The long-awaited memoir from one of the greatest bandleaders; hit makers; and most influential pop artists of our timemdash;known for over forty RB hit singlesmdash;George Clinton of Parliament-Funkadelic.George Clinton began his musical career in New Jersey; where his obsession with doo-wop and RB led to a barbershop quartetmdash;literally; as Clinton and his friends also styled hair in the local shopmdash;the way kids often got their musical start in the rsquo;50s. But how many kids like that ended up playing to tens of thousands of rabid fans alongside a diaper-clad guitarist? How many of them commissioned a spaceship and landed it onstage during concerts? How many put their stamp on four decades of pop music; from the mind-expanding sixties to the hip-hop-dominated nineties and beyond? One of them. Thatrsquo;s how many. How George Clinton got from barbershop quartet to funk music megastar is a story for the ages. As a high school student he traveled to New York City; where he absorbed all the trends in pop music; from traditional rhythm and blues to Motown; the Beatles; the Stones; and psychedelic rock; not to mention the formative funk of James Brown and Sly Stone. By the dawn of the seventies; he had emerged as the leader of a wildly creative musical movement composed mainly of two bandsmdash;Parliament and Funkadelic. And by the bicentennial; Clinton and his P-Funk empire were dominating the soul charts as well as the pop charts. He was an artistic visionary; visual icon; merry prankster; absurdist philosopher; and savvy businessmen; all rolled into one. He was like no one else in pop music; before or since. Written with wit; humor; and candor; this memoir provides tremendous insight into Americarsquo;s music industry as forever changed by Clintonrsquo;s massive talent. This is a story of a beloved global icon who dedicated himself to spreading the gospel of funk music.
#4050251 in eBooks 2014-02-15 2014-02-15File Name: B00IWNN68K
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Only for Rabid Wilde FansBy Avery GordonThis book should be another classic by the brilliant Oscar Wilde; whom I have never known to write a klinker... until this play. Some may find his comedies - classics; brilliant comedies - to be passe these days; but its all in the playing. This play; however; is a 5-act 1880s full-blown Romantic Era Melodrama that even the brilliant actresses Sarah Bernhardt or Eleanora Duse could save. It was written for one specific actress whom Wilde was convinced he could elevate even above Bernhardt or Duse; and make his own reputation surpass that of even Victor Hugo. When you read this play; youll see why there is no way it can succeed. Its central character; a young Italian man named Guido; is a very naive country boy who goes to Padua to try to meet a man who purports to know Guidos true parentage. There are men and women who hate each other with a passion that gnaws the wallpaper right off the sets. There is much talk of killing the leading ladys father; but... Well; let it suffice to say that; were I to review this play; it would take me 4 pages; most devoted to unravelling the totally unbelievable plot. If youre a fan of Oscar Wilde; youll find some interest in how he fares in this milieu: not his best. I love Wilde; and it must be remembered that he wrote Salome; highly scandalous; but it was a very short melodrama. No one should try to outdo Victor Hugo by writing longer pieces than Hugo does: It cant be done. Many early and rudimentary psychological concepts and symbols that would bring fame to Sigmund Freud appear repeatedly here; i.e. a dagger; in various hands. To quote a far greater playwright; "Methinks the lady doth protest too much."1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. In the spirit of the classic revenge tragedyBy Ann FIn his essays; Wilde defended the highly-colored against the naturalistic schools of art and this play is deliberately highly wrought and melodramatic. If you are familiar with Wilde only from The Importance of Being Earnest or even The Picture of Dorian Gray; youll doubt that this is the same author. Imagine a classic Italian opera plot written in the most purple prose from The Picture of Dorian Gray and that will get you close.While Wilde was familiar with the French decadence school and the over-the-top lushness of the fin-du-siecle; he was at heart a moralist; which shows in the plot. This is the main difference between this and the typical revenge tragedies from the Renaissance through the Restoration and dramatically might be considered a weakness; but Wildes mastery of the style still makes this effective drama as well as an exploration of his lesser-known side.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Very dated storyBy CustomerCsrlaThis old play does not hold up well for todays readers. Very improbable set up history and story. A tragedy that borrows from Shakespeare; but has neither the wit nor the prose; forget it.
