Parliament - The Clones of Dr. Funkenstein

The Clones of Dr. Funkenstein finds Parliament in full mothership mode, a 1976 funk opera starring George Clinton's most outrageous alter ego.

Coming hot on the heels of Mothership Connection, the album pushed the P-Funk mythology further into space, with the doctor of funk himself presiding over the party. Clinton produced it, and the collective was firing on every cylinder: Bootsy Collins on bass and vocals, Bernie Worrell on keyboards and synthesizers, and a horn section featuring former James Brown players Fred Wesley and Maceo Parker.

Dr. Funkenstein struts in with a slinky groove and a sly bedside manner, while Gamin' On Ya bounces along on a rubbery bassline. Children Of Production preaches the funk gospel with stacked, playful harmonies, and Do That Stuff became one of the album's hit singles, a loose, joyous jam built for the dance floor.

The arrangements are tighter and slicker than earlier Parliament records, with Worrell and Wesley's horn charts snapping into place, yet the playfulness never dims and the grooves sit so deep you could set up camp in them.

For funk lovers, it is a vital link in the P-Funk chain and a reminder that nobody built a universe on the dance floor quite like Clinton and company.