By Way Of The Drums

Performer: Funkadelic
Producer: George Clinton; Jeff Lorber; Harry Weinger (Compilation); Alan Leeds (Compilation)
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: To a certain degree, you can say that Funkadelic's By Way of the Drum is a kin to Prince's The Black Album -- it's a completed album that was shelved, and it seemed like it would never see the light of day. The story goes something like this: in the mid-'80s, Funkadelic completed the album for MCA Records, who then rejected the release, before (supposedly) misplacing the master tapes. Almost two decades later, the tapes were found, and By Way of the Drum finally saw its belated release in 2007. Those expecting another classic like Maggot Brain or Standing on the Verge of Getting It On will be disappointed, as the album reflects the clean-sounding robotic funk style that was commonplace in the '80s. And as evidenced by such tunes as "Nose Bleed" and especially the title track, the album doesn't exactly spotlight the group's strongest songwriting hour (a pointless cover of Cream's "Sunshine of Your Love" helps pad the track listing). By Way of the Drum will only be of interest for diehards interested in hearing this curious relic from the vaults. The rest of us can stick with the aforementioned classics. ~ Greg Prato

Mojo (Publisher) (p.131) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "BY WAY OF THE DRUM features a highly cherished cast of P-Funk characters. Garry Shider, Donnie Sterling and Mallia Franklin provide mesmeric vocals throughout."

Established at the dawn of the '70s, Funkadelic mixed hard rock, psychedelia, soul, and funk in equal measure. Led by funk godfather George Clinton, they released a brace of enormously influential albums throughout the decade, buoyed by the liquid bass lines of Bootsy Collins and the mind-melting guitar of Eddie Hazel. Over the time, the line between Funkadelic and Clinton's other project, Parlaiment, became increasingly blurred. They've influenced everyone from rock bands (Talking Heads, Red Hot Chili Peppers) to rap acts (Dr. Dre, Ice Cube), and remain among the most distinctive funk-rockers ever.

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