Search - Parliament :: Chocolate City

Good stuff

09/19/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This album has some good stuff on it. The song Chocolate City, with some great political commentary, has one of the most memorable lines from any song- "You don't need the bullet when you got the ballot." Most of the rest of the album is great dance music- my favorites are Ride On and Together. It doesn't end as well as it begins- I couldn't get into Let Me Be or I Misjudged You- but overall the kind of funk you want from Parliament."

C.C. and the Holy Trinity

J-Funk | Stuart, FL. | 12/24/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The 'Chocolate City' album was the beginning of what would become the Holy Trinity of P-Funk: Clinton/Collins/Worrell. These three funkateers wrote just about all of the songs on this LP, and set the stage for the classic 'Let's Take It To The Stage' and 'Mothership Connection' albums that followed. The title cut is a masterpiece of smooth, Jazz-flavored Funk, with a dead-on-the-point narrative by George Clinton. The Funk continues to flow throughout the LP, until.... "Let Me Be", a sparse, piano-driven, gospel-tinged testament, comes in out of nowhere, reminding the listener that this is Parliament-Funkadelic that you're listening to, therefore expect the unexpected. Only Parliament-Funkadelic could interrupt a steady stream of Funk and throw in some good ol', gut-wrenchin' Soul! The music continues with "If It Don't Fit, Don't Force It", utilizing an up-tempo, light R&B rhythm to mask the far more sophisticated lyrics. The album takes another unexpected turn with "I Mis-Judged You". On this tune Parliament tries to sound like Blue Magic, and...well, it just didn't work. Actually, the song isn't a bad song. They just sound inebriated while singing it. At one point, the singers rush ahead of the tempo and...well, you'll just have to hear it for yourselves. "Big Footin'" brings the Funk back home with some scorching Glen Goins vocals. 'Chocolate City' is a must for any P-Funk collection."

Super-funky CD, despite the terrible ballads......

J-Funk | 06/06/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"..which is why I only gave it 4 stars. I agree with the music fan from Virginia-I really couldn't get into "Let Me Be" or "I Misjudged You", no matter how hard I tried. "Let Me Be" was gut-wrenching enough to make you want to ... IMHO and "I Misjudged You" was depressing. However, especially the first 5 tunes, the rest of the songs were ULTRA FUNKY-just the type of funk you'd expect from Parliament. Ride On!!!!"