Funk on Life

Thinking big, Bootsy Collins’ 2011 effort is a conceptual trip, a funky history lesson brought to life by the P-Funk veteran, his rock-solid band, and a slew of guest stars, ranging from rapper Ice Cube to professor Cornel West. In between, there’s funk-rock shredding from freaky and frequent collaborator Buckethead, some psychedelic storytelling by way of an old Jimi Hendrix interview, plus better-than-expected prose from both Rev. Al Sharpton (on the cultural magnificence of James Brown) and Samuel L. Jackson (on how the funk era was a Renaissance for the hood). Underneath it all, the P-Funk jams pop and stroll with that same old swagger, while Bootsy himself beams down his wild bits of Mothership wisdom, including “It’s recess time, so put a smile on your mind” (“Don't Take My Funk”) and “If you wanna lead the orchestra, you’re gonna have to turn your back to the crowd” (“Siento Bombo”).

Grand Funk Railroad continued to move further into the pop/rock mainstream with this hit album. They are aided considerably in this aim by the ultra-slick production of Jimmy Ienner, a producer best known for his work with the Raspberries: songs like "Runnin'" and "Memories" boast rich yet punchy horn and string arrangements that beef up the group's sound without softening its energetic edge. The album's combination of high-gloss production and the band's energy resulted in some impressive hits: "Some Kind of Wonderful" is an exuberant, organ-drenched soul song that highlight's the group's strong harmonies while "Bad Time" mixes a delicate, string-laden melody with a pulsing beat from the rhythm section to create a one-of-a-kind power ballad.

Although the Crusaders could not have known it at the time, their recording of "Street Life" (which features a memorable vocal by Randy Crawford) was a last hurrah for the 20-year old group. Their recordings of the next few years would decline in interest until the band gradually faded away in the '80s. However this particular set is well worth picking up for the 11-minute title cut and there is good playing by the three original members (Wilton Felder on tenor, soprano and electric bass, keyboardist Joe Sample and drummer Stix Hooper) along with guitarist Barry Finnerty; horn and string sections, plus additional guitarists are utilized on Sample's commercial but listenable arrangements.