| Funkentelechy vs. the Placebo Syndrome | |
| Type: | studio |
| Artist: | Parliament |
| Cover: | Parliament-Funkentelechy Vs. the Placebo Syndrome (album cover).jpg |
| Released: | November 28, 1977 |
| Recorded: | 1976–1977 |
| Studio: | United Sound Systems, Detroit, Michigan, and Hollywood Sound, Hollywood, California |
| Genre: | Funk, disco |
| Length: | 44:22 |
| Label: | Casablanca |
| Producer: | George Clinton |
| Prev Year: | 1977 |
| Next Title: | Motor Booty Affair |
| Next Year: | 1978 |
Funkentelechy vs. the Placebo Syndrome is the sixth studio album by the American funk band Parliament, released in 1977.[1]
It is a loose concept album warning the listener of falling into the "Placebo Syndrome," which according to George Clinton is consumerism, and listening to disco music, which he saw as a simplification of funk music in attempt to gain commercial success. The album spawned the R&B number No. 1 single in "Flash Light", which features a funky synthesizer bass line played on a Minimoog by keyboardist Bernie Worrell. The album became Parliament's fourth consecutive gold album and second platinum album. The song "Sir Nose d'Voidoffunk (Pay Attention – B3M)" contains nursery rhymes "Baa, Baa, Black Sheep" and "Three Blind Mice"; the lyrics were changed to refer to drug use.
The original vinyl release contained a 22″×33″ poster of the character Sir Nose D'Voidoffunk, as well as an 8-page comic book that explains the concept behind the LP. Both the poster and the comic book were illustrated by Overton Loyd.
The Globe and Mail praised the "superb" backing vocals of the Brides of Funkenstein.[2] The New York Times wrote that "the music is typical P-Funk bouncing disco, lively and toe-tapping, with gabbling spoken and sung vocals on top."[3]
According to George Clinton, Mallia Franklin also sang on this album with other original Parlet members Debbie Wright and Jeanette Washington but she is not listed on the album's credits.
Horn arrangement by Bernie Worrell and Fred Wesley