Toe-Knee's Comments on
Funk and the Abstract Truth
Songs - Do You Redemption Song Ayanna and her Mother? What Ever Happened to the Revolution? Good Thoughts, Bad Thoughts Blood for Oil 34 Washington Lane Pussy, Pot and parliament Could You Ever Love a Stranger? Funk and the abstract truth
Everyone who knows me, knows that I love and have always loved the Funk. However, I'm not a musician, per say, don't misunderstand me, sure , I dabble with a few instruments and I sing a bit, but primarily I am an artist. I especially love to do portraits. Music was just a different medium and pallette in which I could paint the color of sound. Each note is a different color. Each instrument a different brush or pencil, an experimentation in applying magical color to my musical canvas, I hope you find it funky. back to top
Do You is a song inspired by the comedienne Monique. Monique was on the Sharon Osborne show. Sharon asked Monique to give a little girl with a weight problem some advice on dealing with the constant ridicule in school. Monique, being the class act that she is, told the little girl to disarm her detractors by making jokes about her weight herself. Chances are , Monique continued, that they keep the focus of their ridicule on you so as to not reveal their own shortcomings. Meanwhile Monique suggested that her inner-self focus on her most positive attributes and develop them. Monique went on to explain that eventually the teasing would stop. The next thing Monique said was, don't let them get to you, just DO YOU! back to top
I love the spirit and consciousness (music too!) of one Robert Nesta Marley. I always said if I ever did an album, that I had to include his Redemption Song.... I hope his fans don't find it too irreverent, but I had to make it funky! back to top
Ayanna and her Mother? Just listen to the passion in the solo, nuff said? God, I love my daughter and my soul mate of almost a quarter century, see if you can feel it in our song. I love you Lu!! back to top
When I was a kid, one of my greatest musical pleasures was seeing Maceo Parker and Fred Wesley play the horn intro on the song P-Funk. I also loved George Clinton's studio voice on that track. Musically I tried to recreate that atmosphere on Revolution. Lyrically, you're getting my take on the state of African Youth in Amerikkka. Who, on the surface appear to take more pride in a bullet with a name on it, than a PH.D. With a name on it. More interested in a shot of lead, than at a shot at leading the generation beneath them to higher ground..... What Ever Happened to the Revolution? Hmmm....... back to top
Man I wish I could say that this idea was solely mine but it aint. I was talking to guitar virtuoso Michael Hampton a.k.a. Kidd Funkadelic one night and he mentioned doing a remake of the old funkadelic classic Good Thoughts, Bad Thoughts. Man the idea excited me right away! I always liked the philosophy of the tune, and Eddie Hazels guitar work on it. So this was a project I could really sink my brand of Funk into. Mike had one stipulation, we had to rebuild it from the ground up. So while the Kidd was on the road, I concocted some lyrics. I pulled another good buddy of mine into the mix and I told him what we were looking for musically. ( by the way, this buddy of mine is Thomas Parker Williams, co-producer of this album. My right hand man. I couldn't have done it without him. Thanx Tom!) He added his thing, I added my thing, and Mike came in and laid some monster guitar, Lawd!!.... and voila!! back to top
Blood for Oil kinda Speaks for itself. I hate War, don't you? They spread the bombs. We spread the Funk.
34 Washington Lane, Uh let's see, I know , you know, we know. I apologize sincerely. I'll never forget!! Thanks for the memories. Musically I wanted a taste of Bebop, you know, a little Trane, a little Monk. I don't pretend to liken my piano playing to the stature of Monk, in fact I'm not a piano player. I wanted a little be-bop in my funk. back to top
Pussy, Pot and parliament is actually a loosely told tale of how >Kidd Funladelic joined the US Funk Mob ( for all you unfunky folk the US Funk Mob are better known as Parliament/Funkadelic.) That psychedelic, or space sounding instrument that dominates the audio landscape so fiercely is a guitar played by none other than the Mad Master of Heavy Metal Funk himself Michael Hampton a.k.a. Kidd Funkadelic. I loved his sound up against my bass line. We hope you do too. back to top
Could You Ever Love a Stranger?, is a song about the world's
greatest need....love. I wanted it to be a blues rap with an Allman Brothers
Feel. (By the way,Greg Allman is one of the most soulful singing white
boys I have ever heard.)
And speaking of soulful white boys, this album introduces a guitar player
whose passion and soul burn a hole in everything he plays.
Listen to Redemption Song, Do you! And this song where He and I go at
it on guitars.
His name? Adam Charleton, he calls himself Confidence the Ghost Writer ,
I call him my friend, Thanks Adam for being there and believing in the project.
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Before I talk about the next tune, I have to sincerely and passionately thank Brother Rob Dickerson, and his queen, Sister Wanda Dickerson for their belief and support of me. I would also like to thank them eternally, for being a continuous positive cultural light in the darkness that is Camden, NJ (If you would like to learn more about their good work, and it's impact on the community and the world, if you just want to make a contribution to a very worthy cause, visit www.unitycommunity.com) Because of you two, your family, and the lives you have touched, I know there is hope. back to top
The title track is one of my favorites, because I think it to be the
epitome of funk. The horns man! The horns! Soooo funky!!
This song was inspired by P-Funk live shows. I picked up the bass
and pretended I was Bootsy.... oh well, welcome back to reality.
I hope you enjoy the album, and may the funk be with you.
Oh yeah! , and you continue your evening in pleasure.
Thanks to the creator,
Toe-Knee back to top