Funk Rock

jackhammer · 07-14-2010, 03:27 PM

When I think of Funk Rock I almost always think first of the 70's and those bands that incorporated guitar solos and a riff orientated sound as opposed to the typical waca waca sound so apart from the usual Parliament/Funkadelic there is stuff like this:

Admittedly the Cane & Able is more Psychedelic but hopefully you get the the picture. It then found renewed interest in the mid-late 80's to varying results.

You had RHCP, Faith No More and Living Colour who are were successful but you also had bands like 24-7 Spyz, Dan Reed Network Lock Up (Tom Morello's first band) and Electric Boys. The problem with that scene is that some bands didn't get the essence of Funk and used it more as a gimmick a lot of the time.

Here's some tunes if you fancy checking out some of those bands:

As you can hear from Electric Boys it's barely Funk but I do have a soft spot for them :o

Shampoo · 07-20-2010, 11:08 PM

One of the best albums I've ever heard, right there.

Love that bassline.

Violent & Funky · 07-23-2010, 01:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shampoo

Love that bassline.

Gotta admit, as much as I usually prefer the RHCP version of their covers, the original Sly version is better:

mr dave · 07-23-2010, 05:50 AM

^ agreed. though i LOVE Hillel's guitar parts in the cover. i remember reading that he used to record significantly funkier / jazzier solos initially then would punk-ify them for the final album take. the vocals are what really distinguish and establish the original as superior to the cover.

Shampoo · 07-23-2010, 06:10 PM

I prefer RHCP's version, personally.

Necromancer · 08-03-2010, 07:07 AM

I always liked these two singles by Janes Addiction back in the 80s, Janes Addiction's style of music helped define and expand Funk Rock, of course the RHCPs are the prime example of the 80s Funk Rock.

YouTube - Jane's Addiction - Jane Says

YouTube - Jane's Addiction - Been Caught Stealing (Video)

The Isley Brothers, in my opinion were along beside Funkadelic/Parliament as a major influence to the development of Funk Rock in the 70s.

YouTube - LIVIN' IN THE LIFE - THE ISLEY BROTHERS (1977)

YouTube - The Isley Brothers - Fight The Power (Part 1 & 2) (1975)

YouTube - CLIMBIN' UP THE LADDER PTS. 1 & 2 - ISLEY BROTHERS (1977)

And this one by Wild Cherry in 1976 is a little more of the Funk Rock/Disco style, but none the less, a big Funk Rock influence.

YouTube - Play That Funky Music - Wild Cherry (1976)

mr dave · 08-03-2010, 08:34 AM

sorry i keep crapping in your thread but again, i have a really hard time calling Jane's Addiction funk rock (especially not Jane Says). i think they got lumped into the style because they didn't fit anywhere else and 'alternative' rock hadn't become an MTV word of the day.

Been Caught Stealing is on the funky side but it's almost like anything from the 90s where the guitar isn't strummed in straight time is being considered 'funk rock' and i think it's rather ridiculous. yes there were plenty of bands with some funk elements to them and JA was one, but that's it, they had some elements of it - about as much as Led Zeppelin (The Crunge is funky - should LZ be listed as funk rock next?)

Necromancer · 08-03-2010, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr dave

sorry i keep crapping in your thread but again, i have a really hard time calling Jane's Addiction funk rock (especially not Jane Says). i think they got lumped into the style because they didn't fit anywhere else and 'alternative' rock hadn't become an MTV word of the day.

Been Caught Stealing is on the funky side but it's almost like anything from the 90s where the guitar isn't strummed in straight time is being considered 'funk rock' and i think it's rather ridiculous. yes there were plenty of bands with some funk elements to them and JA was one, but that's it, they had some elements of it - about as much as Led Zeppelin (The Crunge is funky - should LZ be listed as funk rock next?)

Yes I agree with you on the Funk side, but Funk Rock has the individual 'Rock' element also, funk is not in any way (in my opinion) a dominant genre over rock to any major degree concerning funk rock.
Thats what always impressed me the most about the Isley Brothers and Funkadelic/Parliament, the 'rock guitar' with these two bands are as equal to the funk aspect musically.
These guitar players were not only rivals to Jimi Hendrix, but also directly influenced by him.
Janes Addiction is only considered as an influence to funk rock, not in any way trying to imply they are 'Funk Rock'.

mr dave · 08-04-2010, 08:00 AM

i see where you're coming from now, but i think funk rock was already well established by the time Jane's got big enough to be noticed outside of LA.

Necromancer · 08-04-2010, 09:05 AM

To be honest Dave, the opinion that JA influenced todays funk rock comes from wikipedia, I believe.
So you know how that is..like you've stated before Dave "wkipedia is not always completely accurate", which is an opinion that I tend to agree with.
You know, somehow I think that 'Funk Rock' or some form of style closely related to the funk genre anyway, is far from hitting its 'peak' yet, funk has really only been accepted by the masses (musically) in the last 20 years or so, for example, five or ten years ago, If I suggested that certain songs within different genres outside the funk genre, like say 'country' for instance,
"had a nice funk groove to it", the suggestion would be laughed at or completely ignored, as having no viability.
I kind of see the RHCPs as the 'first' real 'Funk Rock' band, and everything before that was still within process musically (influence).

07-14-2010, 03:27 PM	#1 (permalink)
jackhammer Ba and Be. Join Date: May 2007 Location: This Is England Posts: 17,331	When I think of Funk Rock I almost always think first of the 70's and those bands that incorporated guitar solos and a riff orientated sound as opposed to the typical waca waca sound so apart from the usual Parliament/Funkadelic there is stuff like this: Admittedly the Cane & Able is more Psychedelic but hopefully you get the the picture. It then found renewed interest in the mid-late 80's to varying results. You had RHCP, Faith No More and Living Colour who are were successful but you also had bands like 24-7 Spyz, Dan Reed Network Lock Up (Tom Morello's first band) and Electric Boys. The problem with that scene is that some bands didn't get the essence of Funk and used it more as a gimmick a lot of the time. Here's some tunes if you fancy checking out some of those bands: As you can hear from Electric Boys it's barely Funk but I do have a soft spot for them :o __________________ It be my music and film collection. “A cynic by experience, a romantic by inclination and now a hero by necessity.”

07-20-2010, 11:08 PM	#2 (permalink)
Shampoo Groupie Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 24	One of the best albums I've ever heard, right there. Love that bassline.

07-23-2010, 06:10 PM	#5 (permalink)
Shampoo Groupie Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 24	I prefer RHCP's version, personally.

08-03-2010, 07:07 AM	#6 (permalink)
Necromancer Divination Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 2,655	I always liked these two singles by Janes Addiction back in the 80s, Janes Addiction's style of music helped define and expand Funk Rock, of course the RHCPs are the prime example of the 80s Funk Rock. YouTube - Jane's Addiction - Jane Says YouTube - Jane's Addiction - Been Caught Stealing (Video) The Isley Brothers, in my opinion were along beside Funkadelic/Parliament as a major influence to the development of Funk Rock in the 70s. YouTube - LIVIN' IN THE LIFE - THE ISLEY BROTHERS (1977) YouTube - The Isley Brothers - Fight The Power (Part 1 & 2) (1975) YouTube - CLIMBIN' UP THE LADDER PTS. 1 & 2 - ISLEY BROTHERS (1977) And this one by Wild Cherry in 1976 is a little more of the Funk Rock/Disco style, but none the less, a big Funk Rock influence. YouTube - Play That Funky Music - Wild Cherry (1976)

08-04-2010, 09:05 AM	#10 (permalink)
Necromancer Divination Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 2,655	To be honest Dave, the opinion that JA influenced todays funk rock comes from wikipedia, I believe. So you know how that is..like you've stated before Dave "wkipedia is not always completely accurate", which is an opinion that I tend to agree with. You know, somehow I think that 'Funk Rock' or some form of style closely related to the funk genre anyway, is far from hitting its 'peak' yet, funk has really only been accepted by the masses (musically) in the last 20 years or so, for example, five or ten years ago, If I suggested that certain songs within different genres outside the funk genre, like say 'country' for instance, "had a nice funk groove to it", the suggestion would be laughed at or completely ignored, as having no viability. I kind of see the RHCPs as the 'first' real 'Funk Rock' band, and everything before that was still within process musically (influence).