Funk Essesntials?

[RoaRing_Roach]

I would like to hear some nice funky stuff...

I dont want anybody to tell me about Tower Of Power...'cause they unquestionably dominate!(squib cakes rules so much)and I've got a lot of stuff from them!

I heard something from Motown (or Mototown I dunno) and it was really good.what's the right name?

other bands?
Need some guideness...thanx

[jazzfromhell]

I'm seeing Tower of Power's trumpet player on saturday. Great band, but the three kings of funk are James Brown, Sly and the Family Stone, and Parliament/Funkadelic. These are like the physics, biology, and chemistry of funk, the three basics.

[ToMsK]

average white band are good though im sure if you search this sub forum you'll find many threads like this

[JonG]

Stand!, Superfly, Curtis, Maggot Brain.

[jazzfromhell]

^Great choices, I was running out the door and forgot about Curtis Mayfield. Not as important as the others, but I like him more than James Brown. Now that I've got time to make a more thorough post:

James Brown - Star Time is the best choice, it's four discs but shouldn't be too hard to find at a good price. If you can't afford it, the 50th Anniversary Collection is only 21 songs shorter, on only two discs.

Sly and the Family Stone - Stand!, There's a Riot Goin' On, Fresh

Parliament - The Mothership Connection, The Clones of Dr. Funkenstein, Funkentelechy Vs. The Placebo Syndrome

Funkadelic - One Nation Under a Groove, Uncle Jam Wants You, Maggot Brain

Curtis Mayfield - Curtis, Superfly, Curtis/Live!

[GhostNote]

Herbie Hancock: headhunters, Tower of Power (couldnt resist): Back to Oakland, John Scofield: Hand Jive, James Morrison: On The Edge, James Morrison: Scream Machine, James brown: anything, Vinnie Colaiuta: Vinnie Colaiuta , Lee Ritenour: Feel The Night, Dennis Chambers: Outbreak, Gregg Bisissonette: self titled and Submarine, Sly and the family stone, Herbie Hancock: Fat albert rotunda.

More later


-GN

[L0SerKiD11]

hey im lookin for a REALLY funky band.... anyone give me some suggestions?

[jazzfromhell]

hey im lookin for a REALLY funky band.... anyone give me some suggestions?


Did you listen to my suggestions? Especially Parliament and Funkadelic?

[BillCosby]

Jimmy Smith - Root Down

[GhostNote]

hey im lookin for a REALLY funky band.... anyone give me some suggestions?


Uh, all the suggestions maybe? such as: the ones that me and jazzfromhell said? Wtf?


-GN

[Soulfly666]

Aside from all the ones previously mentioned, check out The Meters and Galactic.

[mrcarter]

I've got this running joke from jazz camp about Scott Stanton being the king of funk...
Basically he's some guy from Iowa that writes up charts for high school big bands and whatever, and one of them is called Chunk of Funk
It's actually a pretty cool song, but reading the guys background was hilarious, quite possibly one of the unfunkiest guys I've ever heard of, hahaha
Look him up if you like, be good for a laugh. Pretty sure that spelling is right

[We_Love_Lime]

The Meters !!!

[EightMilesHigh]

Definitely check out Sly & The Family Stone, especially Papa Was A Rolling Stone.

[franz sanchez]

Every suggestion re: Funk music can be found, along with soundclips, at www.funk45.com

I'll second the suggestion of listening to The Meters - however, stick to their earlier albums (Struttin, Look-ka-py-py etc).

On the whole I'd agree with the suggestions other people have made, though I'd personally AVOID listening to ToP or ANY P-funk. Just my opinion....;)

[AdictAddict]

Galactic! really good band, great drummer.

[onenationunderagroove]

Definitely check out Sly & The Family Stone, especially Papa Was A Rolling Stone.
I dont think that was by Sly.
Anyway though, just listen to the meters. Can't get any funkier than Cissy Strut.

[GhostNote]

AVOID listening to ToP or ANY P-funk. Just my opinion....;)


What reason do you have? or were you joking? Its kinda invalid if you say something the don't back it up with a reason, thats if ur not joking, which i think you are?


-GN

[franz sanchez]

My point against ToP and P-Funk is that they aren't great examples of funk - it would be like suggesting that Jamie Cullum and Michael Buble were the epitome of jazz vocalists without making any reference to Eddie Jefferson, John Hendricks, Carmen McCrae etc.

With the early Meters stuff, the funk newbie can't go wrong - they are a perfect example of how drums bass and guitar fit together to play funk without any cliches such as wah/fuzz/slap/****ty synths etc.

Like I say, my opinion, feel free to disagree, but back it up with something more constructive than "Garibaldi rocks" or some other childish crap.

[franz sanchez]

Hey, GN - you're the only other person around here to rate (or has heard of) Fat Albert Rotunda......nice one.

[jazzfromhell]

I've heard of it, but never listened to it (almost did, once). I've been meaning to buy that Herbie Hancock Warner Bros. set forever.

[GhostNote]

My point against ToP and P-Funk is that they aren't great examples of funk

Like I say, my opinion, feel free to disagree, but back it up with something more constructive than "Garibaldi rocks" or some other childish crap.


Well, i think that they're great examples. *my opinion*. ok, i like garibaldi coz , of his linear grooves, his cowbell rhythms, his overalll ability to find the pocket and his sweet drum sounds. And i didnt say: "Garibaldi Rocks", i didnt say that, or any other "childish crap".


-GN

[franz sanchez]

Personally, I find Garibaldi far to clinical when compared to (for example) Bernard Purdie, Idris Muhammed, Zigaboo or James Black.

GN - You must be the exception - plenty of other people here WOULD say 'Garibaldi Rocks', or some other childish crap.

;)

[flyguy]

Herbie Hancock - Thrust

Palm Grease is probably one of the funkiest songs ever. That opening groove....damn

[doofusinternational]

check out some reggae(bob marly and such) it's kinda funky, but more imprtant; that stuff grooves like crazy

[Dhak]

GALACTIC GALACTIC GALACTIC

They are a kick-*** funk band. Listen to a few of their songs and I guarentee you won't be disappointed. Stanton Moore(the drummer) is incredible along with the sax player and everyone else.

[xTheCheaTx]

It doesn't get much funkier than the Meters. I was first drawn to ToP by Garibaldi's reputation, only to find that I could appreciate enojy and appreciate the Meters much more, not to say ToP isn't good too. Also, some of Miles Davis' later stuff, for example on Live/Evil and A Tribute to Jack Johnson, can be funky as hell.

[franz sanchez]

Davis's stuff can be funky, but it still isn't funk.

[JPL]

P-Funk are the funkeist cats ever.
FREE YOUR MIND
And don't forget BOOTSY!

[pika122689]

Start with Funkadelic and "Nation under a groove" and get some greatest hits album for sly.

[jazzfromhell]

^No...if you're like me, and just about never buy greatest hits albums (underline never, I haven't bought one in a couple years, now), go for There's A Riot Goin' On, Stand!, and Fresh.

[pika122689]

^^^
I'm usually hate greatest hits albums too, my experience for Sly was that I had a greatest hits album first (i forget which), and then I got some of their older stuff like stand! and riot going on.

[some jive turkey]

^No...if you're like me, and just about never buy greatest hits albums (underline never, I haven't bought one in a couple years, now), go for There's A Riot Goin' On, Stand!, and Fresh.

I used to be anti-greatest hits album-buying. Then I started listening to some soul and old R&B and found that's kind of the way to go for that genre. Can't say why....just is.

...like Al Green's greatest hits, is probably all the Al Green I might need in my cd collection.

[Interstate]

As far as motown goes, check out The Commodores (Lionel Richie era). They have some funk-ish songs too.

[ieatSouls]

Graham Central Station....thumpin Larry Graham lays the smackdown on the electric bass in a way that makes the man "funk incarnate."

And also, to the guy who said that ToP and P-Funk arn't great examples of funk...I just don't know how you can say that. Most of the stuff from both bands is (was) innovative (at the time) and relentlessly funky. If you ask most contemporary funk musicians these days, I can guarantee that they will mention one or both as being prime examples of influential funk bands.

[haveatomato]

Earth Wind & Fire, James Brown, and Stevie Wonder are my personal favorites.
these are some good albums i recommend -
I Am - Earth Wind Fire
The Payback - James Brown
Innervisions - Stevie Wonder
Headhunters - Herbie Hancock
Off The Wall - Michael Jackson (kickass)
Mothership Connection - Parliament
One Nation Under a Groove - Funkadelic

theres also alot of awesome jazz funk from the 70s that i still need find out about, if somebody could post some good albums in that genre that would be cool.

[StrawberryFieldsForever]

Lay down the boogie and play that funky music till ya die!

Anyway, the funk is great and there's so much out there.

Listen to some Sly and the Family Stone, Thank You (Falletinme Be Mice Elf Again) is a damn great song...listen to it. James Brown and George Clinton are two names you can't go wrong with...it's all good.