Review: Mutiny - Funk Road

So here we have it! Mutiny have broken their 17 year silence, and have finally released their 5th album to us!

Actually, this CD was in fact, recorded in 2011, only just released on "Catbone Unreleased" this year. It's odd to think that Mutiny would hesitate on releasing this album, or that it could possibly be considered something that wouldn't be released. The awesome artwork on this cover was done by none other than my mentor and legendary soul guru whom I fill in for, The Funk Priest!!

Mutiny were, of course, a mutiny from Parliament/Funkadelic in the late 70s, fronted by P-Funk drummer Jerome "Bigfoot" Brailey, whom felt disillusioned with the management of Parliament/Funkadelic under George Clinton. Turning a negative into a positive, Jerome Brailey splintered off and produced some many fine albums under the name "Mutiny". This album is no exception!

Those who listen to Mutiny's albums and expect Funkadelic have come with the wrong approach entirely. Sure, the zaniness of P-Funk is present in Mutiny, and the bold edge, but there are noticeable differences. There's an indescribable mellowness and a laid back attitude about Mutiny that Funkadelic don't quite have. I'm not saying that's a better or worse thing, but it's a noticeable difference. With Funkadelic, you can never quite just sit down and relax when listening to it; you're absolutely compelled to get off your ass and jam! With Mutiny, you can sit and chill to their sounds much easier, even when they're rockin' hard. Another difference between Mutiny and Parliament/Funkadelic is Mutiny/Jerome Brailey's bigger tendency to experiment. Their previous album from 1996, "Aftershock 2005" was an unusual fusion, adding a lot more rock to the funk than usual, and a lot of 80s synths to nicely even out the grooves. This album, however, has tracks that take funk right back to the 60s and early 70s. Perhaps the most startlingly convincing is the track "What?.YEAH!!!" on this album, which even sounds retro in its audio production. Had it not been for the raps and some of the vocals, you would almost think this song was from back in the 60s. Another nod to the 1960s is a really nice cover of Wilson Pickett's "Ninety Nine And One Half", which almost has a slight "glam" feel to it, and the James Brown type riffs on the track "Ouch".

It's not all rooted in the 1960s, though. There's a really nice spacey synthed out track called "Something Better To Do" which evokes the classic zany P-Funk styles of the mob back in the early 80s. Also we have a nice sequenced instrumental funk hit to start off the album, called "Thought Patterns" with some wicked drum loops, which could possibly be my favourite track on the album. "Delta Dog" is a re-make of George Clinton's "Atomic Dog", done in a blues version with a 90s-style drum machine. "Diggity Don Dotta" brings some very heavy rock onto this album, and "Lights, Camera, Action" has the feel of a late 90s midtempo groove! I could go on, but the bottom line is that this album, "Funk Road", is delightfully versatile, and should undoubtedly whet your appetite in some form, whatever your personal taste is in funk & soul.

Buy this album soon and get listening to it!!