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Eddie Hazel giving Hendrix a Run For His Money

Posted about 1 year ago

I have a certain affinity for the Funkadelic song "Maggot Brain". I think it could possibly be one of the best guitar solos in rock history, if not the best. I mean it can stand next to anything Hendrix wrote, it's that good.
Funny thing is, the first time I heard it, I actually heard the rather impressive cover by J. Mascis on the Mike Watt album Ball Hog or Tug Boat - an album I don't remember too much, except for that track. I later learned it was a cover and eventually sought out the original, and my face melted clean off my head. I mean literally. No wait figuratively. Aw, hell metaphysically.
So I did a little shopping on You Tube to find the real test - does Mr. Hazel's playing hold up in concert, or was this a fluke once in a life time recording thing. Apparently, George Clinton told Mr. Hazel "to play like his mamma died" for the recording. Well, after listening, I think I'm gonna phone mine and see if she's all right. I'll post the cover and original later. Enjoy, and wipe your face off the desk there when your done.

2

Comments (31)

  1. Cody B
    Cody B says One of my all time faves...when he died, some folks I worked with had a little tribute where we sat and listened to every version of Maggot Brain we could find. Candles were lit and fueled with 40oz's we delved for 3 or 4 hours. Thanks for the face melt..I love the latter year versions where the flute was added. When George brought the Mothership out in 95? They opened the show with Maggot for about 25 minutes..Unfortunately I was being frisked at the time.
    Permalink posted 10/25/2007
  2. chandlersford
    chandlersford says Ahhh I've always loved this track and share your appreciation of one of the greatest guitar solo's ever! If it gets the hairs on the back of your neck - it's worked. It's along similar lines to the feel Kossoff had and the solo in Comfortably Numb for me, it's not flash it's emotive. I'm not going to get into guitar speak by you really get that each note is being squeezed out. I've got two versions - the one off Maggot Brain and a live one from a cheap funk 3 cd set (£2.99 in somewhere like Woolworth) it has a really odd bit tagged to the end with some live crowd chanting. Both are great takes. Cheers for the heads up on the vid - WOW! CF
    Permalink posted 10/25/2007
  3. contrabandwidth
    contrabandwidth says Hairs on the back of your neck stand up. So true. Makes me tingle when I listen too it. On the LP version you can even hear what I think is the speaker magnet hitting the casing on the amp. I'm not sure if I'm right, but it's miked in such away it just feels like a straight shot, no overdubs or nothing. As i've said A-mazing.
    Permalink posted 10/25/2007
  4. Dzendvokh
    Dzendvokh says Now that's just lovely, simply lovely
    Permalink posted 10/25/2007
  5. Sturgell
    Sturgell says damn, ??that was Epic!??
    Permalink posted 10/25/2007
  6. deadmandeadman
    deadmandeadman says There are twi incredible Live versions of this where Mr Hazel shreds the studio recording. There's also a 22 minute version on a bootleg cd I purchased that purports to have been recorded in DC but I have my doubts. Whatever. On the boot he almost enters Sonic Youth territory. Bursts of feedback, sharp shards of guitar squals, the whole deal. very glorious.
    Permalink posted 10/25/2007
  7. Cody B
    Cody B says chandlersford, I think you have the Mike Hampton version from the One Nation Under A Groove 45 that came with the LP. Anyway here's a 71
    and a '78 version I have on a bootleg
    Permalink posted 10/25/2007
  8. vannatta
    vannatta says ...thanks for bringing the Funk baby-ba-ba...
    Permalink posted 10/25/2007
  9. Lizziegreeneyes
    Lizziegreeneyes says Funky on the early - just the way I likes my funk... awww hello kitty - I loves my funk anyway I can get it ;) Face melt is right... went up on my mem quotes *T*
    Permalink posted 10/25/2007
  10. brendanhalpin
    brendanhalpin says Love, love love this. I normally don't like songs that go on for more than five minutes, and I normally don't love extended solos, and I just love every version of this I've ever heard. Ball Hog or Tugboat has a couple of highlights in my opinion: "Against The 70's"with Eddie Vedder on vocals, and my personal favorite, "Piss Bottle Man" featuring Evan Dando on vocals. Otherwise, yeah, it's kinda forgettable.
    Permalink posted 10/25/2007
  11. Lizziegreeneyes
    Lizziegreeneyes says *Cody:* You... frisked... NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
    Permalink posted 10/25/2007
  12. contrabandwidth
    contrabandwidth says Cody, you've just made my top 10 for all of this. Here's he LP version for all the many wonderful comparisons.
    Permalink posted 10/25/2007
  13. Lizziegreeneyes
    Lizziegreeneyes says what a source you two are :)
    Permalink posted 10/25/2007
  14. Cody B
    Cody B says Thanks contra, I always dig what you lay down, but this is the top. I throw the word fave around a lot, but P-funk is at the absolute top o' the list for me, and Maggot Brain (along,strangely enuf w/the GD's Cassidy) are basically my theme songs. Thanks so much for representing the P. Outside of the soul wrenching genius that is Maggot Brain, Eddie also lays down a ton of incredible soloage throughout the Maggot Brain album. That being said, to continue, here's another Eddie version, Beverly Theatre '83. Maceo takes the flute solo, so beware (or enjoy) that 7 minute intro.
    Permalink posted 10/26/2007
  15. Lizziegreeneyes
    Lizziegreeneyes says You two are gonna spoil us FUNKIN !!!
    Permalink posted 10/26/2007
  16. contrabandwidth
    contrabandwidth says Listening now. Damn, I'm glad I tagged this as Funkadelic and not Mike Watt, cuz this post might be a compendium of all things Maggot Brain in the Mog-chives. I would have to agree that I have so much respect for Mr. Clinton and crew, but I definitely sway more towards the Funk over the P-Funk. Being a former hippie/jam band afficiando I got a bit burned out on the P-Funk played in parking lots of shows. I'm waiting to come back to them, but right now I kind of put a lot of the more well known songs on the shelf with Bob Marley's ??Legend?? - great songs, but they're just played out for me. This version is bad ass so far, and the fact that it has Dennis Chambers on drums is icing on the cake. I saw him play with John McLaughlin in the mid 90's, and he actually blew John off the stage - figuratively. He played two extended drum solos that I swear would have moved his drum set off the stage if it wasn't bolted down. John actually sat down, and listened with the rest of us. I still put Chambers as one of the best drummers alive. Amazing experience.
    Permalink posted 10/26/2007
  17. Lizziegreeneyes
    Lizziegreeneyes says _*"Mog-chives"*_ good golly where do you come up with these wonderful words ;)
    Permalink posted 10/26/2007
  18. contrabandwidth
    contrabandwidth says Yeah, it was a strech... You can only mog-o-fy so many words before your a bit stale. Shame on me.
    Permalink posted 10/26/2007
  19. Lizziegreeneyes
    Lizziegreeneyes says I *CONTRA*dict you... doesn't get stale - it's kinda neat-to-the-OH !!!!
    Permalink posted 10/26/2007
  20. mister gary at work again
    mister gary at work again says Fuck, man; Picked up an old Funakdelic 'best of' vinyl quite a few years back that had a few different versions of "Maggot Brain" on a bonus EP - one is the actual full band track that was recorded for the album before Clinton got smart and decided to eliminate everything except Hazel ... The Mascis/Watt cover is amazing, if not for the blazing solos and bass then for Bernie Worrell's SICK mothership keyboards behind everything. Marvelously for me, the bonus "MaggotBrained" EP was laid down at 45 rpm ... So I had a field day dubbing it to cassette at 33 rpm, just because it makes everything sound so much more haunting and ethereal - I know it's bad to fuck with the music, but it raised goosebumps the first night I tried it, heh. I remember the fact that before I knew much about Eddie Hazel in high school, I was in love with the Mascis/Watt cover, and I also had a poorly recorded yet completely wailing Pearl Jam boot where the band led from Hendrix's "Little Wing" led into "Maggot Brain" - and Mike McCready, fittingly, played it like his momma had just died. Of course, all of that nonsense eventually led to my rather love affair with Eddie Hazel and the first three Funkadelic records, so hip hip hooray for that!
    Permalink posted 10/26/2007
  21. Cody B
    Cody B says Certified Double Funky This here is a fitting tribute! I hear George was always telling his drummers to play harder.
    Permalink posted 10/26/2007
  22. poebegone
    poebegone says Awesome. I don't even know which version I know, most likely the '71 album one. This hands down made my night of mogging, thanks.
    Permalink posted 10/26/2007
  23. contrabandwidth
    contrabandwidth says It's our pleasure to promote pleasure, poe! Funk saves and Funk heals - testify!
    Permalink posted 10/26/2007
  24. P-Theory
    P-Theory says

    Eddie was one of the greatest players ever.  He was good friends with our frontman Kevin Goins (Glenn's brother) and we still love to hear all the stories from back in the day.

    Eddie had more soul than most could ever dream of.  I've never heard the J Mascis version on this page before but to be honest that does Eddie's work absolutely no justice whatsoever.

    Permalink posted 06/26/2008
  25. contrabandwidth
    contrabandwidth says

    I agree.  Nothing will beat Eddie Hazel's version, never.  It's like hearing people try to cover Hendrix, near impossible.  I respect the track for it introducing me to this seminal work, though.  As I said, I think this track is as good, if not better than Hendrix at his best.  I just wish we had more examples of his virtuosity on tape.

    Permalink posted 06/26/2008
  26. P-Theory
    P-Theory says

    There is lots out there what have you got?

    Permalink posted 06/26/2008
  27. contrabandwidth
    contrabandwidth says

    I guess I'm talking about the scope of his solo work - though I'm certainly no expert.  And compared to Hendrix who has tons of studio and live boots and such.  I mean solo isn't there pretty much only "Dames, Games and Guitar Thangs"?

    Permalink posted 06/26/2008
  28. P-Theory
    P-Theory says

    As far as official (albeit 3 are posthumous) solo releases there are:

    Jams From The Heart

    At Home with Eddie Hazel

    Rest in P

    Dame Games & Guitar Things

    But Eddie is all over a lot of stuff outside of Funkadelic such as

    Commodores

    Temptations

    Aquarian Dream

    Betty Davis

    The Funk Machine

    Axiom Funk

    Bootsy's New Rubber Band

    War Babies

    But that is by no means a conclusive list I would be here for a long time writing them all

    CHeck this out:

    http://www.p-theory.com/images/photos/gallery/645063.jpg

    It is his obituary in the local Plainfield paper if you can't read it then send me an email from our website and I'll send you a hi res version

    Http://p-theory.com

    Permalink posted 06/26/2008
  29. P-Theory
    P-Theory says

    This is the best live footage of Eddie that exists. Before the days of youtube etc and when collectors ruled with their personal stashes this was thought of as the holy grail

    Permalink posted 06/26/2008
  30. uncle creepy
    uncle creepy says

    Thanks for sharing the link to the live video(s).

    Unbelievable solos by Eddie.

    Can you believe I hadn't heard Maggot Brain until a week ago?

    Permalink posted 07/01/2008
  31. P-Theory
    P-Theory says

    Well so long as you got it now

    Permalink posted 07/03/2008

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