CoronaVinyl Day 38 (Funk): Mothership Connection by Parliament

For an explanation of CoronaVinyl, click here.

Today's CoronaVinyl is funk.  Over the last few years, I've made a concerted effort to increase the funk contingent in my vinyl collection.  When I have to work late at home, I generally listen to funk, as it keeps my head bobbing and helps to offset the feelings of despair associated with having to work late.  If "Flash Light," 'Move On Up," or "She's a Bad Mama Jama" don't lift your spirits, you are beyond saving.  And, of course, the past several years, I have played funk music almost exclusively when I host Thanksgiving, which I have redubbed Funksgiving.  I strongly urge you to do the same.

Any discussion of funk music has to start with Parliament and Funkadelic -- George Clinton's sister groups that revolutionized and popularized funk in the '70s.  When you listen to pretty much any Parliament or Funkadelic album, you quickly realize how much influence they had on music, as nearly every song has been sampled at some point in rap and hip hop, particularly in the '90s by artists like Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and Ice Cube.  It's like when I first bought a Muddy Waters CD and had that "holy shit" moment when realized that I had heard most of the songs as covers by Led Zeppelin, Cream, Jimi Hendrix, and others.

Among my growing funk vinyl collection are a few Parliament albums and a Funkadelic album.  All are fantastic, but I decided to go with 1975's Mothership Connection, even though my album cover is a little torn up.  It was a concept album about a black pimp in space, and it rose to #13 on the Billboard album charts (tied for their highest-charting album ever) and was the first Parliament album that went gold and platinum in the U.S.  It was also the first Parliament album to feature saxophonist Maceo Parker and trombonist Fred Wesley, who defected from James Brown's backing band, The JBs.  Mothership Connection is only seven songs, but all are great, and some are among the most influential funk songs ever, like "P. Funk (Wants to Get Funked Up)," "Give Up The Funk (Tear the Roof of the Sucker)" (the group's first Top 40 hit in the U.S., reaching #15 on the Billboard Hot 100), and the title track.  It's impossible to listen to the album without wanting to have a dance party in space.

Favorite song from Side 1:  "Mothership Connection (Star Child)"
A funk classic, the title track introduced Star Child, which was Clinton's alien alter ego.  One of my "holy shit" moments was when I first heard this song and realized that my favorite Dr. Dre song, "Let Me Ride," was essentially a sampled cover of the middle third of "Mothership Connection (Star Child)."

Favorite song from Side 2:  "Handcuffs"
At 4:03, this is the shortest song on the album, but what it lacks in length it makes up for in funk.  Feel free to use that line when appropriate, gentlemen.  But seriously, it's got a funky goopy bass (which makes sense when you hear it), complemented by the horn section and guitarists Glenn Goins and Gary Shider's lead vocals.