George Clinton: The Cinderella Theory (1989)

george clinton cinderellaBy Scott Goldfine

The cover of this album, which features a head shot of George Clinton, foreshadows the fact that funk’s preeminent soothsayer may be becoming more conservative in his later years. On his four solo albums for Capitol, Clinton chose the provocative illustrations of Pedro Bell, the same artist responsible for Funkadelic’s wild covers. But this is the funkmeister’s first effort in more than three years and his first for Prince’s Paisley Park label (Who could have fathomed 10 years ago that Clinton would end up on Prince’s label? What an amazing business!). Is Clinton mellowing or not? Let’s take a closer look.

Clinton has assembled an array of P-Funk veterans — including Bootsy, Blackbyrd McKnight and Garry Shider ― for a generous dozen tracks. It kicks off with “Airbound,” a light and airy tune that glides along nicely. The collection’s clear-cut standout, “Tweakin’,” is next. Featuring rapping by Public Enemy’s Chuck D and Flavor Flav, this song is the only one that rekindles that classic Clinton sizzle. The sequel to the 1982 standard “Atomic Dog,” “Why Should I Dog You Out?,” is an indication that perhaps Clinton is resting too much on his last laurels. The bulk of the rest of the LP, including a pop-ish cover of Harry Belafonte’s “The Banana Boat Song,” sounds like outtake material.

As far as grooves go (and let’s face it, that’s the essence of this artist’s appeal), this is not one of Clinton’s most memorable outings. It seems apparent that the classic and innovative hooks that he used to carve out with such regularity have dissipated into off-the-wall quirkiness and retreads. Make no mistake about it, these statements are coming from a Clinton fanatic. To be fair though, Bernie Worrell, the Horny HornsEddie Hazel and Michael Hampton are conspicuously absent. However, word has it he has gathered most of the original Funk Mob for Funkadelic’s new album and tour. Now, that would be a welcome development. Until then, as as long as Dr. Funkenstein keeps pluggin’ away, we’ll keep the faith.

GRADE: C

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Scott Goldfine

As a fervid lifelong music & film enthusiast / student, I grew up in and around the Los Angeles entertainment industry. I have worked and held many positions in various media realms, since 1998 serving as Editor-in-Chief and now Associate Publisher for Security Sales & Integration, a trade publication serving the electronic security industry. I love several genres of music & film. The former includes funk (Parliament-Funkadelic, Prince, Ohio Players, etc.); blues (Stevie Ray Vaughan, Buddy Guy, Eric Gales, etc.); rock (Jack White, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Neil Young, etc.); hard rock (AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, etc.); jazz (Herbie Hancock, Bob James, Crusaders, etc.); R&B (Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan, Gil Scott-Heron, etc.); and more. I was a club disc jockey and ran a mobile DJ company (Musical Moods) for more than 15 years, which is where the name Dr. GX originates (Doctor Good Times). Fave film genres include horror (Dawn of the Dead, Evil Dead, Nightmare on Elm Street, etc.); science fiction (Aliens, Terminator, 2001, etc.); action (Warriors, Road Warrior, Die Hard); westerns (Outlaw Josey Wales, Showdown at OK Corral; Wild Bunch, etc.); suspense (Jaws, Inception, Silence of the Lambs, etc.); drama (Apocalypse Now, Goodfellas, Pulp Fiction, etc.); and comedies (Life of Brian, Superbad, Ruthless People, etc.). I have attended many hundreds of concerts and movies (in theaters or screenings). I may as well also throw in a few favorite TV shows to give an even broader taste of my sensibilities. A handful would be Breaking Bad, Walking Dead, Lost, Justified, Fargo, Seinfeld, Sopranos, South Park, Brooklyn Nine Nine, Key & Peele, Monty Python, Inside Amy Schumer, Louie, Modern Family, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Last Man on Earth, Bob Newhart Show, All in the Family and The Office. Fave authors are Stephen King, Clive Barker and Michael Crichton. I am also a big sports fan and lifelong supporter of the Dallas Cowboys (NFL), Los Angeles Lakers (NBA) and Pittsburgh Pirates (MLB). Also enjoy my family of course, electronics/computers/AV gear, and animals, nature and outdoor activities. Graduate of Santa Monica High School, Santa Monica College and California State University Northridge (Radio-TV-Film, Psychology minor). Also studied at UCLA for kinesiology/psychology and earned post-grad Certificate in Accounting from Santa Monica College. Present main occupation is as Associate Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Security Sales & Integration (SSI), which I joined in 1998. I am responsible for overseeing all editorial content in print. online, electronic, in-person and any other media or products for the electronic security industry's leading business-to-business trade publication. SSI is part of Framingham, Mass.-based Emerald Expositions.