Psychedelic Soul

Listening to 'Maggot Brain' got me to track down other music like it, 'Psychedelic Soul' seems to be closest genre. Needless to say last week was a great week of musical discovery. I'll post some of the best:


A great cover of the Temptations' classic song. Few songs capture such melancholy menace like the opening verse of "Run, run. run - but you sure can't hide", hearing it again brought goose-bumps. Now take that great seed and expands it to 10 minutes with reverberating guitars and chant-like demands for altered states. It is a mind-bending slice of occult-political soul music.

For the full experience you must join the members of the band in staring at that black candle. I did.


People movin' out
People movin' in
Why, because of the color of their skin
Run, run, run, but you sho' can't hide
An eye for an eye
A tooth for a tooth
Vote for me, and I'll set you free
Rap on brother, rap on
Well, the only person talkin'
'Bout love thy brother is the preacher
And it seems,
Nobody is interested in learnin'
But the teacher
Segregation, determination, demonstration,
Integration, aggravation,
Humiliation, obligation to our nation
Ball of Confusion
That's what the world is today

The sale of pills are at an all time high
Young folks walk around with
Their heads in the sky
Cities aflame in the summer time
And, the beat goes on

Air pollution, revolution, gun control,
Sound of soul
Shootin' rockets to the moon
Kids growin' up too soon
Politicians say more taxes will
Solve everything
And the band played on
So round 'n' round 'n' round we go
Where the world's headed, nobody knows
Just a Ball of Confusion
Oh yea, that's what the wold is today

Fear in the air, tension everywhere
Unemployment rising fast,
The Beatles' new record's a gas
And the only safe place to live is
On an indian reservation
And the band played on
Eve of destruction, tax deduction
City inspectors, bill collectors
Mod clothes in demand,
Population out of hand
Suicide, too many bills, hippies movin'
To the hills
People all over the world, are shoutin'
End the war
And the band played on.

I think one thing is clear about Funkedelic's Maggot Brain: there is no way that it could be captured by one white woman and a violin.
Unless she gave her whole self to the song so thoroughly that it wracked her frame with heart-searing melancholy again and again until it become this powerfully existential erotic performance that blew everyone's mind as completely as 10-member funk band - all in just 5 minutes. But what are the chances of stumbling across that sort of raw primal emotion on Youtube?  
Treat this performance with proper respect and caution because it holds almost nothing back. This is the real thing.

Holy Shit! The cover of maggot brain was amazing.

I think Psychedelic Soul speaks to me.

Three more classics (two featuring seagulls/hawk noises):


Parliament 'Come In Out Of The Rain' from ["Osmium" 1970]
This song is less than 3 minutes - so get ready because this is an intracardiac injection of hope, optimism and community straight from from 1970.


Shuggie Otis - 'Aht Uh Mi Hed ' [Inspiration Information 1974]
Shuggie Otis is a great name. I've been playing this song alot, Steph said that the smooth saddness of opening lyrics makes her want to cry.  



Praxis - The Interworld And The New Innocence  [Transmutation 1992]
From the 70s to the 90s. This is Buckethead on guitar, a member of Parliment on the keyboards, and Bill 'Dark Side of the Moog' Laswell producing. No vocals necessary just a some ocean noises in the background. Close your eyes and enjoy 6-minutes of psychedelic soul bliss.


LYRICS

'Come In Out Of The Rain'

Happiness and peace - Is getting more and more out of my reach
Violence and revolution - Seems to be all that the people wanna preach
You're gunning down your brothers
Molestin' your sisters and your mothers in the streets
Oh, the President's talkin' 'bout change
But nobody's got sense enough to come in out of the rain

When will the people start gettin' together?
Learnin' to live and love one another?
When will the people stop fightin' each other?
Learning to give and help one another

War's my Golden Age
I've been shipped from the cradle to the grave
Put a gun in their hands
Saying it's your duty to kill another man
Guess somebody's been there to the mothers
Makin' widows of the sweethearts and lovers
And this is our land, mmhmm

The President's talkin' 'bout change
But nobody's got sense enough to come in out of the rain

When will the people stop fightin' each other?
Learn to give and help one another
Hey hey hey now (aow)

'Aht Uh Mi Hed '

Aht uh mi hed, it's glowing (x2)

Aht uh mi hed 'cause I heard
Something said in a word
From your voice did I hear
"only choice, dear?"

Aht uh mi hed, je t'aime
From shots / that shot above

Aht uh mi hed things are different

Aht uh mi hed all the time
In the bed for a rhyme
Flashing back to your air and the good there

There magic too
When the spread is on you
Won't you read me a trip
From your whip. Here.. Who.. (???)
It's about time for something new
You got to grow, got to grow

More Eddie Hazel. I knew this song from one of those hour-long mixes I picked up in the Napster era but I never knew the title or artist. It came at the end of the mix and was the perfect mellowness to re-introduce me to the physical world after a hour of headphones exploration.

Put this on once the day is done and the Sun hangs low and red. For the next 12 minutes, no internet, no phones, no worrying about the past/future or who you should be or what you should be doing - just melancholy psychedelic soul music pouring over you like spring melt-water over ancient Canadian Shield rocks.