USA, 1971, funk rock / funk

This is a first listen, and oh my goodness! I should’ve known. The magic that is the year 1971. I wonder if it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy at this point–I just expect 1971 albums to be amazing so I make them so in my mind? Nope. Can’t be that. I was slain from the opening track, with that psychedelic, apocalyptic guitar. I’ve rarely heard anything so soothing and hypnotic. Eddie Hazel, where did you learn to play like that? The rest of the album is pretty great, the other high point being “Super Stupid”, but nothing compares to the epic opening track. It’s like it opened a door to another realm. Dude’s playing his guitar as if his mother had just died, just as instructed.