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On the Shelf 198: Parliament
Sep. 13th, 2018 07:46 amOne of the surprises of 2018 was the appearance of a brand new Parliament album. Indeed, conventional wisdom says that there are two great albums this year from bands that have been around for 50 years (the other being Judas Priest).
Like many my age, I wasn't familiar with the P-Funk gang until their heyday had past. Obviously, they were key to the coming age of rap with many acolytes and defining samples in songs by rappers as legendary and diverse as Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg, De la Soul, Ice Cube, Aaliyah, Tupac and countless others. Although to be fair, I think the Red Hot Chili Peppers brought them back first. (If anything Parliament made a big impact on rock right as Digital Underground were the first rappers to really embrace them. That wave of late 80s hard rock with Faith No More, Fishbone, 24-7Spyz, Living Colour, but also Madchester).
In any case,you can probably make a case that for six straight albums as Parliament classics in a space of five years. I leave out Osmium not to say that it isn't a classic, but it feels more like a Funkadelic album, and that's probably a different conversation.(For what that's worth, that adds at least six or seven, maybe more, valuable albums to the mix. Plus, if we had no Funkadelic, we wouldn't have Monster Magnet, King's X or Soundgarden).
Parliament went into the 80s with a whimper not a bang. Still, they did what all but a handful of bands in time could ever do. Clinton has taken a gang of P-Funkers on the road for as long as I remember and occasionally has shown up with a comeback (the solo "Computer Games" of course. I am not familiar with his Paisley Park years, though it seems well reviewed). He revived Parliament in the 90s for a reunion "Dope Dogs" and it's apparently good, too, though at this point, Clinton was probably stuck with the Icon label to the point that radio ignored him.
I am not sure what to make Medicare Fraud Dogg, to be honest.
It's certainly a Parliament record insomuch that it was written by Clinton and his son Tracey Lewis. Indeed, the current Parliament is very much a continuation of family- Clinton's children and grandchildren, Garrett Shider, son of the late diaper wearing P-Funk second in command Garry Shider as well as Pee Wee Ellis and Fred Wesley;and Benny Cowan and Greg Thomas who both have been with George since at least the Motor Booty Affair album.
Still, as the name implies, it's a bit of a downer with the topics of getting older and government inadequacies. Musically, it's not a very peppy album. It sounds of late night jazz- best enjoyed with booze and pills. One looking for "Up for the Downstroke" and "Tear the Roof off.." won't like it.
One concern of mine is Clinton's influence. It's impossible to hear this album without hearing everyone who worshipped George through the years. With its weird quirky skits and voices, it brings to mind a few artists in Clinton's shadow- early Outkast, the Dawgg Pound and their gang and Prince (especially Black Album). Perhaps, it's unfair to compare given none of that exists without George in the first place, but it is.
The second concern comes with some outdated thoughts. We will give that Clinton will have a character like Loodie Poo Da Pimp, but it's a bit awkward in a post #metoo world. As is "Mama Told Me" a strong diss track that is just overflowing with the n- and b- words. It sounds somewhat like a classic 90s gangsta rap track, but is uncomfortable in 2018.
It's hard to stick a review on Medicare Fraud Dogg. It's certainly not a bad album. It's close to two hours long which is ambitious but probably does not help matters. It's a nice parting release as Clinton seems to be getting ready to hang things up, and certainly makes a statement of where so much funk, rap and R&B from the last forty years comes from. It's just a lot to take in and might not be the first record I would grab off the shelves.
Explicit lyrics
Like many my age, I wasn't familiar with the P-Funk gang until their heyday had past. Obviously, they were key to the coming age of rap with many acolytes and defining samples in songs by rappers as legendary and diverse as Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg, De la Soul, Ice Cube, Aaliyah, Tupac and countless others. Although to be fair, I think the Red Hot Chili Peppers brought them back first. (If anything Parliament made a big impact on rock right as Digital Underground were the first rappers to really embrace them. That wave of late 80s hard rock with Faith No More, Fishbone, 24-7Spyz, Living Colour, but also Madchester).
In any case,you can probably make a case that for six straight albums as Parliament classics in a space of five years. I leave out Osmium not to say that it isn't a classic, but it feels more like a Funkadelic album, and that's probably a different conversation.(For what that's worth, that adds at least six or seven, maybe more, valuable albums to the mix. Plus, if we had no Funkadelic, we wouldn't have Monster Magnet, King's X or Soundgarden).
Parliament went into the 80s with a whimper not a bang. Still, they did what all but a handful of bands in time could ever do. Clinton has taken a gang of P-Funkers on the road for as long as I remember and occasionally has shown up with a comeback (the solo "Computer Games" of course. I am not familiar with his Paisley Park years, though it seems well reviewed). He revived Parliament in the 90s for a reunion "Dope Dogs" and it's apparently good, too, though at this point, Clinton was probably stuck with the Icon label to the point that radio ignored him.
I am not sure what to make Medicare Fraud Dogg, to be honest.
It's certainly a Parliament record insomuch that it was written by Clinton and his son Tracey Lewis. Indeed, the current Parliament is very much a continuation of family- Clinton's children and grandchildren, Garrett Shider, son of the late diaper wearing P-Funk second in command Garry Shider as well as Pee Wee Ellis and Fred Wesley;and Benny Cowan and Greg Thomas who both have been with George since at least the Motor Booty Affair album.
Still, as the name implies, it's a bit of a downer with the topics of getting older and government inadequacies. Musically, it's not a very peppy album. It sounds of late night jazz- best enjoyed with booze and pills. One looking for "Up for the Downstroke" and "Tear the Roof off.." won't like it.
One concern of mine is Clinton's influence. It's impossible to hear this album without hearing everyone who worshipped George through the years. With its weird quirky skits and voices, it brings to mind a few artists in Clinton's shadow- early Outkast, the Dawgg Pound and their gang and Prince (especially Black Album). Perhaps, it's unfair to compare given none of that exists without George in the first place, but it is.
The second concern comes with some outdated thoughts. We will give that Clinton will have a character like Loodie Poo Da Pimp, but it's a bit awkward in a post #metoo world. As is "Mama Told Me" a strong diss track that is just overflowing with the n- and b- words. It sounds somewhat like a classic 90s gangsta rap track, but is uncomfortable in 2018.
It's hard to stick a review on Medicare Fraud Dogg. It's certainly not a bad album. It's close to two hours long which is ambitious but probably does not help matters. It's a nice parting release as Clinton seems to be getting ready to hang things up, and certainly makes a statement of where so much funk, rap and R&B from the last forty years comes from. It's just a lot to take in and might not be the first record I would grab off the shelves.
Explicit lyrics
