Search - Parliament :: Tear the Roof Off: 1974-1980

The Bop Gun in CD form...

Mike Stone | 06/19/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Dr. Funkenstein: or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love 'Da Bomb!' Bought it after an intriguing encounter with the Give Up The Funk video, and was completely hooked!Any missteps are minor (there are some... the two albums add up to nearly 2 1/2 hours of music). But when Clinton and his mob hit the one, they really Hit The One. Awesome grooves that MAKE you dance, even if you can't (I'll reserve judgement on myself for now). Completely ruined me for all other funk (except of course JB) because it is just so visceral and magical. Nothing else comes close.The groove speaks for itself. What doesn't get much play is George Clinton's genius for a lyric. High concept songs like Chocolate City and Funkentelechy rival in their ideas legends like Dylan and Lennon. Any many who can both write the line "You might as well pay attention because you can't afford free speech" and make it JAM is brilliant in my book."

THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION

Tony_Tone | Washington, D.C., District of Columbia United Stat | 07/16/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"George Clinton and his funk family Parliament Funkadelic has been around for years creating some of the funkiest grooves ever put to wax.. This collection illustrates that this band was and still is one of the funkiest bands ever.. Most of the songs on this collection is taking from 8 of their best albums from the opening P-Funk (Wants To Get Funked Up) taking from one of the greatest funk albums ever Mothership Connection to the closing on disc 2 Funkin For Fun this is a great musical experience.. A great introduction to those who may not be familiar with all the great music of this group.. This is a must for die hard Funk Fans .. Personal favorites: Bop Gun, Aqaua Boogie, All Your Goodies Gone, Funkentelechy, Theme From Black Hole"

Chocolate city is no dream. Free your mind, feel the funk.

David Susnjara | 01/22/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The funk, the whole funk and nothing but the funk -- the P-Funk!!! The bomb. Chocolate-coated, freaky and habit forming. It's all here, majestically captured throughout the 25 tracks of this "funk essentials" two-disc box set of Parliament classics. Parliament was the mothership pre-cursor of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, as well as an unlimited bastion of samples for today hip hoppers.



George Clinton -- alias Doctor Funkenstein, the Atomic Dog, Long Haired Sucker or Star Child -- along with bassist supreme Bootsy Collins, keyboard whiz Bernie Worrell and the rest of the mothership fellowship proudly funk you tender and then tear the roof off the sucker. It just doesn't get any funkier than this. And for your additional pleasure, this set comes with a great 24-page colorful booklet complete with a hilarious "funk encyclopedia."



There's a simple reason thousands of rappers have stolen musical bits and pieces from Parliament tunes. The P-Funk mob possessed the "Bop Gun" that funked "Chocolate City" with a "Flash Light" that shined brightly over "One Nation Under A Groove." "Mr. Wiggles" helped your Sir Nose D'VoidofFunk "Get Up For The Downstroke" and "Do That Stuff," or something like that. Get it? You dig? Right on.



All funkiness aside, TEAR THE ROOF OFF is testament to Parliament's everlasting brilliance. Clinton's crazy entertaining antics, the dance beats, the swirling keyboards, wild horns, ticklish guitar and Bootsy's cosmic bass stylings teamed to make a musical monster unlike any the world has ever seen. The leader of this mega-ring musical circus was the inimitable George Clinton. I don't know what kind of drugs George took in the 70s, but they definitely worked. How in the world did George ever come up with lyrics about "extraterrestrial brothers, dealers in funky music, comin' to you live from the chocolate milky way?" There are many among us who believe George Clinton is an alien from another planet. They may be right. Funkin', eh.



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