Track Listing

1. Up For The Down Stroke
2. Testify
3. Goose
4. I Can Move You (If You Let Me)
5. I Just Got Back
6. All Your Goodies Are Gone
7. Whatever Makes Baby Feel Good
8. Presence Of A Brain
9. Up For The Down Stroke
10. Testify
11. Singing Another Song

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #45696 in Music
• Released on: 2003-03-27
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Extra tracks, Original recording remastered, Import
• Dimensions: .21 pounds

CD Description
Though the heavier, harder, and more psychedelic Funkadelicwas George Clinton's main outfit in the early '70, the creation of Parliament (named for Clinton's '60s soul group, TheParliaments, which included many core members of Parliament/Funkadelic) is at least as important in the history of P-Funk. In contrast to Funkadelic's acid-rock freak-outs, Parliament emphasises vocals and horn riffs while highlighting tunes and melodies. Early efforts of the brilliantly creative songwriting team of George Clinton, Bootsy Collins, and Bernie Worrell (who would achieve apotheosis on MOTHERSHIP CONNECTION) are on display here.
Many of these tracks are textured, psychedelicised rewrites of such Parliament songs as "(I Just Wanna) Testify", the group's first #1 hit. The deeplysoulful, multi-part vocal version of this track is pure genius and is arguably the album's highlight. The title cut--another hit for the band--is one of Parliament's most infectious booty-movers, and it would be a staple of their live actsfor years to follow. While not essential, UP FOR THE DOWN STROKE is an interesting peek at the beginnings of funk's finest ensemble.

Customer Reviews

An Early Classic
This album has to get 4 stars and not 5, simply because it's not on the level of later albums namely Mothership Connection and Funkentelechy. Despite that it's an early gem that blends a bit more of Funkadelic into the mix than in later albums, most notibly through the inclusion of the supremely talented Eddie Hazel on guitar. His presence is best felt in the pounding 9 minute funk/psychadelic fest that is 'The Goose'.

Up for the Down Stroke is a Parliament classic, with one of those chant like set of lyrics which crop up on tunes like 'Give up the funk (Tear the roof off the sucker)' in later albums. "Get up for the Down Stroke! Everybody get up!" thou shalt obey Mr. Clinton!

'All your goodies..' and 'Whatever makes baby..' have those fantastically simple riffs and bass lines that Parliament thrive on. 'I just got back' is a really NICE song, comical twists and fantasy filled with a pinch of cynicism and whistling to bout. The other tracks are all good in their own right, 'Testify' being the best known of the bunch. The last track is a little bizarre, no surprises there.

A must for the big Parliament and P-Funk fans. Probably not the place to start though.

Gets better and better as the years go by.
This is the album to get after all the "Mothership" albums (Mothership connection to Trompbipulation), as its different in many ways to all of them, more rooted in the 60's harmony of the original Parliaments '5'. Every song on here is great, except perhaps "Just Got Back" which is sentimental and weird. My faves are the superb "All your Goodies are gone" (great Bernie Worrell on keys), and the slammin' "The Goose" (both songs re-makes from the 60's but work better here). Of course the best song is "Up for the Down Stroke".