#363 Parliament, 'The Mothership Connection' (1975)

Previously #276

Coming to you directly from The Mothership, ‘The Mothership Connection’ is a concept album based on a black pimp sitting in outer space on a spaceship shaped like a Cadillac. Whatever drugs George Clinton was on, they made him funky as hell. This album was entered into the National Recording Registry declaring that "The album has had an enormous influence on jazz, rock and dance music." Surprisingly, it wasn’t entered for its influence on Hip Hop. George Clinton was a major influence on Hip Hop. His attitude and his music was sampled in many songs in the ‘90s and beyond. Dr Dre sampled the first two tracks, ‘P-Funk (Wants To Get Funked Up’ and ‘Mothership Connection (Star Child)’ on his record, ‘The Chronic.’

George Clinton is the coolest. Such an innovator in music. It’s impossible to listen to this record and not feel happy. Try it. It’s just not possible. Of course, this album features the great Bootsy Collins on bass but its main contribution to pop culture? It’s the first time on record that “the bomb” was used as slang (“Dealers of funky music, P. Funk, uncut funk, the bomb”). Major highlight on the album for me is ‘Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off The Sucker).’

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