Bootsy Collins' debut solo album,
Stretchin' Out in Bootsy's Rubber Band, was an extremely tough act to follow, but thankfully, there are no signs of a sophomore slump (either creatively or commercially) on his second album, Ahh...The Name Is Bootsy, Baby! Most P-funk addicts consider this 1977 LP essential listening, and it isn't hard to see why they feel that way. Everything on the album is excellent; that is true of up-tempo smokers like "The Pinocchio Theory" and the title song as well as slow, moody, eerie offerings such as "What's a Telephone Bill?" and "Munchies for Your Love." The lyrics are consistently humorous and clever, the grooves are consistently infectious. You can think of Ahh...The Name Is Bootsy, Baby! as a meeting of the funk minds --
Collins produced this record with his mentor,
George Clinton, who co-wrote all of the material. So
Clinton has a lot of input and gives Ahh...The Name Is Bootsy, Baby! the distinctive P-funk sound that
Parliament/
Funkadelic was known for. But at the same time, he encourages
Collins' originality --
Bootsy's Rubber Band sounds like a
Parliament/
Funkadelic spin-off (which is exactly what it was), but not a
Parliament/
Funkadelic clone. Without question, Ahh...The Name Is Bootsy, Baby! is essential listening for lovers of hard 1970s funk. ~ Alex Henderson