Parliament | CLONES OF DR. FUNKEN | CD

Parliament: Garry Shider, Glen Goins (vocals, guitar); William "Bootsy" Collins (vocals, bass, drums); George Clinton, Calvin Simon, Fuzzy Haskins, Raymond Davis, Grady Thomas (vocals); Michael Hampton (guitar); Fred Wesley, Maceo Parker, Rick Gardner, Michael Brecker, Randy Brecker (horns); Bernie Worrell (keyboards, synthesizers); Cordell Mosson (bass); Jerome Brailey, Gary "Mudbone" Cooper (drums, percussion); Debbie Edwards, Taka Kahn (background vocals).
Recorded at United Sound, Detroit, Michigan & Hollywood Sound, Hollywood, California.
Personnel: Bootsy Collins (vocals, guitar, drums, percussion); Eddie Hazel , Garry Shider, Glen Goins, Glen Collins, Michael Hampton (vocals, guitar); Gary "Mudbone" Cooper (vocals, drums, percussion); Taka Khan, Clarence "Fuzzy" Haskins, George Clinton , Grady Thomas, Debbie Edwards, Raymond Davis, Calvin Simon (vocals); Fred Wesley, Maceo Parker, Michael Brecker, Randy Brecker, Rick Gardner (horns); Bernie Worrell (keyboards, synthesizer); Jerome Brailey (drums, percussion).
Recording information: Hollywood Sound, Hollywood, CA; United Sound, Detroit, MI.
Photographer: Ron Slenzak.
Arrangers: Fred Wesley; George Clinton ; Bernie Worrell; Bootsy Collins.
Following closely on the heels of MOTHERSHIP CONNECTION, the group's undisputed high-water mark, THE CLONES OF DR. FUNKENSTEIN furthers George Clinton's conceptual and musical master plan to funkify the world. THE CLONES unravels the Funk Mob's cosmology and populates it with a cast of mythological characters that includes Starchild (introduced on MOTHERSHIP) and the Funk overlord himself, Dr. Funkenstein. By this album, Parliament have almost completely moved away from the guitar-dominated psychedelic soul of their early '70s output and entrenched themselves in the realm of lighter, horn and keyboard-driven experimental dance music.
While weakened by over-conceptualization and Parliament's sometimes too-goofy sense of humor--qualities that would seriously mar the group's later output--this disc is nonetheless full of freaky, utterly original jam-formula compositions bolstered by outstanding musicianship. "Do That Stuff" and "I've Been Watching You" are highlights. Though old school P-Funk fans may see this record as Parliament's bid for the commercial mainstream, it is still impossible to deny the unique, exuberant music within.

• Format: CD
• Genre: Pop
• Released: 04/01/1994
• Released: 4/1/1994