GEORGE CLINTON
1/ Martial Law (GC,Bryant,Gordy) 7.13
2/ Paint the White House Black (GC,WB,KG,BS,NW) 7.49
3/ Way Up (Clinton,Foley) 5.07
4/ Dis Beat Disrupts (Lewis) 3.29
5/ Get Satisfied (GC,Payne,Lewis) 3.55
6/ Hollywood (Lewis,Austin) 5.21
7/ Rhythm and Rhyme (GC,JP,Galea,Hope) 5.39
8/ The Big Pump (Clinton,Prince) 3.34
9/ If True Love (Clinton,Lewis) 3.57
10/ High In My Hello (Clinton,Washington) 5.16
11/ Maximumisness (Clinton,Laswell,Collins) 5.02
12/ Kickback (Clinton,Foley) 3.41
13/ The Flag Was Still There (GC,CC,TL,SB) 5.58
14/ Martial Law (Hey Man...Smell My Finger) (GC,Bryant,Gordy) 4.13
(Single Version)
Recorded at Bassment Studios, Brad Buxer Studios, The Church, D.A.R.P.
Studios, The Disc Recording Institute, Greenpoint Studio, Greenstreets
Studios, Larrabee Studios, Material Studios Inc., Paisley Park Studios,
Pallette Studios and United Sound
Produced by George Clinton
Tracks 1,2 and 14 co-produced by Kerry Gordy and William Bryant III
Tracks 3 and 5 co-produced by Foley
Track 4 co-produced by DeWayne “Blackbyrd” McKnight
Track 6 co-produced by Dallas Austin
Track 8 co-produced by Prince
Track 11 co-produced by Bill Laswell
Track 12 co-produced by Garry Shider and Foley
Track 13 co-produced by Garry Shider
Executive Producers: Kerry Gordy, Alan Leeds and Benny Medina
George Clinton, Dallas Austin, Deborah Barsha, Daryl Boudreaux, Steven
Boyd, Sheila Brody, Jessica Cleaves, Bootsy Collins, Mudbone Cooper,
Pupa Curly, Lige Curry, Sandra Dance, N'Dea Davenport, Ray Davis, Dr. Dre,
Joseph "Amp" Anthony Fiddler, Foley, Rosalind "Mallia" Franklin, Theopolis
"Chip" Glass, Adrian "Blue" Goms, Kerry Gordy, Tasha Griffin, Joseph Harris,
Candace Harrison, Paul Hill, Humpty Hump, Ice Cube, J.C.001, Robert "Peanut"
Johnson, Louie Kabbabie, Kam, Anthony Kiedis, Deborah Killing, Deana Klug,
Lay Back, Tracey "Treylewd" Lewis, Pat Louis, Roger Lynch, MC Breed,
Carolyn McClure, William "Clip" Payne, Pee Wee, Schmoovy-Schmoov, Garry
Shider,The Steeles (Fred, JD, Jearlyn & Jevetta), Steven Sykes, Grady
Thomas, Nicole Tindall, Andre Williams, Tony Wilson, Belita Woods, Angela
Workman and Yo-Yo : vocals; Richard Arrigo, Jeff Bass, Mark Bass, Aaron
Blackmon, Matt "Atlanta Bliss" Blistan, Steven "Marooga" Bookvitchm William
Bryant III, Dennis Chambers, Phelps "Catfish" Collins, Bootsy Collins,
Mudbone Cooper, Tom Dougherty, DJ DZ'ire, Joseph "Amp" Anthony Fiddler,
Flea, Foley, Larry Fratangelo, Alan Friedman, Morris Hayes, Herbie Hancock,
Kirk Johnson, Eric Leeds, Roger Lynch, Tracey "Treylewd" Lewis, Gordon
"Rated G" McGuiness, DeWayne "Blackbyrd" McKnight, Gregory David
Moore, Maceo Parker, Darren Perteet, Levi Seacer Jr., Garry Shider, David
Spradley, Steven Sykes, Sonny T., Paca Thomas, Piano Man, Steve
Washington, Fred Wesley and Bernie Worrell: music.
Horns on tracks arranged by Eric Leeds
Horns on track arranged by Eric Leeds, Maceo Parker and Fred Wesley
Horns on track 12 arranged by Fred Wesley
Tracks 1 and 14 contain the following samples:
- "Atomic dog" (George Clinton,Garry Shider,David Spradley)
- "One nation under a groove" (George Clinton,Walter Morrison,Garry Shider)
- "(Not just) Knee deep" (George Clinton,Philippe Wynn)
Track 2 contains the following samples:
- "Smiling faces" performed by Undisputed Truth
- "Tweakin'" performed by George Clinton
1993 - Paisley Park/Warner Bros. (USA), PRO-A-6537 (Promo 2x12")
1993 - Paisley Park/Warner Bros. (USA), 9 25518-2 (CD)
1995 - NPG Records (USA), 0060532 NPG (CD)
Note: Bill Laswell does not play on this album.
There's no "Flash Light" or "Atomic Dog" or "Aqua Boogie" on Hey Man, and Clinton's hard line has softened some. But lines like "I'm gonna reach way up/And out/And touch everybody," from the exuberant "Way Up," update the good vibrations of Clinton's "One Nation Under a Groove." And the song he co-produced with Prince, "The Big Pump," is an incendiary club groove - the goofy lyrics writhe and fall, caressing the funk, enticing listeners to the dance floor.
Spotted with appearances by the likes of Ice Cube, Yo Yo, MC Breed, Flavor Flav, Dr. Dre and Digital Underground's Shock G, the album goes beyond what would have been a patronizing move: the use of the artists solely as flashing emblems of hip-hop. Instead, like some intriguing musical macramé, allusions to the featured artists' work are woven throughout Hey Man. The words paint the White House black recently appeared in MC Breed's pounding "Ain't No Future in Yo' Frontin'," and with Breed rapping on Clinton's "Paint the White House Black," the song's concept (defiance, mostly) feels multigenerational and even possible. Then in "Martial Law" the snatch of sound that Shock G sampled for "The Humpty Dance" turns up, and a few songs later, Shock lights up Clinton's "Rhythm and Rhyme" with some quick rhymes of his own.
A textured mesh of what-belongs-to-whom and who's-signifying-whom, Hey Man ... Smell My Finger reeks with confidence. In the worthy quest for the ultimate hip-hop jam, the featured artists and their contemporaries have ravenously picked Clinton's recordings to the bone. So the mutual admiration flowing between Clinton and the folks who think him sacred is compelling. The bond may be cultural, or it may come from true love for the true funk. Or it may originate in the commonality only few can relate to: the distinct high that comes with the power of creating something new.
4 out of 5 stars
Danyel Smith (courtesy of the Rolling Stone website)