," which makes something like "What's New, Pussycat?" seem like innocent, chaste conversation. After a stripped-down start, things explode into a full-on funk strut with heavy-duty guitar and slamming drums setting the way, while the singers sound like they're tripping without losing the soul — sudden music dropouts, vocal cut-ins, volume level tweaks, and more add to the off-kilter feeling. Osmium's sound progresses from there — it's funk's fire combined with a studio freedom that feels like a blueprint for the future. Bernie Worrell's keyboard abilities are already clear, whether he's trying for hotel lounge jams or full freakiness; similarly, Eddie Hazel is clearly finding his own epic stoned zone to peel out some amazing solos at the drop of a hat. As for the subject matter and end results — who else but this crew could have come up with the trash-talking, yodeling twang of "Little Ol' Country Boy" in 1970 and still made it funky with all the steel guitar? Other fun times include the piano and vocal-into-full-band goofy romantic romp of "My Automobile" and "Funky Woman," where over a heavy groove (and goofy Worrell break) the titular character lives with the consequence of her stank: "She hung them in the air/The air said this ain't fair!" Amidst all the nuttiness, there are some perhaps surprising depths — consider "Oh Lord, Why Lord/Prayer," which might almost be too pretty for its own good (Worrell's harpsichord almost verges on the sickly sweet) but still has some lovely gospel choir singing and heartfelt lyrics.
1. I Call My Baby Pussycat
2. Put Love in Your Life
3. Little Old Country Boy
4. Moonshine Heather
5. Oh Lord, Why Lord/Prayer
6. My Automobile
7. There Is Nothing Before Me But Thang
8. Funky Woman
9. Livin' the Life
10. Silent Boatman
Bonus Tracks
11. Breakdown (Mono version)
12. Red Hot Mama
13. Come In Out Of The Rain
14. Loose Booty
15. Fantasy Is Reality
16. Unfinished Instrumental
17. Breakdown (stereo unedited version)
2. Put Love in Your Life
3. Little Old Country Boy
4. Moonshine Heather
5. Oh Lord, Why Lord/Prayer
6. My Automobile
7. There Is Nothing Before Me But Thang
8. Funky Woman
9. Livin' the Life
10. Silent Boatman
Bonus Tracks
11. Breakdown (Mono version)
12. Red Hot Mama
13. Come In Out Of The Rain
14. Loose Booty
15. Fantasy Is Reality
16. Unfinished Instrumental
17. Breakdown (stereo unedited version)
1 comment:
thanx VERY much for this great album, which i tried to buy recently in vain. incidentally, you might want to check out ruth copeland's "invictus"-recordings from the same period & in which she was backed by parliament/funkadelic. there are some weak songs on it, but the good ones are VERY good, including a stunning version of "gimme shelter" with eddie hazel on smokin' guitar woth the price of admission alone. best wishes, ubique
Post a Comment