Though the heavier, harder, and more psychedelic Funkadelic was George Clinton's main outfit in the early '70, the creation of Parliament (named for Clinton's '60s soul group, The Parliaments, which included many core members of Parliament/Funkadelic) is at least as important in the history of P-Funk. In contrast to Funkadelic's acid-rock freak-outs, Parliament emphasizes vocals and horn riffs while highlighting tunes and melodies. Early efforts of the brilliantly creative songwriting team of George Clinton, Bootsy Collins, and Bernie Worrell (who would achieve apotheosis on MOTHERSHIP CONNECTION) are on display here.

Many of these tracks are textured, psychedelicized rewrites of such Parliament songs as "(I Just Wanna) Testify," the group's first #1 hit. The deeply soulful, multi-part vocal version of this track is pure genius and is arguably the album's highlight. The title cut--another hit for the band--is one of Parliament's most infectious booty-movers, and it would be a staple of their live acts for years to follow. While not essential, UP FOR THE DOWN STROKE is an interesting peek at the beginnings of funk's finest ensemble.

Personnel: Eddie Hazel , Garry Shider (vocals, guitar); Clarence "Fuzzy" Haskins, George Clinton , Grady Thomas, Raymond Davis, Calvin Simon (vocals); Peter Chase (whistling); Bootsy Collins (guitar, drums); Willie Nelson, Billy "Bass" Nelson, Ron Bykowski (guitar); Bernie Worrell (keyboards); Man In The Box, Ramon Tiki Fulwood, Gary Bronson (drums).