July 12th was the 50th anniversary of the release of one of the trippiest, grooviest, best, most influential records in pop music history. Funkadelic'a Maggot Brain was a melting pot of funk, soul, rock, psychedelia, drug culture, hippie idealism, Black Power politic, hendrixian guitars, jingles and anthems.
1971 also saw the release of two more of soul music's most enduring statements: Marvin Gaye's What's Going On and Sly & the Family Stone's There's A Riot Going On. Maggot Brain does not pale in comparison to those two monoliths. In fact, its influence is still felt today in the music of Anderson .Paak, Janelle Monaé, etc.
This playlist is bookended by two versions of the title track: the original one from the legendary LP, and the live version from the bonus EP included in Funkadelic's other masterpiece One Nation Under A Groove. In between are tracks that are heavily indebted to the psychedelic funk sounds pioneered by George Clinton, Eddie Hazel, Bernie Worrell, Billy "Bass" Nelson, and all the freaks who created this album that isms relevant today as it was half a century ago. An album that transcends time, space, race and genres.
Be sure to check out the album HERE.
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