CC Briefs: "Funked Up: The Best Of Parliament" by Parliament

Artist: Parliament
Album: Funked Up: The Best Of Parliament
Label: Mercury

You can find several “greatest hits” compilations highlighting Parliament’s finer moments in history and even though any compilation listing the brighter moments such as “Flash Light”, “Dr. Funkenstein” and “Tear The Roof Off The Sucker” is sure to be a keeper, “Funked Up...” is the only supreme collection on the shelves that offers the bulk of Parliament’s best and much more. Tucked deep in this sixteen track collection from Casablanca Records is a small coverage from each and ever album they released; dating from 1974 to 1980 and they are evened out pretty nice; basically getting two songs per album. It should go on the record that Parliament, along with Funkadelic, were groups that were mostly known for their full-length albums rather than focusing on being artists that focused on singles. But the big singles are offered here, which include “Flash Light”, of course, and other favorites such as “Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off The Sucker” and “Aqua Boogie”. But pay close attention to the melodious “Do That Stuff”, the irresistible DJ raps from “Chocolate City” and “P. Funk (Wants To Get Funked Up)” along with the funky live inclusion of “Let’s Take It To The Stage”, taken from the highly-praised Parliament Live album. Don’t let it surprise you that most of the long cuts are cut down in song length, in order to accommodate space for sixteen cuts. But you are not going to disappointed at all, especially if you are a true P. Funk fan, by this collection. For one disc, this is a definite winner. It don’t matter if you gotta spend $15 dollars to pick this one up, refrain from the discount-priced collections and grab this one for the perfect introduction to P. Funk-maina.

CC USA SCORE: 9.58
MUSIC STYLE: Funk, R&B
RELEASE DATE: November 5, 2002

SONG SELECTION:
1. Up For The Down Stroke (3:27)
2. All Your Goodies Are Gone (5:06)
3. Ride On (3:37)
4. Chocolate City (5:39)
5. Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off The Sucker) (5:48)
6. P. Funk (Wants To Get Funked Up) (7:43)
7. Mothership Connection (Star Child) (3:16)
8. Do That Stuff (4:50)
9. Dr. Funkenstein (5:47)
10. Let's Take It To The Stage (Live) (5:11)
11. Fantasy Is Reality (5:58)
12. Bop Gun (Endangered Species) (3:42)
13. Flash Light (5:50)
14. Aqua Boogie (A Psychoalphadiscobetabioaquadoloop) (4:29)
15. Theme From The Black Hole (4:40)
16. Agony Of Defeet (4:25)