PARLIAMENT – Up For The Down Stroke (Reissue) – LP – 180g Black Vinyl

Description

LP – Reissue On 180g Black Vinyl

Kicking off with one of prime funks purest distillations the outrageously great title track, with a perfect party chorus line and uncredited horns (presumably the Horny Horns were involved somehow) adding to the monster beat and bass Up for the Down Stroke finds Parliament in rude good health. As was more or less the case through the 70s, Parliament took a slightly more listener-friendly turn here than they did as Funkadelic, but often its a difference by degrees. Just listening to some of Bernie Worrells insane keyboard parts or Bootsy Collins bass work here is enough to wake the dead. As always, Worrell in particular can suddenly surprise with his delicacy the soft, understated flow of I Just Got Back may have lyrics that could be sung by Jon Anderson, at least at points, but the piano lines have subtle, dreamy grace, the antithesis of Rick Wakemans masturbations. For that matter, Peter Chases whistles are downright delightful, goofy, and sweet all at once. Slightly more oddball is All Your Goodies Are Gone, which has a bit more upfront bite and some downright strange lyrics, delivered with a stoned, breathless tone and backed by unearthly choir arrangements.

Track Listing:

A1 Up For The Down Stroke
A2 Testify
A3 The Goose
A4 I Can Move You (If You Let Me)

B1 I Just Got Back
B2 All Your Goodies Are Gone
B3 Whatever Makes Baby Feel Good
B4 Presence Of A Brain