All The Woo In The World (1978)

Bernie Worrell

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Track Listing:

Woo Together {G Clinton, JS Theracon, Garry Shider}  4:33
I'll Be With You {B Worrell, JS Theracon, Tyrone Lampkin}  7:28
Hold On {B Worrell, G Clinton}  5:15
Much Thrust {B Worrell, G Clinton, Jim Vitti}  3:52
Happy To Have (Happiness On Our Side) {B Worrell, G Clinton, Archie Ivy}  7:41
Insurance Man For The Funk {B Worrell, G Clinton, W Collins}  12:39
Reprise: Much Thrust {B Worrell, G Clinton, J Vitti}  0:43

Personnel:

Producer: Bernie Worrell, George Clinton
Lead Vocals: Bernie Worrell
Assistant Lead Vocals: Garry Shider, J.S. Theracon, The Doctor & Casper
Piano, Clavinet, Synth & Keyboards: Bernie Worrell
Additional Keyboards on "Hold On": J.S. Theracon
Guitars: Garry Shider, J.S. Theracon, William Collins, Phelps Collins,
 Michael Hampton, Glenn Goins, Eddie Hazel
Bass: Rodney "Skeet" Curtis, Billy Nelson
Drums: Tyrone Lampkin, Jim Wright, Gary Cooper
Horns: Fred Wesley, Maceo Parker, Richard Griffith, Rick Gardner
Sax Solo on "Hold On": Eli Fontaine
Background Vocals: The Brides, Parlet, The Doctor, Casper and the Voices
 of The Nation
Horn Arrangement on "Insurance Man...": Fred Wesley
String Arrangement on "Woo Together": Dave Van De Pitte

Rating: RC: ***1/2

Comments:

RC: This was Bernie's first 'solo' project, although many of the tracks were undoubtedly assembled for other projects initially. Also, Junie Morrison plays a huge role on some of the songs. Still, Bernie does most of the lead vocals, which is a nice treat. All of the usual P.Funk musicians are here, with the Horny Horns, Bootsy, Michael Hampton, etc all chiming in to provide a solid musical base. The tracks are pretty funky and weird, not trying to go too pop like the Brides & Parlet did. But while everything is good, there's no coherent theme or feel to the album. Bernie wasn't really given a 'concept' to work with that made him stand out as a solo artist, so it really sounded more like another Parliament/Funkadelic album, only less cohesive. This isn't really Bernie's fault, as his later albums in the 90's are jammed full of interesting concepts. It just feels like certain things are forced here. But the album is still a lot of fun and features many great performances, so any P.Funk fan should check it out.

"Woo Together" is an orchestral funk piece, with a dominant string sound aided by good bass playing and funky arrangements. Bernie and Junie trade vocals here, and the song is a 'round-the-world' type of funker. "I'll Be With You" is the least interesting track on the album; Junie does the vocals here. There is a nice piano solo at the end and Skeet Curtis is simply excellent on bass. "Hold On" is another slow tune with a number of notable features. There's Bernie's breathy vocals, Fred Wesley's great trombone intro, and an ethereal keyboard presence. The song sounds a bit like a Brides track. "Much Thrust" is a raucous funker that has Parliament-like singing and Funkadelic-like guitar playing and percussion. This is truly a great track. "Happy To Have" is another slow song with a great guitar intro and more greatness from Skeet. "Insurance Man..." is a bizarre epic, with tons of layered sounds creating something very impressive. It's mid-tempo, with a superior horn arrangement. There are also a number of vocal hooks and hilarious lines ("Leroy's of London!"); you never thought insurance could be so funky. Great synth solo also, as Bernie really shows his chops here.

The album is out of print, but is available as an import CD. There is apparently a CD version available that has four bonus tracks. The original cover has all sorts of bizarre photos talking about woo.