Customer Reviews

Tapoafom

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

There is a reason why Sir George is an icon to so many of the young hip-hop crowd. The fact is plain and simple: the man can jam. No better proof than in this album from 1996. It may be five years old but the funk has never sounded funkier (Forgive the redundancy!).

Clinton and the P-Funk All-stars (Bootsy Collins, Ray Davis, Lashonda Clinton among others) take the listener on an all-encompassing journey through the wonders of the musical universe with a solidified amalgamation of uncensored cosmic music. Yeah, that description is wordy, but Clinton deserves it.

Only Clinton could feature the line "I can do it like hot grits on Al Green," found in the song "Funky Kind (Gonna Knock It Down)." Other stellar selections are "Summer Swim," "New Spaceship" featuring the Gap Band's Charlie Wilson on vocals, "Flatman and Bobbin," reminiscent of Parliament's 70's heyday, "Rock the Party," and the two versions of the title cut.

Clinton can still put this nation "under one groove": HIS!

While T.A.P.O.A.F.O.M. may be a strange title, realize that it stands for "The Awesome Power of a Fully Operation Mothership." And realize also, that this is George Clinton and the P-Funk Allstars, who are anything but conventional.

And in that same vein, this is not your typical funk record. The Allstars supply molasses-smooth grooves for Clinton to croon over, which he does very well on tracks like "Underground Angel," the title track and "Fly Away."

There are also moments where this is an out-and-out party starter. "If Anybody Gets Funked Up (It's Gonna Be You)" kicks off the album in grand fashion with a nice groove, and the capper is a remix of the same song by P-Funk associate Colin Wolfe.

But there are those songs that lapse into a boring cadence and stay there. Tracks like "Flatman & Bobbin" and "Mathematics" are prime examples of filler rather than meat.

"T.A.P.O.A.F.O.M." is hit-or-miss a good portion of the time. There's nothing on here that is really truly BAD, but there are a few selections that are definitely less than good. All in all, however, this is a good record, and if you're a P-Funk fan, this is most definitely your LP.

If funk were made of strawberries and bananas I'd be drinking a lot of smoothies. This album is simply great. It's everything a 20-something college kid likes about Hip-Hop, Funk, and any kind of good music rolled into one album. It's really smart music too. Hard as Steel is brilliantly funny without being too corny, and Underground Angel is amazing. BUY THIS.

When I want to get funked up with mellow-heavy in hip hop I turn to the P because only the weasle will go POP---A Must Have CD!

George tells it like it is in tapoafom, the slap bass in this album will change your perspective on music. If you dont dig this album the first time you hear it, try a little x and let your body roll. This album is amazing to just leave playing at a party and durning those romantic evenings with queen bee.

I first heard George Clinton after I had asked a DJ accquaintance of mine, who had very different taste in music to me, to "blow me away" with some music he'd like to turm me onto (me being a Phillistine and all).

Yep! He got me. This is a great album. I'd buy it just for "Hard as Steel". Such cool funky wit.

I almost start hallucinating a video every time I listen to Underground Angel, the song is so evocotive.

The whole album is full of witty, smooth funky excellence.

I've been listening to this CD since it came out and always, always hear something new. Incredible, soulful music layered with musical ideas on a crisp funk pallete might describe one tune. Slick production matched with clever rhymes and mystery beats may describe another. Incredible Sounds overall! And the harmony!!! GC's vocal range is currently limited to the lower strata, but the female singers chiming in atonal on top of him does the trick. Best P-Funk music since "Mothership Connection" or "One Nation. . ."

I love this disk! It's totally infectious. It's got everything you love about PFunk on it. Infectious beyond belief, with your headphones on you'll embarass yourself by dancing in public places. It's a party disk from the beginning to the end.

I took this disk along to audition a new pair of speakers and ended up leaving the disk there with the sales guy.

R-S

It's not called Funkadelic, for reasons unknown to us common mortals, but make no mistake: more than 75 minutes of lean and well hung P-Funk, really not one bad song amongst them, what more would a starving P-Funk acolyte want?! Some of the songs try to give The P-Funk a "modern" face, meaning, they are assembled around beats we have heard before from many HipHop or NuSoul artists (Hard As Steel), but then woven into the songs are the typical Clinton vocal arrangements (lovely: the girl choruses), Bernie Worrell's gorgeous keyboard wizardry and of course, the Space Bass by Yours Truly. The music sounds like they come fresh from a Parliament (If Anybody Gets Funked Up, Summer Swim), a Funkadelic (T.A.P.O.A.F.O.M., Funky Kind) or a Bootsy session (New Spaceship, Sloppy Seconds). Sometimes, a Bluesy feeling comes through, like in the old days (T.A.P.O.A.F.O.M.). The band is tight as ever, and they're all there: Bootsy, Juni, Gary Shider, Michael Hampton, you name them! Personal favorites are Sloppy Seconds, Get Your Funk On, Funky Kind ... There wasn't really any production in Contemporary Black American Pop in '96 that came close to this one, and isn't that a pity! What the CD lacks is the loose and experimental touch which the great P-Funk records had. and it also lacks the timeless quality they had: after a while, you become aware you haven't played the CD for quite a while. Still, compliments to George and his mob. Play loud! Dance! Or simply - enjoy the fact that the mothership is still afloat!
T.A.P.O.A.F.O.M. - "The Awesome Power Of A Fully Operational Mothership" - for that, however, pick "Mothership Connection".

This is a first rate album that shows George can still funk with the best of them! In fact, he taught most of 'em. If Anyone Gets Funked Up, Summer Swim, Mathematics, Let's Get Funky and Can I Rock the Party are my faves. A good mix of old style P-Funk and some contemporary slicked up stuff. I love it!