Uncle Jam Wants You

Template:Redirect Template:Infobox album Uncle Jam Wants You is a concept album by American funk rock band Funkadelic.<ref name=NY/><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> It was released by Warner Bros. Records on September 21, 1979,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and was later reissued on CD by Priority Records.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It was produced by George Clinton under the alias Dr. Funkenstein. It is the first Funkadelic album since America Eats Its Young in 1972 not to sport a cover illustrated by Funkadelic artist Pedro Bell, though Bell did provide artwork for the album’s back cover and interior. Uncle Jam Wants You was the second Funkadelic album to be certified gold. The album peaked at No. 18 on the Billboard 200 and No. 2 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Significance

Uncle Jam Wants You (a reference to the "Uncle Sam wants you!" US Army recruitment posters) may be a more militant sequel to the band's previous album, One Nation Under a Groove, with the band waging war against the rise of disco.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Its purpose is also (as the cover claims) to "rescue dance music from the blahs."<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

The cover art depicts George Clinton in a Huey Newton-Black Panthers pose.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The album features the band's last big hit single, "(Not Just) Knee Deep", an edited version of which went to number one on the Billboard Soul singles charts. The album title was adopted by the DJ organization known as Uncle Jamm's Army.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Samples of the 15-minute cut "(Not Just) Knee Deep" can be heard on Digital Underground's "Kiss You Back"; the track has also been used by De La Soul for their song "Me Myself and I".<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Reception

Template:Music ratings With a 4 out of 5 star rating, Paul Sexton of Record Mirror wrote: "Last year the Funkadelic battle campaign was based on the idea of having one nation under a groove. This year the plan is to Rescue Dance Music from the Blahs. No, I don't understand either, but once again this is marvellously enjoyable comic book funk."<ref name=RecordMirror /> The Bay State Banner concluded that, "on Side Two and 'Freak of the Week', we find the sort of directionless noise that sometimes ruins Funkadelic concerts—rhythmic anarchy and vocal chipmunk-ism instead of the clean and nasty, low-register funk and howling, inconsolable guitar solos."<ref name=BS/> The Globe and Mail determined that "the cover is misleading; one expects a record jammed with disco tracks and instead receives sensitive, even contemplative rhythm and blues."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The New York Times noted that "Holly Wants to Go to California" "is the sort of social satire that Frank Zappa and the Mothers used to do so well."<ref name="NY">Template:Cite news</ref> Rolling Stone opined that "the strongest material here—notably the first ten minutes or so of '(Not Just) Knee Deep', with its snazzy synthesizer fills, razor-sharp Michael Hampton guitar solo, raucous vocals, and hook upon hook—is state-of-the-art black pop music."<ref name=RollingStone>Template:Cite web</ref>

Ned Raggett of AllMusic stated that the album starts "out like a parody of patriotic recruitment ads before hitting its full, funky stride... It's still very much a disco effort, but one overtly spiking the brew even more than before with P-Funk's own particular recipe, mock drill instructors calling out dance commands and so forth."<ref name=AM />

Track listing

Side one

"Freak of the Week" (George Clinton, Jr., Pete Bishop, DeWayne McKnight) – 5:34
"(Not Just) Knee Deep" (G. Clinton, Jr.) – 15:23 (released as two-part single WBS 49040)

Side two

"Uncle Jam" (G. Clinton, Jr., Garry Shider, Bernie Worrell, Bootsy Collins) – 10:26 (released as two-part single WB 49117)
"Field Maneuvers" (Darryll Clinton, Donna Lynn Clinton) – 2:25
"Holly Wants to Go to California" (G. Clinton, Jr., Worrell) – 4:24
"Foot Soldiers (Star-Spangled Funky)" (G. Clinton., Jr., Jim Vitti) – 3:31

Personnel

Funkadelic Rescue Dance Band (as given in the liner notes)

Axe Force:
- Fret Commanders Michael "Kidd Funkadelic" Hampton, Gary "DooWop" Shider, Eddie "Maggot Brain" Hazel
Keyboard Battlecruisers:
- Bernie (U.S.S. Woo!) Worrell, J.S. Theracon
Uncle Jam's Drums and Percussion:
- Tyrone "Speedfeet" Lampkin, Larry Fratangelo
Bass Anti-Flam Units:
- Rodney "Skeet" Curtis, Cordell "Boogie" Mosson
Uncle Jam's Drumset, and funky beatz:
- Dennis Chambers
Vocal Assault & Funkatition Team:
- Uncle Jam Clinton, Gary "DooWop" Shider, Larry "Sir Nose" Heckstall, Sheila Horn, Ron "Prophet" Ford, Jeanette McGruder, Dawn Silva, Michael "Clip" Payne, Greg Thomas, Ray "Stingray" Davis