Track Listing:
I'll Be Good To You {Tracey Lewis, Cecil Womack Jr) 5:50
Hoodlums Who Ride {T Lewis} 5:17
Duck And Cover (Nuclearbuttbombbootybangbang) 6:15
{T Lewis, Andre Williams}
Yank My Doodle {T Lewis, Joseph Fiddler} 4:12
Rooster {G Clinton, J Fiddler} 6:57
Nothing Comes To A Sleeper But Dream
{T Lewis, J Fiddler, Shawn Clinton, G Clinton Jr} 7:15
Wipe Of The Week {T Lewis, Michael Payne} 3:56
Drop The Line {T Lewis} 4:59
Man Of All Seasons {T Lewis, B Sterling, Bob Bishop} 4:11
The Next Thing You'll Know (We'll Be) {T Lewis} 5:11
Squeeze Toy {T Lewis, April Wildflower} 4:41
Personnel:
Keyboard: Amp Fiddler, Stewart Hanley, David Spradley, Trey Stone,
Cecil Womack Jr
Synth Programming & Guitars: Daryll Clinton, Andre Williams,
Michael Hampton, Kevin Shider
Guitars: Trey Stone, Tracey Lewis, Curtis Womack Jr
Bass: Bootsy Collins, Trey Stone, Andre Foxxe, Tracey Lewis
Horns: Greg Thomas, Greg Boyer, Bennie Cowan, Mike Harris, Gerald Albright
Drums: Mark Bass
Vocals: Pat Lewis, Belita Woods, Robert Johnson, Andre Foxxe, Joe Harris,
Michael Payne, Lloyd Williams, George Clinton, Garry Shider, Sandra Feva,
Jessica Cleaves, Pennye Ford, Amelia Jesse, Marcie Wilson, Curtis Womack Jr,
Nicholas Ex, Angie Workman, Sue Ann Boyd, Chris Hale, Cecil Womack Jr,
Sheila Washington, Steve Barnett
Co-Lead Vocal on "We'll Be": Biti Strauchn
Rap on "I'll Be Good To You": Dazzie D
Rap on "We'll Be": Klassy K
Rating: RC: ***1/2
Comments: RC: This is a pretty good effort from Tracey Lewis, George Clinton's son, and his band. A number of notable P.Funkers show up here and help out. Some of the things that showed up on this album had been already done on stage during P.Funk All-Stars shows. Tracey's voice is very unusual and takes some getting used to, but once I did I found I really liked it a lot. His voice is sort of a sleazy whine, almost like certain Bernie Worrell keyboard sounds. His rapping is also excellent, with a good understanding of how to match his voice to the music. I didn't like some of the production on the CD, since it relied a bit too much on drum machines. There's also too much filler, particularly the songs that have little musical variety to them. Still, this was an early and successful funk/hip-hop hybrid that succeeds on both levels. The horn arrangements (by the P.Funk Horns) are excellent throughout. It's definitely worth several listens; it takes more than one to really absorb it, particularly if you're not a fan of Tracey's voice.
"I'll Be Good To You" features great high singing, good rapping and a funny "Tea For Two" keyboard riff. "Hoodlums Who Ride" has amusing lyrics, but isn't that interesting musically and is way too long. "Duck and Cover" is a bit like "Aqua Boogie", with its funny 'Nuclear buttbombboogiebangbang" chant. "Yank My Doodle" is a brilliant, hilarious funk BOMB. The horn arrangements are excellent, the grooves are fat, and the singing and rapping are great. The lyrics are gleefully offensive, in a very innocous way ('it's black, hairy and extremely thick/ Harder than Japanese arithmetic'). "Rooster" features a great guitar performance, with the metal on it turned up high. "Sleeper" is a bit too techno-dancey. "Wipe Of The Week" is also a bit thin sounding musically, but it's redeemed somewhat by Tracey's singing. "Drop The Line" has a solid bassline that propels the funky rap. "Man Of All Seasons" has a nice growling bass synth, a good horn solo and more fine high rapping. "Next Thing..." is another great track, an excellent duet with funky chord progressions, a great lyrical hook, and good vocals. It uses the same horn riff found in Bootsy's "Under The Influence Of A Groove" and was later used on George Clinton's Smell My Finger album. "Squeeze Toy" is a nasty bit of sleaze-funk, with an outfront bass and nicely screeching guitar. Its theme is similar to "Pot Sharing Tots", only much nastier; it's a truly great song.
The album should still be in print, though it may be hard to find. Great liner notes, drawings, cartoons (including one on what it was like growing up George Clinton's son) and lyrics are enclosed.