Funkadelic – Maggot Brain: #813 of best 1,000 albums ever!

Why is Funkadelic’s Maggot Brain on my best 1,000 albums ever list?

A work of psychedelicized funk/soul/rock bizarro-genius that you may choose to hit and/or quit.

What does Funkadelic’s Maggot Brain mean to me? What does it make me feel? Why is it exciting or compelling?

Nobody does it like Funkadelic. Nobody. And the fact that this work of psychedelicized funk/soul/rock bizarro-genius by George Clinton and crew was produced way back in 1971 is simply wild.

For me, a major highlight is “Hit It and Quit It,” a soul-funk joy ride that’s both tight and powerful. My bias is away from ponderous, meandering music, jam bands and noodling, and music that doesn’t give you a sense that it doesn’t have a clear mission.

So while there are sections of the two long songs on Maggot Brain – the nine-minutes plus “Wars of Armageddon” and the ten-minutes plus title track – that are interesting or engaging in pieces, 100 times out of 100 I’m going to flip on “Hit It and Quit It” and allow it to melt my brain as though to bear personal witness to the funk mothership of lore descending, deigning to bestow its Funk Offerings on the likes of myself, a mere Mortal.  

It’s so intriguing that “Can You Get to That” opens with an almost folksy rock section before segueing into funky gospel. It’s by far the prettiest song on Maggot Brain, and really strong at that.

“Back In Our Minds” is a weirdo funk rock number that always makes me giggle a little, though I’m not entirely sure why. Probably the oddball sound effects.

Pop culture stuff that’s somehow related to Funkadelic’s Maggot Brain

I’m an enormous fan of the 1994 college comedy, PCU. While its plot is much less important than the comedic beats, one part of the story culminates in our gang of heroes mostly lucking into getting Parliament-Funkadelic (as they are billed at the time) to play a show, the proceeds of which will go to saving The Pit!

Here’s Gutter AKA the Gut Man AKA “Don’t be that guy!” AKA Jon Favreau introducing the band. Yes, that Jon Favreau. And let me tell you, he knows where the Pampers can be found at.

P-Funk performs two songs in the movie, “Erotic City” and “Stomp.” The latter is by far my favorite. I couldn’t find a clip of the scene from the movie, but here’s the song. Fantastic stuff.