360. Mothership Connection - Parliament

Having seen Parliament/Funkadelic live I was interested to know what their studio-work would be like. Live, it had been chaotic, albeit not being helped by the terrible sound quality at the O2 in Kentish Town. 

If you are looking for funky grooves, then this album does not disappoint. Every track has a great bassline, and the majority are recognisable as samples in moe recent tracks. But, what surprised me, was the depth of the music, which was not only innovative but also more varied than I'd expected. Unfunky UFO, for example, has an exceptional horn section, razor sharp drumming, and also a compelling call and response. 

That the band have influenced others is no surprise - from Hip-Hop to r'n'b, references to the act are easy to come across. For example, Outkast's homage to Supergroovalisticprosifunkstication is apparent on their similarly titled track off Aquemini (thanks Chloe for that spot).

This is an album that really grows, from a decent starting point. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it, and it shows that funk has a lot more depth than I would otherwise have given it credit for. Put pretty much any of these songs on at a party, with a great sound system, and people will rapidly move towards the dancefloor, even if they're not aware they're doing it - that's a thumbs up in my book. 

Chloe's album rating: 7
Chloe's favourite track: 2. Mothership Connection (Star Child)
Olly's album rating: 8
Olly's favourite track: 1. P-Funk (Wants To Get Funked Up)

Next week is 871. Moon Safari by Air.