26 July : Osmium

Osmium is the second P-Funk album this month and the third this year. Depending how you look at it, the album either displays a broad range of influences or is a bit of a mess, at least on the first listen–I was getting into on the second time through.

What’s undeniable is that when it works it really works. The opener, I Call My Baby Pussycat is a firecracker of a track: the Hendrix is strong in it, but it’s more entertaining than anything on Band Of Gypsys, I think because Parliament are not playing to meet the guitar-hero expectations of a white audience; they’re not trapped by success.

I mention the race angle because I am increasingly aware of how it runs through all US and UK music of the year in one form or another. It crops up explicitly here on Oh Lord, Why Lord/Prayer:

I’ve searched the open sky
To find the reason why
Oh Lord, why Lord
The colour of my skin
Is said to be an awful sin
Oh Lord, why Lord

Oh Lord, Why Lord/Prayer is one of three songs on which Consett-born Ruth Copeland gets a writing credit, and P-Funk musicians, including George Clinton, support her on her first solo album released later in 1970. She also gets a production credit.

There’s still no Bootsie in the band yet, but this grooves along when it wants too. I still don’t think they’re fully formed at this point, but I’d sooner this than some of the ‘heavy’ shite coming out of Britain. There’s even a bit of the Skye Boat Song.

I listened on Spotify. The whole album is up on YouTube: