Choosing between the many
Parliament
best-ofs isn't an easy task; in fact, the single-disc collections are all so similar that it's barely even worth belaboring the task. But if you do want to labor a bit in hopes of getting the absolute perfect single-disc best-of, this is one of your best options. First of all, above anything, skip
Greatest Hits (The Bomb)
; there isn't anything wrong with its choices -- they're perfect -- but that album runs only 55 minutes, wasting invaluable CD space. That's where this collection becomes a better choice, making the most of its length by adding
"Testify,"
"Agony of Defeet,"
and full-length versions of songs such as
"Flashlight."
You could argue, of course, that
The Best of Parliament: Give Up the Funk
is an even better collection than
20th Century Masters
, which it is (not having
but instead offering
"Let's Play House,"
"Ride On,"
"Theme From the Black Hole,"
and
"Do That Stuff"
), but that's a near-futile argument since they are practically facsimiles of one another. If you can find
The Best of Parliament
, get it over this album; it's a better choice. But don't go out of your way to find that album, because
is a fine best-of, filled with nothing but
anthems. There honestly aren't any weak moments here, with the possible exception of
a latter-day song by the group that would have been better off replaced. Still, that's being highly critical. This is a perfect starting point; pick it up and chances are that either you'll struggle to stomach
's funk or, more likely, find yourself searching out the group's full-lengths. ~ Jason Birchmeier