Our Funk Forefathers, Dare I Frighten You? |
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Rust
Forum Senior Member Joined: October 14 2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 1148 |
Topic: Our Funk Forefathers, Dare I Frighten You? Posted: September 12 2011 at 14:19 |
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Funk, the epitome of music incorporating human psych, soul, and above all...the will to have Fun. This genre's importance in our musical history is displayed through primarily black individuals who came together around the time of what I call, the Last Musical Rennaisance, and transformed their very own identity into an artistic expression. What seperated this style of music From others emerging this time was how it was so heavily influenced by minorities concerned with politics, who shared similar tastes in jazz as well as blues, combining the two American sounds into a fusion that would later become a vehicle for the socially oppressed to reach unto the masses.
Like the law of what goes up must come down, we see a fast and ironic self destruction of funk music as recording companies oversaturate this music with repetitive loops and quick hooks making it more club accesible and destroying the vast orriginality of the early seventies all in order to make more profit. As this period of music gained mass attention at the end of the 70's, we see the rise of disco, and the ending of a monster genre once known as funk. What made disco so profitable and accessible were once staples of a much more complex and artistic genre of music; then again how can music be artistic if it is fit into catagories or genres? That's the beauty of funk, it remained fresh, catchy, orriginal, innovative, and yes even progressive all while still staying close the root sound of jazz and blues fusion. If you have no knowledge of what funk music is, I am going to take the opportunity to show you because I am so gratefull to have found and have given patience towards my understanding of this music. Allow me to list my favorite funk bands that are indeed progressive; all in hopes you will be curious enough to check out; and I promise satisfaction. Sly and the Family Stone James Brown The Meters Funkadelic Parliament Bootsy Collins The Horny Horns Rick James (bitch) War If you want any help where to start I can help. I mainly am interested in furthering this discussion with any fellow funkateers or with anyone who wants to chec them out. These bands have hundreds of hours of music that to me is 100% progressive, and it's time we stopped ignorring it. I for one want the funk and im gonna do my best to bring it back! Now who's with me!? |
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We got to pump the stuff to make us tough
from the heart Its astart What we need is awareness we cant get careless Mental self defensive fitness Make everybody see in order to fight the powers that be |
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lucas
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: February 06 2004 Location: France Status: Offline Points: 8138 |
Posted: September 12 2011 at 14:41 | |
p-funk or funk-rock is not prog rock, or jazz-rock for the matter.
I know a load of funk bands/artists, they may integrate some psychedelia or some rock, but besides the ones that melt black music with jazz-world like Osibisa, Mandrill or Cymande, Assagai, they don't really belong to this site.
However, I agree that instrumental funk bands may have some chance to find their way in the jazz-rock section of PA : Booker T & the MG's, The Meters, Speedometer, Lefties Soul Connection, Skeletons...
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"Magma was the very first gothic rock band" (Didier Lockwood)
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Rust
Forum Senior Member Joined: October 14 2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 1148 |
Posted: September 12 2011 at 14:48 | |
Pick up a bass guitar and ten tell me p-funk is not progressive....
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We got to pump the stuff to make us tough
from the heart Its astart What we need is awareness we cant get careless Mental self defensive fitness Make everybody see in order to fight the powers that be |
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Catcher10
Forum Senior Member VIP Member Joined: December 23 2009 Location: Emerald City Status: Offline Points: 17817 |
Posted: September 12 2011 at 14:54 | |
I grew up listening to Funk in Los Angeles, it was my first experience with music growing up. It was incredibly popular in the neighborhood I grew up in which was almost 80% hispanic/latino and black. I still listen to all of it, primarily Parliament and Funkadelic..its in my blood for sure.
My wife is from New Orleans so I also love southern Funk like The Meters, Neville Bros, Rufus and Maze.
The fine line u have to walk is yes, Disco......as the mid 70's came to a close the music became to programmed. The bands discovered the repeating closed hi-hat/snare 4/4 beat (insert clap also). It was high energy sound, synthesizers began to take over and all the Funk and R&B bands joined the movement. It was ok for about 2-3 yrs.....then it got boring really quick, 1-hit wonders everywhere.
I agree, original Funk is very progressive......Funk has a good vibe here in the PA, if you wanna explore more I suggest you also visit JMA (Jazz Music Archives).
I will also add to your list:
Tower of Power
Neville Bros
Ohio Players
Average White Band
The Bar-Kays
Earth, Wind & Fire (one of my alltime fav bands)
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lucas
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: February 06 2004 Location: France Status: Offline Points: 8138 |
Posted: September 12 2011 at 15:07 | |
based on 'yellow moon' I wouldn't call them "funk" : they incorporate calypso, jazz, reggae, blues, "world" music -in other words "black music" - this is the only album I know of theirs but it is a real masterpiece.
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"Magma was the very first gothic rock band" (Didier Lockwood)
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Rust
Forum Senior Member Joined: October 14 2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 1148 |
Posted: September 12 2011 at 15:13 | |
Excellent additions, how did I forget Earth, or The Ohio players?
Another point I want to make is I want to adress how technical this music gets. For example, Eddie Hazel's guitar as he explores both soft and harsh note textures through crescendoing. Also take into account the incredible precision in the timing of specific instrumental passages combined with the same precision used to layer melodies on top of counter-melodies, in almost hypnotic patterns. |
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We got to pump the stuff to make us tough
from the heart Its astart What we need is awareness we cant get careless Mental self defensive fitness Make everybody see in order to fight the powers that be |
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The Quiet One
Prog Reviewer Joined: January 16 2008 Location: Argentina Status: Offline Points: 15745 |
Posted: September 12 2011 at 15:14 | |
Complex playing does not do 'prog'. It's complex, that's all. Bootsy Collins and Larry Graham are beasts on the bass, but not necessarily prog.
Edited by The Quiet One - September 12 2011 at 15:15 |
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lucas
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: February 06 2004 Location: France Status: Offline Points: 8138 |
Posted: September 12 2011 at 15:32 | |
Talking about Bootsy, I cannot recommend enought the experimental dub/funk/metal band Praxis, which has a similar approach to music as Mr Bungle, and which should find a place in PA :
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"Magma was the very first gothic rock band" (Didier Lockwood)
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Rust
Forum Senior Member Joined: October 14 2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 1148 |
Posted: September 12 2011 at 15:43 | |
For being primarily focus around just dancing and partying, I think the rate at which the band evolved is worthy of earning them a more proper title then "complex".
What P-funk achieved in the album Funkentelechy Vs. The Plecebo Syndrome is a progress in controling chaos. That to me is progressive. 5 star album absolutely |
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We got to pump the stuff to make us tough
from the heart Its astart What we need is awareness we cant get careless Mental self defensive fitness Make everybody see in order to fight the powers that be |
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The Quiet One
Prog Reviewer Joined: January 16 2008 Location: Argentina Status: Offline Points: 15745 |
Posted: September 12 2011 at 15:54 | |
.... the same old topic of "Prog equals Good music", NOT! For me Mothership Connection is incredible funk, 5 stars no doubt, originality, fantastic grooves, some complex stuff here and there, humour, it's just awesome. Prog? Not really. A problem? Nope.
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Logan
Forum & Site Admin Group Site Admin Joined: April 05 2006 Location: Vancouver, BC Status: Offline Points: 35400 |
Posted: September 12 2011 at 15:56 | |
I don't like to confuse the term progressive (adjective) with Prog (noun - as in a Progressive Rock style). Not all progressive music is Prog, and not all Prog is progressive. I use progressive music to mean music that advances music in some way, but it's also been used to refer to chord progressions etc.
Anyway, semantics are boring and so can be pigeonholing music into categories. I love lots of funk -- though I most listen to instrumental jazz-funk, and funky soundtrack type music. |
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Two tracks per many of my fave acts: A Youtube Playlist
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The Quiet One
Prog Reviewer Joined: January 16 2008 Location: Argentina Status: Offline Points: 15745 |
Posted: September 12 2011 at 15:58 | |
I agree with the distinction of both, but I think the OP means 'progressive' as 'Prog'. If not, my mistake, I agree that Parliament (and Funkadelic, amongst others) released very progressive albums.
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Catcher10
Forum Senior Member VIP Member Joined: December 23 2009 Location: Emerald City Status: Offline Points: 17817 |
Posted: September 12 2011 at 16:08 | |
Well I have seen them live many times.....and heard them talk about their music, I am not a big fan of genres, but they have called their music Funk, Soul and R&B, I don't think I have heard them call their music jazz or reggae........That's also why I mentioned them as Southern Funk. If you listen to the song P-Funk off Mothership Connection by Parliament. You can hear them describe Southern funk to even include Doobie Bros.......to me that's a stretch but I think it shows what people thought Funk was in the mid 70's.
And remember they are from Naw'lins.........so I can agree there is a lot of world music influence there, especially with their Cajun background, just listen to their first group album The Wild Tchoupitoulas.
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Logan
Forum & Site Admin Group Site Admin Joined: April 05 2006 Location: Vancouver, BC Status: Offline Points: 35400 |
Posted: September 12 2011 at 16:14 | |
This topic was originally in Suggest New Bands (I moved it to this forum) so he may think the terms close to synonymous (or at least in terms of application). But I wasn't correcting anyone, just wished to clarify the terminology being used. I don't use the term progressive by itself to denote a music style, but some do. Funnily, I find Osmium (1970) to be Parliament's proggiest album, and not as funky as subsequent ones. Just cause I like this track: By the way, I do think P-Funk prog-related, and know that there was a prog influence and I think there are many funk oriented bands not in PA that would be appropriate for the site (prog is a big umbrella term here for quite disparate styles of music). |
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Two tracks per many of my fave acts: A Youtube Playlist
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Catcher10
Forum Senior Member VIP Member Joined: December 23 2009 Location: Emerald City Status: Offline Points: 17817 |
Posted: September 12 2011 at 16:15 | |
I gave that album 4.5 stars on the non prog review thread. It is very progressive in my mind....and the only Prog attributes I mentioned on it were long song compositions and the use of concept album though process.
A lot of George Clinton's song writing is progressive for sure.
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Catcher10
Forum Senior Member VIP Member Joined: December 23 2009 Location: Emerald City Status: Offline Points: 17817 |
Posted: September 12 2011 at 16:18 | |
There is a section in JMA for Funk/related......Parliament are there......That's good enough for me.
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Slartibartfast
Collaborator Honorary Collaborator / In Memoriam Joined: April 29 2006 Location: Atlantais Status: Offline Points: 29630 |
Posted: September 12 2011 at 19:08 | |
I can second you on Praxis. I've got three and they're decent. Kind of like metal, I don't mind a little funk in my prog but I don't really go out of my way to collect it. Did I miss Herbie Hancock's Head Hunters being mentioned? Or does that not qualify? Just curious, not being judgmental, |
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Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...
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Rust
Forum Senior Member Joined: October 14 2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 1148 |
Posted: September 13 2011 at 01:20 | |
Yes Herbie counts, head hunters is magnificent. I really appreciate how he dedicated such a cool song to Sly Stone. I am especially fond of both Sly and the Family Stone albums Stand, and There's a riot Going.
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We got to pump the stuff to make us tough
from the heart Its astart What we need is awareness we cant get careless Mental self defensive fitness Make everybody see in order to fight the powers that be |
||
Rust
Forum Senior Member Joined: October 14 2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 1148 |
Posted: September 13 2011 at 01:27 | |
Other bands, not prog, but fascinating with funkified tendencies in their music:
Primus* - Les Claypool is the sh$! Isley Brothers Axiom Funk The Temtations Isaac Hayes The New Birth Edited by Rust - September 13 2011 at 01:30 |
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We got to pump the stuff to make us tough
from the heart Its astart What we need is awareness we cant get careless Mental self defensive fitness Make everybody see in order to fight the powers that be |
||
rogerthat
Prog Reviewer Joined: September 03 2006 Location: . Status: Offline Points: 9869 |
Posted: September 13 2011 at 01:47 | |
Generally love hybrids like Stevie Wonder or jazz-funk/fusion. Also acid jazz. I like Funkadelic and even that's kinda pyschedelic funk rock, you could say.
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