Funk
: The MUSIC, the PEOPLE and the RHYTHM of THE
ONE
(The Book, by Rickey Vincent)
For once, we'd like to present you a book instead of
the music itself. Rickey Vincent's book Funk, tells a vital
vibrant history, the history of a uniquely American music born
out tradition and community, filled with energy, attitude, anger,
hope and irrestistable spirit. It's the only musical genre ever
to have transformed the nation into a throbbing army of
bell-bottomed, hoop-earringed, rainbow-Afro'd warriors on the
dance floor. Its rythms and lyrics turned bleak urban realities
inside out with distinctive, danceable downright irresistable
music. Rickey Vincent brings as one of the first and only writers
tribute to the funk. It spans the complete range of the funk.
From early James Brown funk, funky soul of Stevie Wonder,
Temptations, black rock funk of Jimi Hendrix, Sly and the family
stone, jazz funk of Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, monster funk of
Parliament, Funkadelic, naked funk of Rick James, Gap Band, disco
funk of Chic, funky pop of Kool & The Gang and Chaka Khan,
Hiphop of De La Soul, funk sampling rap of Ice Cube and more.
The book is an essential reading for everyone who wants an
indepth view of the funk scene, focussed on the seventies.Rickey
Vincent gives a clear picture of all facets of the funk, its
social background, ideals and reasons of existence. This book
almost breathes the real funk spirit as much as a funk record
could do. The coverage of the late sixties roots of the funk and
the golden era of funk, the seventies is excellent, painting the
contributions to the funk of almost all important groups.
Although the book is unconditionally essential reading for real
funkateers, we would have preferred more coverage of early
eighties funk and non American funk in general. Rickey Vincent
forgets the story of the super clean synth studio funk where
artists reached new levels of recording perfection and well
balanced audio dynamics without forgetting soul & funk in it.
It's the era of people like Kashif, Mtume, Lillo Thomas, Marcus
Miller, Bo Watson, Nick Martinelli, Al Hudson, J.F. Petrus, Mauro
Malavasi, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Leon Sylvers III and
unfortunately much of it is missing in the book of Rickey
Vincent. The vivid early eighties British funk scene is missing
as well, with no coverage of artists like Loose Ends, Light of
the world, Andy Sojka ...
Nevertheless, Rickey Vincent did an excellent job and maybe he is
preparing a follow up book covering the later funk eras or maybe
we will write a follow up one day or another ourselves ...
For once, we'd like to present you a book instead of
the music itself. Rickey Vincent's book Funk, tells a vital
vibrant history, the history of a uniquely American music born
out tradition and community, filled with energy, attitude, anger,
hope and irrestistable spirit. It's the only musical genre ever
to have transformed the nation into a throbbing army of
bell-bottomed, hoop-earringed, rainbow-Afro'd warriors on the
dance floor. Its rythms and lyrics turned bleak urban realities
inside out with distinctive, danceable downright irresistable
music. Rickey Vincent brings as one of the first and only writers
tribute to the funk. It spans the complete range of the funk.
From early James Brown funk, funky soul of Stevie Wonder,
Temptations, black rock funk of Jimi Hendrix, Sly and the family
stone, jazz funk of Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, monster funk of
Parliament, Funkadelic, naked funk of Rick James, Gap Band, disco
funk of Chic, funky pop of Kool & The Gang and Chaka Khan,
Hiphop of De La Soul, funk sampling rap of Ice Cube and more.