Parliament BEST OF/20TH CENTURY

Parliament includes: William "Bootsy" Collins (vocals, guitar, bass, percussion); George Clinton (vocals); Fred Wesley, Maceo Parker (horns); Bernie Worrell (keyboards).
Producers: George Clinton, Ron Dunbar.
Compilation producer: Mike Ragogna.
Includes liner notes by Sean Ross.
Digitally remastered by Elliot Federman (SAJE Sound, New York, New York).
Personnel: Bootsy Collins (vocals, guitar, snare drum, percussion); Eddie Hazel , Garry Shider, Glen Goins (vocals, guitar); Clarence "Fuzzy" Haskins, Gary "Mudbone" Cooper, George Clinton , Grady Thomas, Raymond Davis, Calvin Simon (vocals); Walter "Junie" Morrison (guitar, keyboards); Tony Thomas , Dewayne Blackbyrd McKnight, Gordon Carlton, Michael Hampton , Ron Bykowski, Phelps "Catfish" Collins (guitar); Sam Peake, Clay Lawrey, Fred Wesley, Larry Hatcher, Benny Cowan, Valerie Drayton, Danny Cortez, Darryl Dixon , Greg Thomas , Joe Farrell, Maceo Parker, Michael Brecker, Randy Brecker, Richard "Kush" Griffith, Rick Gardner, Greg Black, Greg Boyer (horns); David Lee Chong, Bernie Worrell (keyboards); Carl "Butch" Small, Dennis Chambers, Lonnie Greene, Lawrence Fratangelo, Kenny Colton, Jerome Brailey, Ramon Tiki Fulwood, Tyrone Lampkin, Gary Bronson (snare drum, percussion); Sheila Horne, Jeannette McGruder, Dawn Silva, Taka Khan, Lynn Mawbry, Linda Shider, Janice Evans, Debbie Wright, Debbie Edwards, Mallia Franklin, Shirley Hayden, Pamela Vincent, Bryan Chimenti, Larry Heckstall, Cheryl James, Jeanette "Baby" Washington, Linda Brown , Jessica Cleaves, Joel Johnson, Philippe Wynne, Ron Ford , Ronald Dunbar, Tracey Lewis, Michael "Clip" Payne (background vocals).
Arrangers: Eddie Hazel ; George Clinton ; Bernie Worrell; Bootsy Collins.
Choosing between the many Parliament best-ofs isn't an easy task; in fact, the single-disc collections are all so similar that it's barely even worth belaboring the task. But if you do want to labor a bit in hopes of getting the absolute perfect single-disc best-of, this is one of your best options. First of all, above anything, skip Greatest Hits (The Bomb); there isn't anything wrong with its choices -- they're perfect -- but that album runs only 55 minutes, wasting invaluable CD space. That's where this collection becomes a better choice, making the most of its length by adding "Testify," "Agony of Defeet," and full-length versions of songs such as "Flashlight." You could argue, of course, that The Best of Parliament: Give Up the Funk is an even better collection than 20th Century Masters, which it is (not having "Testify," but instead offering "Let's Play House," "Ride On," "Theme From the Black Hole," and "Do That Stuff"), but that's a near-futile argument since they are practically facsimiles of one another. If you can find The Best of Parliament, get it over this album; it's a better choice. But don't go out of your way to find that album, because 20th Century Masters is a fine best-of, filled with nothing but Parliament anthems. There honestly aren't any weak moments here, with the possible exception of "Agony of Defeet," a latter-day song by the group that would have been better off replaced. Still, that's being highly critical. This is a perfect starting point; pick it up and chances are that either you'll struggle to stomach Parliament's funk or, more likely, find yourself searching out the group's full-lengths. ~ Jason Birchmeier

• Format: CD
• Genre: Pop