Funkentelechy vs. The Placebo Syndrome

by Parliament

Overview

Parliament simply poured it on for this amazing album, clearly one of its all-time best. At least one band named itself after a lyric -- Urge Overkill, taken from the song "Funkentelechy" itself -- while the amount of times this album has been sampled for the music is uncountable. Besides having an absolutely wonderful name, it contained at least three of the finest Parliament tunes ever, including arguably its signature song. "Flash Light," which closes Funkentelechy on a riotous high, has it all -- a brilliant fake ending, instant singalong value, a synth-bassline to kill for from Bernie Worrell, and so much more. As the album ends, so too does it begin, with a stone-cold classic -- "Bop Gun (Endangered Species)." Starting with a brisk little guitar figure and beat, it turns into an instant party on all fronts, with great lead vocals and an addictive chorus, the Horny Horns and company hitting the grooves and blasting hard. Worrell's laser noises and shimmering keyboard leads and Cordell Mosson's monster bass squelches send everything all that much more over the top. Another song title says it all -- "Sir Nose D'Voidoffunk (Pay Attention -- B3M)." Treated with vocoders to an absurd degree, Sir Nose became the legendary enemy of funk, specifically the Starchild, on many a P-Funk recording (that's the two of them on the hilarious cover, the Starchild himself operating the Bop Gun). The throwaway lines in this song are almost legendary in and of themselves, while the music itself is a great slow build and burn rhythm that piles more on as it goes, with singers, horns, and more taking it to a climax. "Funkentelechy" and "The Placebo Syndrome" both have plenty of goodness as well, while "Wizards of Finance" is an amusing retro diversion, helping make Funkentelechy the highlight it is. ~ Ned Raggett

Product Details

Release Date:	10/03/2025
Label:	Beat Goes Public Bgp
UPC:	0029667027618

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Parliament   Primary Artist,Vocals
Bernie Worrell   Synthesizer,Keyboards
Raymond Davis   Vocals
Cordell "Boogie" Mosson   Bass,Vocals
Clay Lawrey   Horn
Debbie Wright   Vocals
Valerie Drayton   Horn
Fred Wesley   Horn
Phelps "Catfish" Collins   Guitar
Lynn Mabry   Vocals
Maceo Parker   Horn
Dawn Silva   Vocals
Rick Gardner   Horn
George Clinton   Vocals
Glen Goins   Guitar,Vocals
Garry Shider   Guitar,Vocals
Jerome Brailey   Drums,Percussion
Richard "Kush" Griffith   Horn
Michael Hampton   Guitar
Darryl Dixon   Horn
Jeanette "Baby" Washington   Vocals
Danny Cortez   Horn

Technical Credits

Bernie Worrell   Mixing Assistant,Horn Arrangements,Composer
Billy "Bass" Nelson   Composer
Bootsy Collins   Composer
Parliament   Performer
Ronald Ford   Composer
William Collins   Composer
Tom "Curly" Ruff   Mastering
Fred Wesley   Horn Arrangements
Ron Ford   Composer
Jim Vitti   Engineer
Ronald "Pockets" Ford   Composer
George Clinton   Composer,Producer
Willie Nelson   Composer
Glen Goins   Composer
Bill Nelson   Composer
Garry Shider   Composer
George Clinton & the P-Funk All-Stars   Composer
George S. Clinton   Composer
Ron Slenzak   Photography
Stephen Lumel   Artwork