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The Grodeck Whipperjenny - The Grodeck Whipperjenny (1970)

Track listing:
  1. Conclusions 4:36
  2. Evidence For The Existence... 5:59
  3. Inside Or Outside 4:09
  4. Put Your Thing On Me 4:37
  5. Sitting Here On A Tongue 2:53
  6. Why Can't I Go Back 3:44
  7. Wonder If 2:57
  8. You're Too Young 2:10

Notes


Recorded in Cincinnati, Ohio, this album was co-produced by Dave Matthews and Ron Lenhoff and was released on James Brown's People label. It's a superb psychedelic/progressive effort which is full of imagination and fresh ideas. Every track is excellent in its own right making it difficult to identify highlights, but Conclusions is a superb instrumental and Evidence For The Existance Of The Unconscious has fine keyboards and makes interesting use of echoed vocals and discordant guitars.

Grodeck Whipperjenny also appeared as the backing band on James Brown's Sho Is Funky Down Here album recorded at or right around the same time. They also backed Brown on a non-album 45 recorded at the same session which included the first version of Talkin Loud and Sayin Nothin. This 45 was later withdrawn.

Produced by James Brown's favourite arranger and conductor Dave Mathews, The Grodeck Whipperjenny, recorded in 1970 in Cincinnati and released on Brown's People label, is an album that won universal critical claim but still failed to propel the highly talented outfit into the big time. Described by one critic as 'a superb psychedelic/progressive effort -- full of imagination and fresh ideas' others locked into the album's abundant funky rhythms, prompting another pundit to excitedly proclaim Grodeck as 'an acid funk monster of an album which will blow the flavour savour right off you mug'! Every track is excellent in its own right which makes it difficult to single out particular highlights, but 'Conclusions' is a superb instrumental of jaw-dropping strings, heavy Hammond and stinging guitar, while 'Evidence For The Existence Of The Unconscious' features fine keyboards, echoed vocal and fuzz guitar."

The Grodeck Whipperjenny isn't only a boss name for your first born, but it's an acid funk monster of an album that will blow the flavor saver right off your mugg. The Grodeck Whipperjenny was a project recorded in 1970 by David Matthews, the arranger and conductor on many of James Brown's finest, funkiest moments of the 70s, including "Get On The Good Foot," "Talkin' Loud And Ain't Sayin' Nothin'' and the soundtrack to Slaughters' Big Rip Off. Sure, the guy's resume pretty much proves him to be a bad ass, but this project shows him to be an eclectic bad ass as well. In between the acidic locked grooves of tunes like "Sitting Here On A Tongue" and "Put Your Thing On Me" (possibly one of the greatest song titles of all time) are some screwball shenanigans that leave my brow arched & my ears perked listen after listen. The instrumental "Conclusions" is a stirring (and I don't use fruity words like 'stirring' all too often, pally) arrangement of jaw dropping strings, heavy hammond and stinging guitar that had me thinking I left some limey prog disc on the box one night when I smoked too much hoo-hah. "You're Too Young" is a short little ditty with a lite, head bopping melody, but has lyrics (beautifully sung by Mary Ellen Bell) that sound/read like they were snatched out of a Code Of Honor 7". The surprises that lie in store for you on this record are numerous and prove to be life affirming with each earful. A year later, The Grodeck Whipperjenny went on to back James B. on the album Sho Is Funky Down Here, the finest James record ever released to not actually feature James on it. Now that's bad ass!!!
(Reviews from different sources)