Standing On the Verge of Getting It On

iTunes Review

Not quite as schizophrenic as its predecessors, Standing On the Verge of Getting It On returns Funkadelic to the searing hard-rock assault of Maggot Brain. Opening with “Red Hot Momma,” a song that blends Led Zeppelin’s wattage with James Brown’s rhythms, the album surges from the very first minutes. Guitarist Eddie Hazel is the album’s undeniable star, his live-wire riffs leading the charge on “Vital Juices” and “Alice In My Fantasies.” His solo piece, “Good Thoughts, Bad Thoughts,” is a continuation of the title track from Maggot Brain; over a languid arpeggio, Hazel’s guitar howls through time and space, confirming his reputation as the only axeman who could sit at the table with Jimi Hendrix. Equally essential is “I’ll Stay,” a narcotic remake of “I’ll Wait,” a song by George Clinton’s ‘60s doo-wop band the Parliaments. Then, of course, there is the title track, one of P-Funk’s mightiest fusions of heavy metal attitude, psychedelic sexuality, and devastatingly groovy R&B.