“Standing on the Verge of Getting it On” by Funkadelic
A P-funk classic turns 50.
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Welcome to a new edition of the Best Music of All Time newsletter!
Today’s music pick celebrates the 50th anniversary of one of the most gonzo funk-rock hybrids ever recorded.
Genre: Rock, Funk, Experimental
Label: Westbound
Release Date: April 29, 1974
Vibe: 🫨
Few albums from the 1970s are as gloriously unhinged as Funkadelic’s Standing On The Verge Of Getting It On. Even compared to the group’s previous efforts, including the all-time funk-rock opus Maggot Brain, it’s clear that everyone involved knew how crazy they were getting on these tracks and, instead of trying to temper any of that gonzo spirit, decided to turn it up to 11. You can certainly make the case that this record was also a soft course correction after 1973’s Cosmic Slop, a record George Clinton made with only five Funkadelic regulars, none of them named Eddie Hazel (more on him in a second). That’s not to say Slop has no redeeming qualities—far from it. But, if you play that LP and this one back to back, the bite lacking on the former is striking.
Even in its more subdued moments, like the winding, psychedelic ballad “I’ll Stay,” there’s a lot going on. Hazel, who’s routinely underrated on big, dumb lists of the guitarists ever (seriously, as much as I love her, St. Vincent should not be ranked higher than him), takes center stage melodically, driving the band with fiery, fuzzed-out riffs and solo work that are among the best of his career. I’m unsure how many guitarists could pull off buzzsaws like “Alice in My Fantasies” and funky stompers like the irresistible title track with the level of panache Hazel showcases here. Standing may also feature the tightest rhythm section Funkadelic ever assembled in a recording studio. Led by the excellent bass playing of Boogie Mosson, they’re the unsung heroes of this album, grounding the zaniness in enough R&B tropes to prevent the music from spinning out into full-blown chaos (think the ending of Twister).
Finally, let’s not forget about Clinton, who’s still the mastermind pushing the right buttons at the right time. Credited as the sole producer and one of only three writers, his vision of unfiltered, unimaginable fun seeps into every crack and crevice of this masterpiece.
Long live the P-funk energy, am I right?
👉 Don’t forget to click the album image to stream the album on your favorite platform 👈
One of my favorite Funkadelic albums despite the fact that I miss Bootsy any time he isn't on an album. I just asked to fill in for an overnight shift at my radio station and I'm pretty sure I'm going to just do deep dives into this album, Maggot Brain, and Mothership Connection. Give the overnight crowd what they want, lol.
'Alice In My Fantasies' is an all time Funkadelic rager. While I disagree about Cosmic Slop, this album is probably even more crucial than Let's Take It to the Stage for where they'd take things with what would become that signature P Funk.