Funkadelic or Parliament?

[Tupac]

I still don't think I grasp the relationship between these two bands. But when they split, which did you prefer? Mothership Connection is one of my favorite albums, I'd go with Parliament.

[Snakeman1066]

inclined to agree!

as far as relationship..

Parliament and Funkadelic were two bands operating concurrently and consisted of the same stable of musicians playing different types of funk music for two different labels.

[FilterFunk]

Originally Posted by Snakeman1066

inclined to agree!

as far as relationship..

Parliament and Funkadelic were two bands operating concurrently and consisted of the same stable of musicians playing different types of funk music for two different labels.

^This. I like P-Funk better when it's more R&B/dance/funk oriented and less psychedelic funk-rock oriented, so for the most part, I prefer Parliament to Funkadelic.

[crlujan]

I prefer Funkadelic. They just seem more organic. Parliament is funky and all but a little too stiff for my liking. Almost like everything was programmed.

[FilterFunk]

Originally Posted by crlujan

I prefer Funkadelic. They just seem more organic. Parliament is funky and all but a little too stiff for my liking. Almost like everything was programmed.

I've NEVER heard Parliament described as "stiff" or "programmed", but to each his own. Unfortunately, almost all danceable music in the mid-to-late '70s got lumped into disco, and some folks decided that even P-Funk wasn't hip or "out there" enough for them. I actually think of much of Funkadelic's music as too loose. That psychedelic stuff just doesn't work for me. I'm glad that by the mid-'70s the Funk Mob went back to stuff you can move and groove to, instead of trying to relate to the "acid" crowd.

[bearhart74]

Debating aint funkin

[SoCal1]

I SAW THE MOTHERSHIP LAND...

Late 67 or early 68. I was still in my teens and was bandleader-bassist for a, local Detroit R&B singing group The Strides (later to become the disco group CJ & Company). We were doing a show at a popular local club; Casino Royale; and were coming out of the dressing room when I noticed a group of beaded "flower children" looking guys traipsing through the club and throwing flowers around at the patrons there to see our show. I also noticed that I recognized some of these guys as members of another popular local group The Parlaiments who had a hit with the single I Wanna Testify, The only difference was that we used to perform with these guys all wearing matching suits and were real clean cut virtual Temptations clones which is what most of the local Black groups were all striving to be. This was; to the best of my knowledge, one of the very first public appearances by what ultimately became P-Funk; but I knew em when they were sharkskin suit wearing; short haircut styling group known as The Parlaiments from the local scene.

[crlujan]

Originally Posted by FilterFunk

I've NEVER heard Parliament described as "stiff" or "programmed", but to each his own. Unfortunately, almost all danceable music in the mid-to-late '70s got lumped into disco, and some folks decided that even P-Funk wasn't hip or "out there" enough for them. I actually think of much of Funkadelic's music as too loose. That psychedelic stuff just doesn't work for me. I'm glad that by the mid-'70s the Funk Mob went back to stuff you can move and groove to, instead of trying to relate to the "acid" crowd.

Yeah, I know it's not a popular opinion. And I'm not saying that I don't like them. I do, in fact, like them alot. I love you Dr. Funkenstein. Your funk is the best. I just prefer Funkadelic. =)

[Clark Dark]

They're the same band. Just add Fred Wesley, Maceo Parker and the other two brass players and that's all that separates the two units. There's the same vocalists for both units. But Parliament will sometimes add a Junie Morrison, Philippe Wynne or Bootsy or Skeet to sit in on an LP which only added to the Funkiness. Uncle Jams Army my favorite LP from Parliament and Comin Round the Mountain, Cosmic Slop and Tales of Kid Funkadelic my favorite Funkadelic LP's. \n/

[backup]

there is much more bootsy gary glenn bernie fred and maceo on parliament and a lot of george eddie and billy on funkadelic. their style is quite different imo funkadelic has a lot of guitars and is generally more heavy and rock oriented while parliament has that underwater thing going on with more vocal harmonies, horn sections, mutron bass and bernie with crazy clavinets and moog synthesizers. its a funk band while funkadelic is more of a rock band to me
when approaching the 80's they sounded almost the same though


i prefer parliament i love every song on every album, up for the downstroke - trombipulation . you just hear the bootsy bernie george collaboration and monster groove!
and the bridge parts on their songs with vocal harmonies and that sub marine synthesizers! may we bang you, swing down, funkentelechy (my all time favorite recording) party people, deep and what not!
fred wesley did some incredible work on the horn sections.

[mcm]

The early funkadelic is the authentic stuff. Maybe the first 3 or 4 albums.

[FilterFunk]

Originally Posted by backup

there is much more bootsy gary glenn bernie fred and maceo on parliament and a lot of george eddie and billy on funkadelic. their style is quite different imo funkadelic has a lot of guitars and is generally more heavy and rock oriented while parliament has that underwater thing going on with more vocal harmonies, horn sections, mutron bass and bernie with crazy clavinets and moog synthesizers. its a funk band while funkadelic is more of a rock band to me
when approaching the 80's they sounded almost the same though


i prefer parliament i love every song on every album, up for the downstroke - trombipulation . you just hear the bootsy bernie george collaboration and monster groove!
and the bridge parts on their songs with vocal harmonies and that sub marine synthesizers! may we bang you, swing down, funkentelechy (my all time favorite recording) party people, deep and what not!
fred wesley did some incredible work on the horn sections.

^This. It's really just "apples and oranges" in the end, though. The bottom line for me is that they created a whole lot of incredible music.

[mellowgerman]

Can you get to that?

[jj4001]

Love 'em both but I prefer the gritty psych and blues of early Funkadelic. Their self-titled debut album has probably been my most listened to album in the last year.

Parliament's re-make of The Parliaments "All Your Goodies are Gone" has to be one of my favorite recordings ever.

[ugly_bassplayer]

Both are freakin amazing bands. They should get the same recognition as the Beatles , Led Zep.....etc......IMO.

Classic stuff.

[Clark Dark]

^^
that's what we're doing now
and live you got all of them...on the same stage. \n/

[MrFrancis]

I feel like Funkadelic was only greater because they kept something going that should have been long dead, Black Rock an on top of that infused it with soul/funk. Other than that I can't really find a preference. Their song ideas and creativity is something we probably won't ever see again.

[dtripoli]

Interesting thing about Funkadelics studio and live.
It sounds as though they are just goofing around, vamping and riffing on one groove progression or another and it is all
spur of moment creative jams.
Yet a few years back I had a conversation with one of the back vocalists and she said George Clinton
rehearsed them 8 hrs a day, daily and would spend hours on one vocal/musical phrase or another to get it just right.
They were well practiced and very little of their performance was unplanned. She said it was the hardest, most exacting gig she ever had and she'd been around the block a time or two.
Very well orchestrated chaos.

[Headroom]

A choice between Yin and Yang?

[Danno1985]

This is like 6 to one, half dozen to the other for me, but I guess I dig the early Funkadelic stuff most as well. I like the more guitar-oriented sound. The differences in production values are interesting as well. To me, there's a real proto-punk rawness to Maggot Brain. I like the laid-back stoned-out Parliament funk but songs like Super Stupid just rock so hard...

I should say as well that I'm a huge fan of Eddie Hazel and that's a part of it; I really don't think he gets his due.