Funkadelic

The Whole Funk & Nothing but the Funk (Union Square)

Barely a year since the release of a boxed edition of Funkadelic’s four Warner Brothers albums, this double disc set distils the cream of those records, with two live tracks and two instrumental versions added. Those looking for a definitive telling of George Clinton’s convoluted musical saga must continue to wait, but The Whole Funk does ensure that this overexposed but under-comprehended music wins back the freshness of discovery.

This is definitely aimed at fans, not first-timers: notwithstanding such irresistible and accessible hits as One Nation Under a Groove and (Not Just) Knee Deep, the discs mostly follow the funk road less travelled rather than offering signposted paths through this dense music.

Funkadelic’s political intent is often missed, but the sleeve note from the journalist Lloyd Bradley, the author of a forthcoming Clinton biography, explains the concerns fans raised when Funkadelic, a band knee-deep in revolution, signed to a major. As the music proves, between 1976 and 1981 Clinton and his retinue not only overcame those challenges but made some enduring music. The Whole Funk provides a welcome chance to reassess it properly.