Parliament's Greatest Hits -- Uncut Funk...The Bomb

Includes liner notes by Tom Vickers.

Many funk purists dismiss THE BOMB, originally released in 1984, because the vinyl and cassette editions of this best-of compilation contain the edited 7-inch versions of most of Parliament's best songs. This early-'90s CD reissue only partially rectifies the situation--including the uncut seven-minute take of the woozy jazz anthem "P-Funk (Wants To Get Funked Up)" and a small handful of other tracks, but keeping the edited versions of most of the others. While it's easy to see the point of those who have a grievance with this--especially since the CD is barely 50 minutes long--there's an unexpected benefit of these truncated tracks. Hearing these songs in their sharply edited form shows that George Clinton and crew weren't just masters of the endless funk; these songs also have solid structures and an expertly paced sense of dynamics, not just hypnotic grooves. The opening "Up for the Down Stroke" and the classic "Mothership Connection"--edited to highlight the glorious "Swing down, sweet chariot" section--particularly benefit from the pruning. THE BOMB is no substitute for the original albums, of course, and TEAR THE ROOF OFF is a far better overview of the band's career, but this has its uses.