Review Summary: This is a fantastic collection of guitar-based jams with the band at a peak music-wise, even if the lyrics are for the most part perfunctory.
Standing On The Verge Of Getting It On is an underrated record in the band’s catalog; that is, underrated from the public because fans of Funkadelic are most likely to regard it as one of the group’s finest efforts. The main ‘complaint’ here, from those who rate this album lower than the rest, is the lack of any meaning in the lyrics. But
who cares?. Interesting as the group’s lyrics were, the main attraction was always the music. For my money, George Clinton could have been writing lyrics with any kind of concept and I would still listen to Funkadelic, period.
On to the music now; the record boasts
fantastic grooves and playing from all. After the funny album-opening monologue ending with
Who is this bitch?, a delicious, aggressive riff kicks in simultaneously with Clinton’s sexy vocal delivery. The soloing lasts as long as the track itself, blending effortlessly with the structure of it and is purely intoxicating. But it is not the only worth mentioning Hazel moment of course; the slow, druggy
I’ll Stay features breathtaking sustained vibratos coloring the descending line that serves as the backbone of the track. The pianos are a nice addition, giving a mellower but not too soft touch to the overall sound.
There are also a couple of well-known hits here, lighter than the rest of the stuff.
Sexy Ways is a catchy, more traditional funk ditty with cool ‘call and response’ vocals and sharp rhythm guitar playing meshing with the usual lead patterns of Hazel.
Jimmy’s Got A Little Bit Of Bitch In Him is the other one, that was actually released as a single at the time; it’s a personal favorite of mine, with its funny, ascending vocal melody and tight rhythm section. Plus, the breaks on the track, with the guitar’s sustained notes interacting perfectly with the cascading piano licks, are quite a smart addition.
The major highlight for me, though, is the title track; it boasts a tremendous, unstoppable backbeat, terrific riffing and lead playing, as well as hilarious vocal harmonies. The moment where the line
Standing on the verge of getting it on, getting it on appears as a mantra with Clinton responding by shouting
people, people really gives me
the feels everytime I listen to it. Definitely the best song on the record.
Alice In My Fantasies is another heavy, tightly performed song in the vein of
Red Hot Mama but definitely harder-rocking. The vocals are a bit buried in the mix but it doesn’t really matter; the highlight is Eddie Hazel once again, with this biting, edgy tone he gets from the guitar in the solo. Terrific! The whole aura of the track reminds me a lot of Red Hot Chili Peppers during the
Mother’s Milk era. Goes to show how much of an influence Hazel had on subsequent guitarists, as well as the ensemble itself on music in general.
So far so good. The letdown of the record for me has to be the closing number,
Good Thoughts, Bad Thoughts. It’s not a bad idea by any stretch of the imagination; after all,
Maggot Brain has the same structure as this one, but this one is just
too goddamn long. It is not as mournful as
Maggot Brain and, while we’re at it, not as inspired as far as guitar licks go. The tone is fantastic on this one, clean and refined as opposed to the former’s ragged and dirtier sound, but twelve minutes is too much for pure soloing, with only slow, faded out drums in the background and Clinton’s low pitched voice after the 6 minute mark. I guess it’s nice to hear the whole thing once or twice, but they lose me after that.
In conclusion, I think this is one of Funkadelic’s better efforts, being groovy, druggy, sexy and intense all at the same time. Eddie Hazel is the star here, dominating each and every track with his ferocious guitar playing, but the rest don’t do worse actually; the rhythm section is as tight as ever, the melodies are catchy and well-written and the only drawback is the closer. So, never mind the lyrics as this record catches the group in a fantastic form music-wise. Be sure to make this one of your first purchases if you’re new to the group.
