Funk: The Music, the People, and the Rhythm of the One

By Rickey Vincent

Book Overview

Funk: It's the only musical genre ever to have transformed the nation into a throbbing army of bell-bottomed, hoop-earringed, rainbow-Afro'd warriors on the dance floor. Its rhythms and lyrics turned bleak urban realties inside out with distinctive, danceable, downright irresistable music.

Funk hasn't received the critical attention that rock, jazz, and the blues have-until now. Colorful, intelligent, and in-you-face, Rickey Vincent's Funk celebrates the songs, the musicians, the philosophy, and the meaning of funk. The book spans from the early work of James Brown (the Godfather of Funk) through today, covering funky soul (Stevie Wonder, the Temptations), so-called "black rock" (Jimi Hendrix, Sly and the Family Stone, the Isely Brothers), jazz-funk (Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock), monster funk (Parliament, Funkadelic, Bootsy's Rubber Band), naked funk (Rick James, Gap Band), disco-funk (Chic, K.C. and the Sunshine Band), funky pop (Kook & the Gang, Chaka Khan), P-Funk Hip Hop (Digital Underground, De La Soul), funk-sampling rap (Ice Cube, Dr. Dre), funk rock (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Primus), and more.

Funk tells a vital, vibrant history-the history of a uniquely American music born out of tradition and community, filled with energy, attitude, anger, hope, and an irrepressible spirit.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312134991
• ISBN13: 9780312134990
• Release Date: April 1996
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
• Length: 416 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.5" x 8.1"

Customer Reviews

Can't Barely Handle This Much Funk!

First, I propose a small title change for this book. It should be called "THE Funk". The word "funk" only refers to a musical genre. But THE Funk entails the whole lifestyle, attitude, and philosophy that go with the music. And that's what this book is about. Rickey Vincent provides all the info you could possibly dig on the origins, artists, and influence behind the funk bomb that has been shaking the Earth since the 60's. You get the deep, ancient funk origins in jazz, soul, R & B, and even rockers like Hendrix and Santana. As should be expected, there's a ton of props for the musicians who invented funk, especially the Godfather, my main man James Brown; not to mention the old-school master, Sly Stone. Once the funk really took off in the 70's, Vincent provides top coverage of the entire phenomenon, with props for big men like the Isley Brothers, Ohio Players, Kool & the Gang, and Earth Wind & Fire; and unearths long-lost funkateeers like Slave and Zapp, who are ripe for rediscovery. But where would we be without P-Funk? No problem, as Vincent gives us an entire section on the most important and influential funk mob of all time, George Clinton's Parliament/Funkadelic thang. The story continues into the present with coverage of funk that survived underground in the 80's, and then rocked the world again in the 90's. Most interesting is Vincent's coverage of funk's humungous influence on the hip-hop nation, as well as a whole branch of rock-n-roll (populated by bands like Red Hot Chili Peppers and Primus). When funk history gets ragged in the late 70's and early 80's, Vincent gets carried away in his endless condemnation of disco (you don't really need to say how much disco reeked), as well as the other new forms of dance music that temporarily buried the funk. But not to worry, because in the 90's the funk re-emerged triumphantly and in top booty-shakin' form. And get a load of the appendix, "Essential Funk Recordings," in which Vincent provides a gargantuan list of classic funk albums that will keep you on a buying spree for the rest of your life.

I Am Now A Well Educated Lover Of FUNK !!!

I recieved this book as a gift from my Fiancee, who is a FUNK musician. Many times he explained to me what FUNK is and how it began. My interest in FUNK music began to peak and I wanted to know more. I read the entire book in a 6 hour flight from the east coast to the west coast. The book was so informative I couldn't put it down. Prior to my reading this book I had no idea of the indepth history FUNK and the magnitude of its impact on the music industry. If anyone wants to know and understand the history of FUNK; I refer to this book as the "BIBLE OF FUNK". I am now a well educated lover of FUNK!!!

Complete, informative, incredible

This book is all of that. It is more than just a walk dowm memory lane, it breaks down just where it all started from and connects it to what's going on today. I come from a funk background, two parents who were musicaians in the Dayton, Ohio area funk scene and they have confirmed that this author did his homework. You may be into funk, but this book will make you understand funk. Your appreciation for funk will grow beyond belief. This is not a book that I have read and it stays on my bookshelf, I find myself going to it often. There are so many facts about this music in this book that a one time reading isn't enough. Bottom line get this book.

The true story of FUNK!!

All I can say is get this book...if you need to know more about funk, if you already think you know all there is to know, or if you heard that funky voice in yo' behind calling out, this is the one for you!!

2FUNKY in hea!!!

My name is Tyrone( The ShowStopper)Triggs, Singer/Entertainer/Musician. Right out the Bay Area. My man Rick, threw down on this hea book. He knows what the hell he's talking about. He covered the Funk to the T. I been around the world twice and spoke to everyone at least one time. I must say, damn good job Rick. Foverever Funkin on baby baba!!! You brought the FUNK right chea!!!