Track Listing:
Sax Machine {B Collins, Maceo Parker, Bobby Byrd} 6:01
Let 'Em Out {B Collins, M Parker, B Byrd, James Brown, Roger Troutman} 10:39
Tell The World {B Collins, M Parker, Sylvester Stewart} 3:16
Let 'Em Out (First Cut) {B Collins, M Parker, B Byrd, J Brown, R Troutman) 8:58
Sax Machine (Bonus Saxed Version) {B Collins, M Parker, B Byrd} 4:52
Personnel:
Produced & Directed: Bill Laswell & Bootsy Collins
Vocals: Maceo Parker, Bobby Byrd, Bootsy Collins, Joel "Razor Sharp" Johnson
Background Vocals: Carolyn Stanford, Arnenita Walker
Background Vocals on "Tell The World": Cynthia Girty
Alto Sax: Maceo Parker
Trombone: Fred Wesley
Guitar, Bass, Drum Programs: Bootsy Collins
Organ: Maceo Parker, Sly Stone
Synthesizer: Bootsy Collins, Joel "Razor Sharp" Johnson, Jeff Bova
Synthesizer on "Tell The World": Sly Stone, Chong Spradley
Synclavier on "Sax Machine": Bernie Worrell
Piano: Sly Stone
Fairlight: Nicky Skopelitis
Percussion on "Sax Machine": Timothy "T-Bone" David
Rating: RC: ****
Comments:RC: Despite the fact that the album is really more of an EP, with only five songs (and two of those remixes), I have high praise for it, because it's one long, funky party. It's Maceo back with an assortment of P.Funk All-Stars, most notably Bootsy Collins and Bernie Worrell. "Saxmachine" also features Bobby Byrd urging things on. Maceo is in top form here, with Bernie providing his typically ethereal sounds for the high end, and Bootsy holding down the bottom. T-Bone David adds some great percussion to the usual drum machines. "Let 'Em Out" is a great tribute to James Brown, who at the time was in prison. It features a hilarious rap from Byrd and Maceo, and like the first track, it's musically a take-off on "Sex Machine". Snippets of "Soul Power 74" can also be heard, done in an ultra-slow manner. Maceo & Fred really drive the whole thing, with more great keyboard work. Only complaint is the electronic drums, but they're pretty subdued. Bootsy handles the guitarwork as well. Sly Stone weighs in with "Tell The World", a low-key ballad that features Godmoma doing the vocals, backing up Bobby Byrd. Stone handles the keyboard work. A good mood piece, it would probably work better on a longer album as a sort of 'rest piece'. The two remixes differ only slightly from the originals, with the original "Let 'Em Out" less interesting percussively, and the remix of "Saxmachine" is more of an instrumental.
The album was significant as a comeback for a number of people: Bootsy, Maceo, Sly, Bobby Byrd, etc. It's a rousing and varied funk grab-bag that makes you want more. It was done at the same time (and with much the same personnel) as Bootsy's Jungle Bass EP, and predated Maceo's hugely successful jazz album Roots Revisited by a few months. Both "Saxmachine" and "Tell The World" ended up on the Funkcronomicon album, making this one less of a necessity, but "Let 'Em Out" can only be found here as a studio tune. The album is out of print, and not that easy to find. Expect to pay between $5-25 for it.
MT: "Tell The World" features Godmoma on vocals - it is also of note that the ENTIRE TRACK - save the vocals by Maceo and Bobby Byrd (and maybe some other stuff) came from the track "Be All You Can Be" released on the Godmoma Here album.