"Maggot Brain" by Funkadelic
Written by Eddie Hazel, George ClintonProduced by George Clinton
Released on Maggot Brain (July 12, 1971)
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Warning: Explicit Lyrics
I'm not sure what it says about me that out of everything in George Clinton's extensive P-Funk catalog, I decided to put his least funky song on my top 100 list. It certainly can't be anything good, but I'm a sucker for good guitar instrumentals, and funky or not, "Maggot Brain" is a great guitar instrumental. There's something about a true master of the guitar putting it all out there, and letting their guitar do the talking for them. Eddie Hazel's guitar is certainly speaking here, and I can't claim to know what it's saying, but what it is saying is powerful and beautiful.
Apparently the version of "Maggot Brain" that made it on to the album of the same name, was recorded as one brilliant 10 minute take of guitar god magic. It's not perfect, and an argument could be made that they would have been better off splicing tape together or running through more takes or rehearsals. What is here, though, is full of magic and moments of sheer genius. Whatever it could have been or should have been or would have been doesn't matter. This guitar solo has enough moments of spine tingling euphoria to make up for its less blissful and less perfect sections.
"Maggot Brain" is by the George Clinton led band Funkadelic, one of a small collection of bands he led. All his bands seemed to record and play together, and their personnel and album releases overlapped. They all sound different in some ways and the same in others, and I'm not sure I totally understand their differences or their similarities. The best I can tell is that Funkadelic is the cool band, Parliament is the fun band, P-Funk All-Stars is the touring band, and Bootsy's Rubber Band is the awesomely weird side-project. (Bootsy's Rubber Band actually shows up later on in the list, and of course, I chose another not-so-funky song by one of the greatest funk artists of all time. What is wrong with me?)
"Maggot Brain" is a fascinating song to come out of George Clinton's catalog. It's a deadly serious song. It eschews any of the typical themes that permeated George Clinton's more iconic and commercially successful work. Unlike much of his music, it's not fun and bouncy, but instead is somewhat contemplative and spiritual.
While thinking about what I love about "Maggot Brain," I was reminded of the Sunday Schools I attended as a youth where I first fell in love with music. The hymns we sang were serious, powerful, and sincere. I think a lot of my musical sensibilities are still rooted in that time and in those hymns. The songs I enjoy the most and would rate as "best" are usually more serious in nature and more emotive in execution. This is not the last time a "serious" song from a "fun" band will find its way onto my top 100. Even outside of a church setting, listening to music has always been, at least in part, a religious experience for me. (I do like fun music, and fun songs are included in my heavy listening rotation and are sprinkled throughout my top 100, but ultimately when I rate the songs in my arbitrarily subjective way, serious usually beats fun unless some serious nostalgia is involved.)
"Maggot Brain" is by no means a religious song, but the way that Eddie Hazel spoke and emoted through his guitar on this track speaks to a religious experience. Great music, even when it's not explicitly religious, is inherently spiritual. Frankly, some of the least moving and least spiritual music I hear is the "Christian Rock" that is spewed forth from more and more churches around the country. I genuinely feel closer to God listening to Eddie Hazel's plaintive guitar solo than I would listening to something on a Christian radio station.
Church, religion, and music have always been comforting to me, sometimes individually, and sometimes together. Many of the hymns I sang as a six year old in Sunday School still move me when I sing them in church as an adult. Those hymns will often come to mind when I am searching for answers to life's many great questions. I don't think it is a coincidence that Eddie Hazel's guitar speaks to me in a similar way.
"Maggot Brain" is by the George Clinton led band Funkadelic, one of a small collection of bands he led. All his bands seemed to record and play together, and their personnel and album releases overlapped. They all sound different in some ways and the same in others, and I'm not sure I totally understand their differences or their similarities. The best I can tell is that Funkadelic is the cool band, Parliament is the fun band, P-Funk All-Stars is the touring band, and Bootsy's Rubber Band is the awesomely weird side-project. (Bootsy's Rubber Band actually shows up later on in the list, and of course, I chose another not-so-funky song by one of the greatest funk artists of all time. What is wrong with me?)
"Maggot Brain" is a fascinating song to come out of George Clinton's catalog. It's a deadly serious song. It eschews any of the typical themes that permeated George Clinton's more iconic and commercially successful work. Unlike much of his music, it's not fun and bouncy, but instead is somewhat contemplative and spiritual.
While thinking about what I love about "Maggot Brain," I was reminded of the Sunday Schools I attended as a youth where I first fell in love with music. The hymns we sang were serious, powerful, and sincere. I think a lot of my musical sensibilities are still rooted in that time and in those hymns. The songs I enjoy the most and would rate as "best" are usually more serious in nature and more emotive in execution. This is not the last time a "serious" song from a "fun" band will find its way onto my top 100. Even outside of a church setting, listening to music has always been, at least in part, a religious experience for me. (I do like fun music, and fun songs are included in my heavy listening rotation and are sprinkled throughout my top 100, but ultimately when I rate the songs in my arbitrarily subjective way, serious usually beats fun unless some serious nostalgia is involved.)
"Maggot Brain" is by no means a religious song, but the way that Eddie Hazel spoke and emoted through his guitar on this track speaks to a religious experience. Great music, even when it's not explicitly religious, is inherently spiritual. Frankly, some of the least moving and least spiritual music I hear is the "Christian Rock" that is spewed forth from more and more churches around the country. I genuinely feel closer to God listening to Eddie Hazel's plaintive guitar solo than I would listening to something on a Christian radio station.
Church, religion, and music have always been comforting to me, sometimes individually, and sometimes together. Many of the hymns I sang as a six year old in Sunday School still move me when I sing them in church as an adult. Those hymns will often come to mind when I am searching for answers to life's many great questions. I don't think it is a coincidence that Eddie Hazel's guitar speaks to me in a similar way.
Right now, "Maggot Brain" by Funkadelic is (probably) my 79th favorite song of all time.
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