Standing on the Verge: The Roots of Funk (1997)

About this title: Like dozens of collections before it, Standing on the Verge traces the development of funk and pays homage to its chief instigators. What keeps it from being old hat is a refreshing shortage of hits. Most of the songs are familiar (some were indeed hits) but they're not the ones you'd most casually guess. Instead of "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag," the set opens with James Brown's "Out of Sight" and continues with a fabulous chain of funk, from "Cissy Strut" to "Ain't Got Time" to more obscure songs like Bull and the Matadors' "The Funky Judge." A good little collection -- even the unknowns are ... read more

Tracks:

1. Out of Sight [Wright]
2. Cissy Strut [Nocentelli/Neville/]
3. Funky Broadway, Pt. 1 [Christian]
4. Funky Broadway, Pt. 2 [Christian]
5. Kool & the Gang [Kool & the Gang]
6. She's Looking Good [Collins]
7. Ain't Got Time [Mayfield]
8. Boogaloo Down Broadway [James]
9. Right on for the Darkness [Mayfield]
10. Bra [Patterson/Scipio]
11. It's Your Thing [Isley/Isley/Isley]
12. Dance Girl [Curtis/King/Flippin]
13. The Funky Judge [Williams/Hutton]
14. The Horse [James]

Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is further described below.