Words cannot capture the delights of The Triplets of Belleville, an astonishing animated movie from the mind of French director Sylvain Chomet. In fact, there are only a few spoken sentences in the entire film; most of the soundtrack is a mix of squaks, barks, and the jazzy music of Benoit Charest. A bicyclist is kidnapped from the Tour de France by mysterious gangsters; his grandmother travels to the city of Belleville (which has a sardonic version of the Statu of Liberty in its harbor), where she tracks him down with the help of a musical trio gone to seed, the Belleville Triplets. This hand-drawn movie is unlike anything you’ll see from Disney; every scene mixes the silent comedy of Jacqus Tati and Buster Keaton–in which the world of objects subtly fights with living beings for mastery–and the bouncy hop of Betty Boop. Uniqu and mesmerizing. –Bret Fetzer
Tracklist: 1. Sous Le Pont (1:51) 2. Belleville Rendez-Vous (Version Française Interprétée Par -M-) (3:09) 3. Générique D'ouverture (0:50) 4. Cabaret D'ouverture (3:11) 5. Tour De France (1:25) 6. Attila Marcel (2:20) 7. Thème Bruno (1:24) 8. Tout Doux Bruno (2:54) 9. Belleville Rendez-Vous (Maquette) (3:21) 10. Thème De La French Mafia (1:44) 11. Bach A La Jazz (1:18) 12. Cabaret Aspirateur (2:20) 13. La Jungle De Belleville (2:58) 14. Barbier " Cieco, Cieco " (1:46) 15. Pa Pa Pa Palavas (2:48) 16. Retour De La French Mafia (1:34) 17. Filiature (2:48) 18. Poursuite (6:24) 19. Belleville (Version Anglaise Interprétée Par -M-) (3:09)
Osmium is the 1970 debut album by the funk band Parliament, led by George Clinton. The album has a psychedelic soul sound with a spirit of experimentation that is more similar to early Funkadelic than the later R&B-inspired Parliament albums.
The original vinyl release contained a glossy lyric sheet.
Since its re-release in 1990, Osmium has been distributed numerous times by various labels in the U.S., Europe and Japan, sometimes under alternative titles that have included Rhenium and First Thangs. A number of these reissues have featured material that was not included on the original album, such as unreleased tracks and singles that were recorded around the same time as Osmium.
The personnel for this album included the five Parliaments singers and the five backing musicians known as Funkadelic. The same personnel also recorded as Funkadelic, releasing that act's self-titled debut album also in 1970. After the release of Osmium, contractual difficulties prevented further recording under the name Parliament until 1974, when Clinton signed that act to Casablanca Records and positioned it as an R&B-inspired counterpoint to the more rock-oriented Funkadelic.
The yodeling that arguably uniquely identifies one of De La Soul's early hits, "Potholes In My Lawn" (which eventually appeared on De La Soul's 3 Feet High and Rising), comes from Osmium's "Little Old Country Boy".
1. "I Call My Baby Pussycat" (George Clinton, Eddie Hazel, Billy "Bass" Nelson) – 4:24 (released as a single-Invictus 9077 under the name "A Parliament Thang") 2. "Put Love in Your Life" (Clinton, Vivian Lewis) – 5:07 3. "Little Old Country Boy" (Ruth Copeland) – 3:58 4. "Moonshine Heather" (Clinton) – 4:05 5. "Oh Lord, Why Lord/Prayer" (Copeland, P. Trim, based on Pachelbel's Canon) – 5:00 6. "My Automobile" (Clinton, Clarence "Fuzzy" Haskins) – 4:45 7. "There Is Nothing Before Me But Thang" (Clinton, Bobby Harris, Hazel, Bernie Worrell) – 3:56 8. "Funky Woman" (Clinton, Worrell) – 2:56 9. "Livin' the Life" (Clinton, Nelson, Worrell) – 5:57 10. "The Silent Boatman" (Copeland) – 5:45
Up for the Down Stroke is a 1974 album by Parliament. It was the band's second album (following 1970's Osmium), and their first to be released on Casablanca Records. The album's title track was Parliament's first chart hit and remains one of the most well-known P-Funk songs. The album also contains a funk reworking of The Parliaments' song "(I Wanna) Testify" under the title "Testify".
1. "Up for the Down Stroke" – 5:10 2. "Testify" – 3:49 3. "The Goose" – 9:13 4. "I Can Move You (If You Let Me)" – 2:47 5. "I Just Got Back [From the Fantasy, Ahead of Our Time in the Four Lands of Ellet]" (P Chase) – 4:33 6. "All Your Goodies Are Gone" – 5:07 7. "Whatever Makes Baby Feel Good" – 6:01 8. "Presence of a Brain" – 3:19
Chocolate City is a 1975 album by the funk band Parliament. It has a theme of love of Washington, D.C., where the group was particularly popular. The album's cover includes images of the United States Capitol, the Washington Monument, and the Lincoln Memorial in the form of a chocolate medallion, as well as sticker labeled "Washington DC".
1. "Chocolate City" – 5:37 2. "Ride On" – 3:34 3. "Together" – 4:07 4. "Side Effects" – 3:13 5. "What Comes Funky" – 2:23 6. "Let Me Be" – 5:37 7. "If It Don't Fit (Don't Force It)" – 2:07 8. "I Misjudged You" – 5:14 9. "Bigfootin'" – 4:50
Mothership Connection is the fourth album by American funk band Parliament, released in 1975 (see 1975 in music). This concept album of P Funk mythology is usually rated as one of Parliament's best. Mothership Connection was the first P-funk album to feature Maceo Parker and Fred Wesley, who had left The J.B.'s, James Brown's backing band. "Mothership Connection" became Parliament's first album to be certified gold and later platinum.
1. "P-Funk (Wants to Get Funked Up)" (G. Clinton/W. Collins/B. Worrell) – 7:41 2. "Mothership Connection (Star Child)" (G. Clinton/W. Collins/B. Worrell) – 6:13 3. "Unfunky UFO" (G. Clinton/W. Collins/G. Shider) – 4:23 4. "Supergroovalisticprosifunkstication" (G. Clinton/W. Collins/B. Worrell/G. Shider) – 5:03 5. "Handcuffs" (G. Clinton/G. Goins/McLaughlin) – 3:51 6. "Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off The Sucker)" (G. Clinton/W. Collins/B. Worrell) – 5:46 7. "Night of the Thumpasorus Peoples" (G. Clinton/W. Collins/G. Shider) – 5:10
The Clones of Dr. Funkenstein 1976 is an album by funk band Parliament, released in 1976. The album is notable for featuring horn arrangements by ex-James Brown band member, Fred Wesley. The album charted at #20 on the Billboard pop chart and became Parliament's second album to be certified gold. Two singles were released off the album, "Do That Stuff", which charted at #22, and "Dr. Funkenstein" which charted at #43.[1]
1. "Prelude" – 1:40 2. "Gamin' on Ya!" – 3:02 3. "Dr. Funkenstein" – 5:46 4. "Children of Productions" – 3:57 5. "Getten' to Know You" – 5:20 6. "Do That Stuff" – 4:47 7. "Everything is on the One" – 3:47 8. "I've Been Watching You (Move Your Sexy Body)" – 6:01 9. "Funking for Fun" – 5:56
"This 1966 LP by Astatke (billed to Mulatu Astatke & His Ethiopian Quintet) isn't shaded by nearly as much African/Ethiopian influence as his later work, which was recorded between the late '60s and mid-'70s. As the title might lead you to believe, it is indeed more in the Latin soul-jazz bag than the later material, sometimes leaning toward the R&B-informed boogaloo sound of the mid-'60s. On his own compositions and arrangements (which comprise about half the LP), sometimes more exotic and African colors bubble closer to the surface, as on the eerie vibe parts he lays on 'Mascaram Setaba" [Source: AllMusicGuide]
Track Listing: Vol. 1 1. I FARAM GAMI I FARAM (M. Astatke) 2:25 Pub. Ichabod Music Co.-BMI 2. MASCARAM SETEBA (Arr. M. Astatke) 1:47 Pub. Ichabod Music Co.-BMI 3. SHAGU (M. Astatke) 3:00 Pub. Ichabod Music Co.-BMI 4. ONE FOR BUZAYHEW (M. Astatke) 3:25 Pub. Ichabod Music Co.-BMI 5. ALONE IN THE CROWD (G. Snapper) 4:00 Pub. Ichabod Music Co.-BMI Vol. 2 1. ALMAZ (M. Astatke) 2:50 Pub. Ichabod Music Co.-BMI 2. MULATU’S HIDEAWAY (M. Astatke) 2:40 Pub. Ichabod Music Co.-BMI 3. ASKUM (R. Houston) 2:04 Pub. Ichabod Music Co.-BMI 4. A KISS BEFORE DAWN (Snapper-Weiss) 3:15 Pub. Worthy Music Co.-ASCAP 5. PLAYBOY CHA-CHA (O. Garcia) 3:50 Pub. Ichabod Music Co.-BMI
Like the drug itself, Acid had a mind-expanding influence on everyone, allowing for a far more adventurous and eclectic edge to slip into New York's Latin music scene. A lot less psychedelic than its title and cover might lead you to believe, Acid remains one of the most far-out fusions of Latin and soul music ever conceived.
Catchy as hell, the records four original Latin/soul numbers ("Mercy, Mercy Baby", "The Soul Drummers", "A Deeper Shade of Soul" and "Teacher of Love") are obscure classics loaded with plenty of vintage '60s soul references—punchy James Brown and Stax Records sounding horns, thickly grooving bass lines, fat-back drums, and cliché soul catch-phrases such as "What I say," "Lord have mercy," "Come on, come on baby" and "Sock it to me!"
El Nuevo Barretto (The New Barretto)" opens the album on familiar ground, with its high-energy boogaloo-styled salsa sung passionately in Spanish. With the second track, "Mercy, Mercy Baby," the sound shifts dramatically as soul gets a serious drenching in hot sauce. The band chants "Mercy, Mercy Baby" behind Memphis-styled horns, catchy lyrics, timbales, and Barretto's kicking congas. The title track, "Acid," opens up sparsely with a lazy hypnotic bass and percussion groove over which stretches the muted trumpet sounds of Rene Lopez (who was soon to be drafted and shipped off to Vietnam). After a rock-steady timbales solo by Orestes Vilato, the band begins calling out "Barretto, Barretto," and master Ray steps forward, obliging them with one of his most fiery and intense conga solos ever. The lyrics on "The Soul Drummers" totally sums up the record: "Have you heard them cooking / The Soul Drummers / well they play so cool / Soul Drummers / so hard to resist / Soul Drummers / with the African twist."
The album's most psychedelic soul sounds can be heard on its closing track, the appropriately titled "Espiritu Libre (Free Spirit)." This instrumental opens with some pretty far out-there trumpet statements that sound as if they could've come straight off of Bitches Brew—pretty advanced stuff for a 1968 Latin record! The track builds into a full blown drum-heated jam flavored with odd rhythmic time-signatures, passionate brass, and feverish bass lines, bringing the album to a satisfying peak that leaves you in bad need of a smoke.
Acid turned on a lot of important players with its irresistible blending of Latin and soul music, significantly helping to bring about the rise of the Afro-Latin funk revolution. [Source: AAJ]
Tracklist: 1. El Nuevo Barretto (Barretto) - 5:50 2. Mercy, Mercy, Baby (Barretto) - 2:44 3. Acid (Barretto) - 5:05 4. Deeper Shade of Soul (Barretto) - 2:46 5. Soul Drummers (Barretto) - 3:48 6. Sola Te Dejare (Barretto/Lopez) - 3:49 7. Teacher of Love (Barretto/Cruz) - 2:27 8. Espiritu Libre (Barretto) - 8:27
