Free Your Mind...And Your Ass Will Follow

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Free Your Mind...And Your Ass Will Follow
Free Your Mind...And Your Ass Will Follow cover
Studio album by Funkadelic
Released 1971
Recorded 1971
Genre Funk
Length 30:52
Label Westbound
Producer(s) George Clinton
Professional reviews
Funkadelic chronology
Funkadelic
(1970)		 Free Your Mind...And Your Ass Will Follow
(1971)		 Maggot Brain
(1971)


Free Your Mind...And Your Ass Will Follow is a 1971 album by the American funk band Funkadelic. It was released on Westbound Records.

The title song is notable for the early use of feedback as part of a musical statement. Many of the songs (such as the titular track, described below, and "Eulogy and Light") subvert Christian themes, including the Lord's Prayer and the 23rd Psalm.

Inspiration: "Let's see if we can cut a whole album while we're all tripping on acid" - George Clinton on the making of Free Your Mind... And Your Ass Will Follow.

On the Billboard Music Charts (North America), Free Your Mind...And Your Ass Will Follow peaked at #11 on the Black Albums Chart and #92 on the Pop Albums chart.

The album's gatefold cover forms something of a visual pun, echoing the sentiments of the album title. The sight of a woman holding her arms towards heaven in an ecstatic pose is subverted upon opening the sleeve to find that she is naked.

The album and eponymous song influenced the band En Vogue, leading to the title of their hit song "Free Your Mind".

Contents

[edit] Track listing

  1. "Free Your Mind and Your Ass Will Follow" (George Clinton, Ray Davis, Eddie Hazel)
  2. "Friday Night, August 14th" (Clinton, Hazel, Billy Bass Nelson)
  3. "Funky Dollar Bill" (Clinton, Davis, Hazel)
  4. "I Wanna Know If It's Good to You" (Clinton, Clarence Haskins, Hazel, Nelson)
  5. "Some More" (Clinton, Ernie Harris)
  6. "Eulogy and Light" (Harris)

[edit] Personnel

[edit] Track listing

[edit] Free Your Mind...And Your Ass Will Follow

The song of the same name on the album is a 10 minute feedback drenched number (from Eddie Hazel), with a heavy spoken word quality.

It is written by George Clinton, Ray Davis, and Eddie Hazel.

Memorable Lyrics:

  • "Freedom is free of the need to be free"
  • "The kingdom of heaven is within"
  • "I don't know what I feel/I can't feel me, I can't live me, I can't be me/My mind, it does not belong to me/I'm so confused/I'm so confused/I can't hear myself/I can't hear myself calling for help/I can't free my mind/So my ass can't follow"
  • "Resurrection, free of charge"

The song introduces the subversion of Christian themes explored on later songs, and describes a mystical approach to salvation, in which the "Kingdom of heaven" is within and achievable through freeing one's mind, after which one's ass (perhaps representative of the base and mean aspects of oneself) will follow.

Lead vocals were by George Clinton, Ray Davis, Fuzzy Haskins, Billy Nelson. It is said that Martha Reeves appears on this track as well. (The kingdom of heaven is within)

[edit] Friday Night, August 14th

This song's lyrics are relatively simple, particularly compared with the in-depth social and political statements of later albums (and even other songs off this album), concerning partying on a Friday night, for which the singer knows he has an insatiable appetite.

Lead Vocals: Billy Bass Nelson and Eddie Hazel

This groove was lifted from the Clinton produced JJ Barnes song, "So-Called Friends". This backing track is faster and is played by the original Funkadelic members.

[edit] Funky Dollar Bill

"Funky Dollar Bill" concerns, ironically, unFunkiness. Materialism and consumerism (recurring themes on this album) are characterized as leading to a complete lack of Funk (meaning, in context, soul, heart and joy, see P Funk mythology). Much of the song deals with what people will do for money, even as it leads only to a joyless, unFunky existence.

[edit] I Wanna Know If It's Good to You

The song is clearly about sex, with the singer asking "you" if you enjoy it as much as he does. He wants to know if "your" joy is the reason it feels so good for him.

[edit] Some More

"Some More" has a strong soul music influence, perhaps because of the connection (through certain lyrics) with the old George Clinton song "Headache in my Heart".

"Some More" is a song of lost love. The singer claims he's got a headache in his heart, and a heartache in his head but that "it's got nothing to do with you." Instead, he chooses to blame it on "something that can't be explained".

Vocals: Eddie Hazel & George Clinton

[edit] Eulogy and Light

The music behind "Eulogy and Light" is from "Open Our Eyes" (Funkadelic, 1967), played backwards.

The lyrics are rapped and backmasked, a remade version of the Lord's Prayer and the 23rd Psalm. When "Maggot Brain" is performed live, the words to "Eulogy and Light" are sometimes used as an introduction.

"Eulogy and Light" subverts Christian themes, indicting modern organized Christianity for becoming consumerist and materialistic. Many of the lines, especially in context as parodies of the Lord's Prayer and the 23rd Psalm, are accusatory, directed towards hypocrites who pray and still commit acts of cruelty and insenstivity.

Vocals: George Clinton

[edit] External Reviews

  • "Another example of Funkadelic getting busy and taking everyone with it", 4.5/5 stars.

[edit] External link

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