A definite improvement over the uneven
Some of My Best Jokes Are Friends, the considerably more focused and confident
R&B Skeletons in the Closet is one of
George Clinton's strongest solo efforts. The P-Funkster continues using technology extensively, but this time, his blend of technology and "real instruments" sounds much more natural. Though not quite in a class with
Parliament classics like
Mothership Connection or
Funkentelechy Vs. the Placebo Syndrome or
Funkadelic treasures ranging from
Cosmic Slop to Uncle Jam Wants You,
Skeletons is a superb collection that's well worth acquiring. The CD kicks into high gear with the wildly infectious "Hey Good Lookin'" and maintains that high level of excitement on such driving, sweaty funk treasures as "Do Fries Go With That Shake?" and the appropriately titled "Intense" and the title song.
Clinton's eccentricity and outrageous sense of humor serve him well on "Electric Pygmies" and "Mix-Master Suite," an unorthodox, quirky, and cinematic ode to hip-hop drawing on everything from jazz to classical music to Western movies. Many of
Clinton's longtime associates are on hand to help make this album the artistic success it is, including saxman
Maceo Parker, trombonist
Fred Wesley, and the ever-amusing
Bootsy Collins. ~ Alex Henderson