Our Funk Forefathers, Dare I Frighten You? - Progressive Rock Music Forum

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Topic: Our Funk Forefathers, Dare I Frighten You?
Posted: September 13 2011 at 02:53

You can also check out funk, acid jazz, funk jazz etc right here:
www.jazzmusicarchives.com

rogerthat

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Posted: September 13 2011 at 01:47

Generally love hybrids like Stevie Wonder or jazz-funk/fusion. Also acid jazz. I like Funkadelic and even that's kinda pyschedelic funk rock, you could say.

Rust

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Posted: September 13 2011 at 01:27

Other bands, not prog, but fascinating with funkified tendencies in their music:

Primus* - Les Claypool is the sh$!
Isley Brothers
Axiom Funk
The Temtations

Isaac Hayes

The New Birth

Edited by Rust - September 13 2011 at 01:30

We got to pump the stuff to make us tough
from the heart
Its astart
What we need is awareness we cant get careless
Mental self defensive fitness
Make everybody see in order to fight the powers that be

Rust

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Posted: September 13 2011 at 01:20

Yes Herbie counts, head hunters is magnificent. I really appreciate how he dedicated such a cool song to Sly Stone. I am especially fond of both Sly and the Family Stone albums Stand, and There's a riot Going.

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Posted: September 12 2011 at 19:08

lucas wrote:

Talking about Bootsy, I cannot recommend enought the experimental dub/funk/metal band Praxis, which has a similar approach to music as Mr Bungle, and which should find a place in PA :

I can second you on Praxis. I've got three and they're decent. Kind of like metal, I don't mind a little funk in my prog but I don't really go out of my way to collect it. Did I miss Herbie Hancock's Head Hunters being mentioned? Or does that not qualify? Just curious, not being judgmental,

Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...

Catcher10

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Posted: September 12 2011 at 16:18

There is a section in JMA for Funk/related......Parliament are there......That's good enough for me.

Catcher10

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Posted: September 12 2011 at 16:15

Rust wrote:

For being primarily focus around just dancing and partying, I think the rate at which the band evolved is worthy of earning them a more proper title then "complex".
What P-funk achieved in the album Funkentelechy Vs. The Plecebo Syndrome is a progress in controling chaos. That to me is progressive. 5 star album absolutely

I gave that album 4.5 stars on the non prog review thread. It is very progressive in my mind....and the only Prog attributes I mentioned on it were long song compositions and the use of concept album though process.

A lot of George Clinton's song writing is progressive for sure.

Logan

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Posted: September 12 2011 at 16:14

The Quiet One wrote:

Logan wrote:

I don't like to confuse the term progressive (adjective) with Prog (noun - as in a Progressive Rock style). Not all progressive music is Prog, and not all Prog is progressive. I use progressive music to mean music that advances music in some way, but it's also been used to refer to chord progressions etc.

Anyway, semantics are boring and so can be pigeonholing music into categories. I love lots of funk -- though I most listen to instrumental jazz-funk, and funky soundtrack type music.

I agree with the distinction of both, but I think the OP means 'progressive' as 'Prog'. If not, my mistake, I agree that Parliament (and Funkadelic, amongst others) released very progressive albums.

This topic was originally in Suggest New Bands (I moved it to this forum) so he may think the terms close to synonymous (or at least in terms of application). But I wasn't correcting anyone, just wished to clarify the terminology being used. I don't use the term progressive by itself to denote a music style, but some do. Funnily, I find Osmium (1970) to be Parliament's proggiest album, and not as funky as subsequent ones.

Just cause I like this track:

By the way, I do think P-Funk prog-related, and know that there was a prog influence and I think there are many funk oriented bands not in PA that would be appropriate for the site (prog is a big umbrella term here for quite disparate styles of music).

Two tracks per many of my fave acts: A Youtube Playlist

Catcher10

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Posted: September 12 2011 at 16:08

lucas wrote:

Catcher10 wrote:

Neville Bros

based on 'yellow moon' I wouldn't call them "funk" : they incorporate calypso, jazz, reggae, blues, "world" music -in other words "black music"

- this is the only album I know of theirs but it is a real masterpiece.

Well I have seen them live many times.....and heard them talk about their music, I am not a big fan of genres, but they have called their music Funk, Soul and R&B, I don't think I have heard them call their music jazz or reggae........That's also why I mentioned them as Southern Funk. If you listen to the song P-Funk off Mothership Connection by Parliament. You can hear them describe Southern funk to even include Doobie Bros.......to me that's a stretch but I think it shows what people thought Funk was in the mid 70's.

And remember they are from Naw'lins.........so I can agree there is a lot of world music influence there, especially with their Cajun background, just listen to their first group album The Wild Tchoupitoulas.

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Posted: September 12 2011 at 15:58

Anyway, semantics are boring and so can be pigeonholing music into categories. I love lots of funk -- though I most listen to instrumental jazz-funk, and funky soundtrack type music.

I agree with the distinction of both, but I think the OP means 'progressive' as 'Prog'. If not, my mistake, I agree that Parliament (and Funkadelic, amongst others) released very progressive albums.

Logan

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Posted: September 12 2011 at 15:56

I don't like to confuse the term progressive (adjective) with Prog (noun - as in a Progressive Rock style). Not all progressive music is Prog, and not all Prog is progressive. I use progressive music to mean music that advances music in some way, but it's also been used to refer to chord progressions etc.

Anyway, semantics are boring and so can be pigeonholing music into categories. I love lots of funk -- though I most listen to instrumental jazz-funk, and funky soundtrack type music.

Two tracks per many of my fave acts: A Youtube Playlist

The Quiet One View Drop Down

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Posted: September 12 2011 at 15:54

.... the same old topic of "Prog equals Good music", NOT!

For me Mothership Connection is incredible funk, 5 stars no doubt, originality, fantastic grooves, some complex stuff here and there, humour, it's just awesome. Prog? Not really. A problem? Nope.

Rust

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Posted: September 12 2011 at 15:43

For being primarily focus around just dancing and partying, I think the rate at which the band evolved is worthy of earning them a more proper title then "complex".
What P-funk achieved in the album Funkentelechy Vs. The Plecebo Syndrome is a progress in controling chaos. That to me is progressive. 5 star album absolutely

lucas

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Posted: September 12 2011 at 15:32

Talking about Bootsy, I cannot recommend enought the experimental dub/funk/metal band Praxis, which has a similar approach to music as Mr Bungle, and which should find a place in PA :

"Magma was the very first gothic rock band" (Didier Lockwood)

The Quiet One View Drop Down

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Posted: September 12 2011 at 15:14

Rust wrote:

Pick up a bass guitar and ten tell me p-funk is not progressive....

Complex playing does not do 'prog'. It's complex, that's all. Bootsy Collins and Larry Graham are beasts on the bass, but not necessarily prog.

Edited by The Quiet One - September 12 2011 at 15:15

Rust

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Posted: September 12 2011 at 15:13

Excellent additions, how did I forget Earth, or The Ohio players?

Another point I want to make is I want to adress how technical this music gets.
For example, Eddie Hazel's guitar as he explores both soft and harsh note textures through crescendoing.
Also take into account the incredible precision in the timing of specific instrumental passages combined with the same precision used to layer melodies on top of counter-melodies, in almost hypnotic patterns.

lucas

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Posted: September 12 2011 at 15:07

Catcher10 wrote:

Neville Bros

based on 'yellow moon' I wouldn't call them "funk" : they incorporate calypso, jazz, reggae, blues, "world" music -in other words "black music"

- this is the only album I know of theirs but it is a real masterpiece.

"Magma was the very first gothic rock band" (Didier Lockwood)

Catcher10

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Posted: September 12 2011 at 14:54

I grew up listening to Funk in Los Angeles, it was my first experience with music growing up. It was incredibly popular in the neighborhood I grew up in which was almost 80% hispanic/latino and black. I still listen to all of it, primarily Parliament and Funkadelic..its in my blood for sure.

My wife is from New Orleans so I also love southern Funk like The Meters, Neville Bros, Rufus and Maze.

The fine line u have to walk is yes, Disco......as the mid 70's came to a close the music became to programmed. The bands discovered the repeating closed hi-hat/snare 4/4 beat (insert clap also). It was high energy sound, synthesizers began to take over and all the Funk and R&B bands joined the movement. It was ok for about 2-3 yrs.....then it got boring really quick, 1-hit wonders everywhere.

I agree, original Funk is very progressive......Funk has a good vibe here in the PA, if you wanna explore more I suggest you also visit JMA (Jazz Music Archives).

I will also add to your list:

Tower of Power

Neville Bros

Ohio Players

Average White Band

The Bar-Kays

Earth, Wind & Fire (one of my alltime fav bands)

Rust

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Posted: September 12 2011 at 14:48

Pick up a bass guitar and ten tell me p-funk is not progressive....

lucas

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Posted: September 12 2011 at 14:41

Rust wrote:

I for one want the funk and im gonna do my best to bring it back! Now who's with me!?

p-funk or funk-rock is not prog rock, or jazz-rock for the matter.

I know a load of funk bands/artists, they may integrate some psychedelia or some rock, but besides the ones that melt black music with jazz-world like Osibisa, Mandrill or Cymande, Assagai, they don't really belong to this site.

However, I agree that instrumental funk bands may have some chance to find their way in the jazz-rock section of PA : Booker T & the MG's, The Meters, Speedometer, Lefties Soul Connection, Skeletons...

"Magma was the very first gothic rock band" (Didier Lockwood)