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What happened to funk?

#222
I have thoroughly enjoyed alot of the links to music. I wish there were more links and less chest puffing. Thank you Kwesi and the others that are putting up links to new funk. I am glad there are bands carrying on the music that I can go see. As for the "old timers" I'm very jealous that you were there to actually see all the bands I've been listening to in their hey days. Can't we just get along and get awesome links to "new funk".
 
#226
They're generally right though. Music in general was a LOT better before I was born in 1987, and that is a fact I'm not even willing to discuss. Except for maybe some jazz and metal there are almost no bands out there that can compare against the old ones. Just not the same quality.
 
#227
I don't think you can actually pigeon hole "funk' as a specific genre of Music. There is and always has been a lot of funky music, and it's found in everything from Soul to Gospel, Bebop to Rock an Roll, Death Metal to Stoner Rock, Pop, Disco, Rap, Punk, Jazz, Country, Hip Hop, Blues, New Wave Fusion Neo Goth Post Industrial Banana Core... Hell even some of the really bad Ultra White Suburban Pseudo Hippy/Soft Rock Music from the late 60's had some pretty funky groves in it.

Funk is the Undefinable Swager in music that creeps up on you and slaps you in the ass, and makes you say "Daaaayam". And that's just the way it should be. :) If your Trying to be funky...you'll never never find it.
 
#228
omnimutant said:
I don't think you can actually pigeon whole "funk' as a specific genre of Music. There is and always has been a lot of funky music, and it's found in everything from Soul to Gospel, Bebop to Rock an Roll, Death Metal to Stoner Rock, Pop, Disco, Rap, Punk, Jazz, Country, Hip Hop, Blues, New Wave Fusion Neo Goth Post Industrial Banana Core... Hell even some of the really bad Ultra White Suburban Pseudo Hippy/Soft Rock Music from the late 60's had some pretty funky groves in it.

Funk is the Undefinable Swager in music that creeps up on you and slaps you in the ass, and makes you say "Daaaayam". And that's just the way it should be. :) If your Trying to be funky...you'll never never find it.
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Funk is just as distinct as New Wave, Punk, Disco, Pop and Rock are from each other. It may be related to R&B and Philly style disco and a grandson of blues and groove based jazz but it is a distinct genre
 
#229
Dellers said:
They're generally right though. Music in general was a LOT better before I was born in 1987, and that is a fact I'm not even willing to discuss. Except for maybe some jazz and metal there are almost no bands out there that can compare against the old ones. Just not the same quality.
Click to expand...

Only if you stay in mainstream music, if you are willing to go outside of the beaten path you will discover great music made today ! and it is true for every music style.
 
#230
Jhengsman said:
Funk is just as distinct as New Wave, Punk, Disco, Pop and Rock are from each other. It may be related to R&B and Philly style disco and a grandson of blues and groove based jazz but it is a distinct genre
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Well said. Even though it's all subjective, I will always maintain that there's funky music...and then there's The Funk!

In regards to "what happened to funk," I heartily agree with what someone posted in this thread about mid-to-late '70s funk being lumped in with disco. I even saw a disco compilation that included the O'Jays' "For The Love Of Money" and EWF's "Shining Star." And when "Flashlight" is called disco, you KNOW folks are confused! Funk lost a lot of momentum when the disco backlash happened, and while it hasn't gone away, it certainly hasn't been the same since.
 
#235
bass12 said:
There was plenty of funk post 1975. In fact, the whole go-go scene in D.C. was post-1975.



I'm guessing you don't have much respect for historians - unless, of course, they were "there".


As DW pointed out, there was plenty of funk going on before 1971. Just a few examples:

"Cold Sweat" (1967)
"Cissy Strut" (1969)
"Thank You (Falletinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" (1969)"

Give It Up Or Turnit A Loose)" (1969)
"I Got The Feelin'" (1968)
"It's A New Day" (1969)
"Ain't It Funky Now" (1969)
"Funky Drummer" (1969)

And that's all pre 1970. In 1970 alone you had all kinds of funk going on...
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Good examples, and the heavy hitters in funk will always regard Sly's Thank You as one of the funkiest songs ever recorded. That opening guitar riff is actually 4 separate tracks.
 
#237
I love funk and I always will. Funk has blended into our music culture in some ways as already mentioned but I wish there was more of it and I wish it was more prominent today. I think it's the best dance music in the world. When I heard Jamiroquai in the late nineties, I thought and hoped there would be a funk revival of sorts but it didn't happen. Hopefully some band will come along and change that.
 

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