1971 and Black America was luxuriating in the soft soul
of the O'Jays, the Temptations had just left behind their
flirtation with psychedelia, James Brown was
explaining Soul Power, Sly & the Family Stone were
having a Family Affair, and Marvin Gaye was asking
'What's Going On'.
In their own inimitable way, Funkadelic were laying
down their own statement about the ecology of the
planet in the opening of lead and title track 'Maggot
Brain', turning it into an elegy for the Earth in the
ensuing heart-wrenching extended Eddie Hazel guitar
solo - one of the most radical records of the period.
The album also spawned two Top 50 singles with the
usual Funkadelic wry observational humour of 'You
And Your Folks, Me And My Folks' and 'Can You Get To
That'. And just in case you think things have
normalised, the set closes with nine minutes of the
chaotic sound collage 'Wars Of Armageddon'.
This 50 th anniversary edition includes a second 12" with
two versions of the title track. Side A features the live
version from Meadowbrook from the same year that the
studio album came out. Jump forward 46 years to the
"Reworked by Detroiters" release and side B has the
BMG Dub, showing the enduring quality of one of the
great guitar records of all time.
This issue is mastered from fresh transfers of the tape.
