BERNIE WORRELL
1/ Y-Spy (Worrell,Jordan,Drayton) 4.27
2/ B.W. Jam (Worrell,Cooper,Polanco) 3.30
3/ Funk-A-Hall-Licks (Worrell,Collins,Cooper) 5.20
4/ Ain't She Sweet (Yellen,Ager) 5.02
5/ Straight Ahead (BW,PM,Small,SW,JD) 3.59
6/ Real Life Dreams (Worrell,Nyce) 4.43
7/ Sing (Worrell,Hampton,Byrne) 4.34
8/ Don't Piss Me Off (Worrell,Harrison,Midnight) 4.26
9/ Beware of Dog (Worrell,Bowne,Bowne) 2.37
10/ Volunteered Slavery/Bern's Blues/ (Kirk/Worrell/Sun Ra) 4.45
Outer Spaceways
11/ At Mos'Spheres (Worrell) 3.55
12/ Real Life Dreams On (Worrell,Nyce) 1.39
Recorded at Gramavision Studio, NYC
Tracks 10 and 11 recorded at Greenpoint Studio, Brooklyn, New York
Recorded and mixed by Joe Blaney
Assistant engineer: Tim Casey
Tracks 10 and 11 engineered by Oz Fritz and Robert Musso
Assistant engineers on tracks 10 and 11: Steve MacLoughlin and Paul Berry
Tracks 10 and 11 mixed at Platinum Island by Jason Corsaro
Produced by Joe Blaney and Bernie Worrell
Tracks 10 and 11 produced by Bill Laswell
Additional production and remix on tracks 2 and 4 by Goh Hotoda at
Soundtrack Studio, NYC
Additional production on track 3 by Michael Jonzun and Phil Green at
Mission Control, MA
Executive Producer: Jonathan F.P. Rose
Mastered at Masterdisk, NYC by Bob Ludwig
Bernie Worrell: clavinet (1,2,3,5,6,9,12), synthesizer (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,12),
organ (1,3,9,12), lead vocal (1,3,5,6,7), synth bass (2,4,5,7,8), percussion (2),
backing vocals (2,8), piano (4), vocals (4,10), organ (6,7), samples (8),
Hammond B-3 organ (10,11), electric piano (10), DX-7 (11); Steve Jordan:
drums (1,3), guitar (1,6,12), percussion (1), vocal (1); Charley Drayton (1):
bass, snare, lap steel guitar, percussion; Keith Richards: guitar (1,3,8); Gary
"Mudbone" Cooper: vocals (1,4,10), drum programming (2), synth horns (2),
samples (2), sequencing (2), backing vocals (2,3,5,7,8), percussion (6,12),
lead vocals (8); Loren Qualls: vocals (1); Joe Polanco (2): drum
programming, synth horns, samples, sequencing; Sheila Washington: backing
vocals (2,3,5,6,7,8); Steve Washington & Jenny Douglas-McRae: backing
vocals (2); William "Bootsy" Collins: bass (3,4), guitar (3), drum programming
(4), vocals (4); Herbie Hancock: keyboards (3), synthesizer (4); Jimmy Ripp:
guitar (3,5,6,7,8,12), banjo (4), electric sitar (7); Maceo Parker : saxophone (3),
sax (9); Jody Bell: backing vocals (3,6,8); Doug Duffy: backing vocals (3,5);
Larry Fratangelo: percussion (4,6,7,12); Steve Ferrone: drums (5,7); Warren
McRae: bass (5); Patty Maloney, John DeNicola & Michael Camacho:
backing vocals (5); Sly Dunbar: drums (6,12); Robbie Shakespeare: bass
(6,12); Mike Hampton: guitar (7); David Byrne: backing vocals (7); Phoebe
Snow: lead vocals (8); Jerry Harrison: organ (8); Dennis Chambers: drums
(8); Chris Spedding: slide guitar (8); Davy D.: turntable (8); Jerome Brailey:
percussion (8); Butch Alexander & Rosemary Camera : backing vocals (8);
Vernon Reid: guitar (9); Doug Bowne: drums (9); Jimmy Hawkes: bass (9);
Aiyb Dieng (10): chatan, conga, tambourine, bells; UPTOWN HORNS (2) -
Crispin Cioe: alto and baritone sax; Arno Hecht: tenor sax; Paul "Hollywood"
Littral: trumpet; Robert Funk: trombone.Track 4 arranged by Bootsy and Bernie
1990 - Gramavision (USA), R1 79460 (Vinyl)
1990 - Gramavision (USA), R2 79460 (CD)
1990 - Gramavision (USA), GCD 79460 (CD)
Note: Bill Laswell does not play on this album.
3 1/2 stars out of 5
David Bertrand Wilson (courtesy of the Wilson and Alroy's Record Reviews website)
Seven years after his last recording with the P.Funk Mob, Bernie came out with a project that featured his music once again. He had been solo work with a cornucopia of artists in the 80's, including the Talking Heads, Keith Richards, the Golden Palominos, Material, and others collaborating with the Bill Laswell gang. Many of those artists returned the favor and helped out on his first solo album in 12 years. A number of notable P.Funkers were on board as well, including Michael Hampton, Bootsy Collins, Gary 'Mudbone' Cooper, Larry Fratangelo, Maceo Parker, Dennis Chambers and Sheila Washington. The result is an interesting funk stew that neatly incorporates the wide variety of musicians present with his own grooving keyboard greatness. Many of the songs recall bits and pieces of past P.Funk works, but Bernie mainly explores rock and reggae here, with a few notable keyboard experiments. Also welcome is Bernie's extensive lead vocal work. His range is limited, but his soulfulness and expressiveness show through well.
"Sing" is a dreamy, funky rocker that really showcases Bernie's singing. "B.W. Jam" is a funky synth jam with an excellent horn arrangement. It recalls bits of "Flash Light" and "Rubber Duckie". "Funk-A-Hall-Licks" is a huge groove, with rhythm guitar master Keith Richards' stinging chords, Bootsy's fat bottom strokes and Bernie's funked-up lead vocals. Throw in Maceo blowing like he knows how and a reference to "Night Of The Thumpasorous Peoples" and you have a great track. "Ain't She Sweet" is a demented synth-cover of a dixielandsong. The best things about it are the percussion and funky bass; it recalls a bit of "A Joyful Process". "Y-Spy" really showcases Keith Richards and the other members of his solo band, the X-Pensive Winos. The sound is almost reggae, with some great chants. "Real Life Dreams" is straight-up reggae, with rhythm kings Sly & Robbie. "Beware Of Dog" is a kick-ass instrumental, a hard rocker (with Living Colour's Vernon Reid) with Maceo blowing again. "Straight Ahead" has some funky clavinet playing and good singing. "Don't Piss Me Off" is very funky, with great singing from Mudbone and a grooving synth bass. "Volunteered Slavery..." is a weird and slow funk/jazz experiment something that would be further explored on later albums. "At Mos' Spheres" is acover of his own song from Funkadelic's Let's Take It To The Stage, a bit shorter and funkier than the original. "Real Life Dreams On" continues on the rhythm of the earlier tune on the album, closing out the theme.
3 1/2 stars out of 5
Rob Clough (courtesy of the Motherpage website)