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| Funkentelechy vs. the Placebo Syndrome | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | November 28, 1977 | |||
| Recorded | 1976–1977 | |||
| Studio | United Sound Systems, Detroit, Michigan, and Hollywood Sound, Hollywood, California | |||
| Genre | Funk,disco | |||
| Length | 44:22 | |||
| Label | Casablanca | |||
| Producer | George Clinton | |||
| Parliament chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Funkentelechy vs. the Placebo Syndrome | ||||
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Funkentelechy vs. the Placebo Syndrome is the sixth studio album by the American funk bandParliament, released on November 28, 1977, onCasablanca Records.[1][2][3]
Funkentelechy is a looseconcept album set within theP-Funk mythology warning of the dangers of the "Placebo Syndrome", which according to bandleaderGeorge Clinton consists ofconsumerism anddisco music, which he saw as a crass commercialized variant of funk. The album spawned the R&B number No. 1 single "Flash Light", which features a prominentsynthesizer bass line played on aMinimoog by keyboardistBernie Worrell. The album became Parliament's fourth consecutive gold album and second platinum album. The song "Sir Nose d'Voidoffunk (Pay Attention – B3M)" quotes the nursery rhymes "Baa, Baa, Black Sheep" and "Three Blind Mice", with lyrics altered to refer to drug use.
The original vinyl release contained a 22″×33″ poster of the character Sir Nose D'Voidoffunk, as well as an 8-page comic book that explains the album's concept. Both the poster and the comic book were illustrated byOverton Loyd.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |  [3] |
| Christgau's Record Guide | A[4] |
| Rolling Stone |  [5] |
| (The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide |  [6] |
| Spin Alternative Record Guide | 9/10[7] |
| The Virgin Encyclopedia of R&B and Soul | [1] |
The Globe and Mail praised the "superb" backing vocals ofthe Brides of Funkenstein.[8]The New York Times wrote that "the music is typical P-Funk bouncing disco, lively and toe-tapping, with gabbling spoken and sung vocals on top."[9]
American alternative rock bandUrge Overkill named themselves after a lyric in "Funkentelechy".[10]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Bop Gun (Endangered Species)" (released as a single, Casablanca NB 900) | George Clinton,Garry Shider,Bootsy Collins | 8:31 |
| 2. | "Sir Nose d'Voidoffunk (Pay Attention – B3M)" | Clinton, Collins, Bernie Worrell | 10:04 |
| 3. | "Wizard of Finance" | Clinton, Ronald Ford,Glenn Goins | 4:23 |
| 4. | "Funkentelechy" (released as a single-Casablanca NB 921) | Clinton, Collins | 10:56 |
| 5. | "Placebo Syndrome" | Clinton,Billy Nelson | 4:20 |
| 6. | "Flash Light" (released as a single, Casablanca NB 909, and as a promo-only 12″ single, Casablanca NB 20113 DJ) | Clinton, Collins, Worrell | 5:46 |
According to George Clinton,Mallia Franklin also sang on this album with other originalParlet members Debbie Wright andJeanette Washington but she is not listed on the album's credits.[citation needed]
Horn arrangement by Bernie Worrell and Fred Wesley
| Chart (1977–1978) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| USTop R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[11] | 2 |
| USBillboard 200[12] | 13 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[13] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
