Ahh...The Name Is Bootsy, Baby! 1977 Album

Bootsy's Rubber Band

The friendliest face in the "P-Funk" universe was none other than William Earl “Bootsy” Collins... but then again, arguably, it was Bootsy and his brother Catfish, who were also among the most radical members of the group during the earlier years. It was their initial appearance which enabled what was then only being called Funkadelic to release one of their more ambitious projects – the sprawling double LP set America Eats Its’ Young – and essentially stabilized the group after many of the original members had left. By the time the reconstituted Parliament and their hits graced the radio waves, they felt like repetitious, regurgitated riffs of tunes they already had conquered on albums past, just watered down for a more mainstream audience. Case in point – Ahh…The Name is Bootsy, Baby, which – do not get me wrong – has some entertainment value in this world, but not even Collins took it serious, treating the album more like a playground for his infectious personality.