Cosmic Slop

Title of album: Cosmic Slop (also a later compilation--see Funkadelic compilations)

Artist: Funkadelic

Release date: 1973

Record label: Westbound

The songs can be divided, approximately in half, as being straightforward R&B-sounding love songs and deep, philosophical and political songs (This Broken Heart vs Cosmic Slop). Bernie Worrell's keyboards are of particular interest, as they foreshadow some of his future innovations in that instrument. Pedro Bell (who did most of the Funkadelic album covers, starting with this one) drew small pictures next to each song in the liner notes, sylistically describing the crux of the song.

Track Listing:

• Nappy Dugout (George Clinton, Cordell Mosson, Garry Shider)
• You Can't Miss What You Can't Measure (Clinton, Sidney Barnes)
• March to the Witch's Castle (Clinton)
• Let's Make It Last (Clinton, Eddie Hazel)
• Cosmic Slop (Clinton, Bernie Worrell)
• No Compute (Clinton, Shider)
• This Broken Heart (W. Franklin ???)
• Trash A-Go-Go (Clinton)
• Can't Stand the Strain (Clinton, Hazel)

Personnel:

• Keyboards & Melodica: Bernard Worrell
• Bass: Boogie Mosson
• Percussion: Tyrone Lampkin
• Lead & Rhythm Guitar: Garry Shider
• Lead & Rhythm Guitar: Ron Bykowski
• Drums: Tiki Fulwood

Critical response:

• "A slightly more scattershot album than the group's other early efforts" but "Cosmic Slop still has plenty to like about it"
• The All Music Guide

Other external links:

• the Motherpage

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Title of song: Cosmic Slop

Artist: Funkadelic

Title of album: Cosmic Slop (see above) (also Hardcore Jollies)

Year of first release: 1973 (1976--Hardcore Jollies)

This is one of the most popular P Funk songs among fans of the group, and is often played in live shows. One live version (which is not very popular among Funkadelic fans) appeared on the 1976 album Hardcore Jollies. George Clinton later compared himself to the subject of the song (a woman who becomes a prostitute to feed her children) because he was forced to use his celebrity-status in commercials (such as for the IMac) due to severe financial difficulties.

This song continues the progression begun on Maggot Brain towards a hard rock/heavy metal style of funk.

Complete tabs at: [external site with complete tabs]

Songwriter(s): George Clinton, Bernie Worrell

Memorable Lyrics:

• "I was one of five born to my mother/An older sister and three young brothers/We've seen it hard, we've seen it kind of rough/But always with a smile, she was sure to try to hide/The fact from us that life was really tough"
• "Any and every thing I did./Please, please don't judge me too strong."
• "She was well known through the ghetto/Tricks would come and then they'd go/The neighbors would talk and call her Jezebel"
  • See Jezebel

Complete lyrics at the Motherpage

This song is about a woman forced into prostitution in order to take care of her five children, who are unaware of their poverty and their mother's desperate measures. She begs the listener to understand why she has chosen prostitution.

Personnel:

• Lead Vocals: Garry Shider
• Guitars: Garry Shider, Ron Bykowski

Critical response: