As a friend of mine nicely mentioned in his previous blog, it is incomprehensable that Funkedelic, Maggot Brain in particular, are so underrated. I can only speak for Maggot Brain as that is the only album of theirs that I've heard so far, but it is simply a superb album. Dare I say it, Maggot Brain sounds like the Jimi Hendrix Experience with a better band! Gone are Mitch Mitchell's erratic drum parts and Noel Reddings decidedly boring bass lines to be replaced with superb steady drumming, Maceo "James Brown's trustful sax player" Parker's intricate sax work, backing vocals that is remminicent to Sly and the Family Stone and Eddie Hazel's horrowful, piercing, Hendrixesque guitar playing.
The album starts superbly with the title track as its opener. A 10 minute beautiful guitar solo by the then-20-year-old Hazel. Just when you wonder where the funk element comes into place, the second track, Can You Get To That along with tracks such as You and Your Folks, Me and My Folks provide the perfect answer.
Yet I have to say, my two favourite tracks on the album outside Maggot Brain has got to be the rock ridden numbers of Hit It and Quit and Super Stupid. The latter reminds me just how un-creative Lenny Kravitz actually is. Kravitz' guitar playing, and SINGING sounds like its ripped of straight from this track. If you should get the re-released version of Maggot Brain, you'll get an extra alternate 9-or-so minute version of the title track (this time with a little more backing music) and a great funk-rockabily in Whole Lotta BS!
In a nutshell, go and buy that album and start wincing.
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