Track Listing:
Red Hot Mama
{B Worrell, G Clinton, E Hazel} 4:54 lyrics
Alice In My Fantasies
{G Clinton, Grace Cook} 2:26 lyrics
I'll Stay
{G Clinton, G Cook} 7:16 lyrics
Sexy Ways
{G Clinton, G Cook} 3:05 lyrics
Standing On The Verge Of Getting It On
{G Clinton, G Cook} 5:07 lyrics
Jimmy's Got A Little Bit Of Bitch In Him
{G Clinton, G Cook} 2:30 lyrics
Good Thoughts, Bad Thoughts
{G Clinton, G Cook} 12:17 lyrics
Personnel:
Spaced Viking; Keyboards & Vocals: Bernard (Bernie) Worrell
Tenor Vocals, Congas and Suave Personality: Calvin Simon
A Prototype Werewolf; Berserker Octave Vocals: Clarence 'Fuzzy' Haskins
World's Only Black Leprechaun; Bass & Vocals: Cordell 'Boogie' Mosson
Maggoteer Lead/Solo Guitar & Vocals: Eddie 'Smedley Smorganoff' Hazel
Rhythm/Lead Guitar, Doowop Vocals, Sinister Grin: Gary Shider
Supreme Maggot Minister of Funkadelia; Vocals, Maniac Froth and Spit;
Behaviour Illegal In Several States: George Clinton
Percussion & Vocals; Equipped with stereo armpits: Ramon 'Tiki' Fulwood
Rhythm/Lead Guitar; polyester soul-powered token white devil: Ron Bykowski
Registered and Licensced Genie; Vocals: 'Shady' Grady Thomas
Subterranean Bass Vocals, Supercool and Stinky Fingers: Ray (Stingray) Davis
Additional Personnel:
Drums: Gary Bronson
Bass: Jimmy Calhoun
Piano: Leon Patillo
Percussion: Ty Lampkin
Song-Specific Personnel:
"Red Hot Mama"
Lead Vocals: George Clinton, Eddie Hazel
Guitars: Eddie Hazel, Ron Bykowski
"Alice In My Fantasies"
Lead Vocals: George Clinton
"Sexy Ways"
Lead Vocals: Garry Shider
"Standing On the Verge..."
Lead Vocals: Parliament, Gary Shider
Guitar: Eddie Hazel, Ron Bykowski
"Jimmy's Got A Little..."
Lead Vocals: George Clinton
"Good Thoughts, Bad Thoughts"
Lead Vocals: George Clinton
Rating: GZ **** RC ***** MM *****
Comment: RC: To be blunt, this album kicks ass from the get-go. The album forgets about meaningful lyrics (til the end) and concentrates on shakin' it. Perhaps the most consistent Funkadelic album, from beginning to end. The stylistic jumps that Funkadelic likes to make are less jarring on this album, with a much smoother flow from song to song.
It starts with a classic hard-rocker in "Red Hot Mama", yet another redone Parliament song. Superb guitar interplay and evocative lyrics make this one of their best songs. A slight shift over to a metal sound (in an MC5 sort of way, of course) is made with "Alice In My Fantasies", an Eddie workout where he plays these excellent swooping guitar licks.
After beating you senseless with the first two songs, it slows down with a remake of the Parliaments' "I'll Wait" called "I'll Stay." Sexy, sleazy, smooth and irresistable, with some great singing. A slight shift is made to the funky soul of "Sexy Ways", with a JB's-style guitar lick propelling the whole thing.
Then comes what I think is the ultimate Funkadelic song, "Standing On The Verge...", which combines hard rock with JB's funk, producing a stew that commands you to dance. Inspired by audience chants, it has a live feel to it but with a great deal of precision at the same time. It also features a number of different singers.
After that peak, the album explores some interesting areas. "Jimmy's Got A Little..." is a bizarre, almost Zappa-esque song about Jimmy and his sexual preferences. It concludes with a long Eddie instrumental and a 'sermon' in "Good Thoughts, Bad Thoughts." 'Good thoughts bring forth good fruit/Bullshit thoughts rot your meat.' Grace Cook, the cowriter on most cuts, is Eddie Hazel's mother. He credited her either to ensure that she would get some record royalties, or to avoid his creditors. I've heard both.
MM: Standing... is excellent. Has similarities to Maggot Brain in that it moves from rock and soul and in between. It also maintains the big Eddie Hazel influence that Maggot Brain had.
MV: Standing on The Verge of Getting It On is an absolutely essential five star album. Next to Hendrix' Band of Gypsys, it is possibly the greatest black rock LP to date. Contains superlative songwriting by lead guitarist Eddie Hazel (this LP was his shining moment & he cowrote every cut) and great lyrical concepts. Contains many Funkadelic classics which the band still performs in concert to this day.