The differences between this two-disc set and 1993's like-sized Tear the Roof Off will only be apparent to Parliament fanatics who don't really need either release. Any of those people will tell you that you need at least seven of the eight studio albums the group released between 1974 and 1980 and – you know? – they're absolutely right. But we can't all have what we need. If you cannot take a plunge into the albums, Gold is no small consolation, containing all the radio hits and plenty of the standout album cuts. It turns out to be Tear the Roof Off's replacement, containing a very similar track selection – the preferable 11-minute mixes of "Flash Light" and "Funkentelechy" are thankfully kept, along with the ten-minute version of "Aqua Boogie," but you get "Handcuffs" instead of the less-essential live version of "Children of Production" – while benefiting from remastered sound, and it will placate those hungry for more than what the succinct single-disc The Best of Parliament: Give Up the Funk has to offer. As with all the other editions in Chronicles' Gold series, the accompanying booklet contains several photos, plenty of information, and liner notes that are insightful and descriptive (this time from the great Greg Tate, reprinted from Tear the Roof Off).

Parliament Inspired by Motown's assembly line of sound, George Clinton gradually put together a collective of over 50 musicians and recorded the ensemble during the '70s both as Parliament and Funkadelic. While Funkadelic pursued band-format psychedelic rock, Parliament engaged in a funk free-for-all, blending influences from the godfathers (James Brown and Sly Stone) with freaky costumes and themes inspired by '60s acid culture and science fiction. From Parliament's 1970 inception until Clinton's dissolving of the band in 1980, they hit the R&B Top Ten with funk classics such as "Up for the Down Stroke," "Tear the Roof Off the Sucker (Give Up the Funk)," "Flast Light," and "Aqua Boogie (A Psychoalphadiscobetabioaquadoloop)."

For those looking to find a crash course in "the funk" – a quick introduction to the fusion of R&B, soul, jazz, blues, good old rock & roll, and all-out outrageousness that creates the ultimate good groove – you can't do much better than the Funk Essentials compilations. Funky Stuff: The Best of Funk Essentials is the perfect portrait. With its contents drawn from the single-band Funk Essentials compilation albums, this clean, clear set provides incredible diversity while keeping the vibe connected. In other words, Funky Stuff is not only an introduction to the heaviest of hitters, but also a nifty, smooth ride for the already initiated.

"Trombipulation" is the 9th album by the funk band Parliament. It was released by Casablanca Records. It was the last album of original material produced by the group for 38 years until Medicaid Fraud Dogg in 2018. Unlike previous Parliament albums, George Clinton did not serve as sole producer of the album, as other P-Funk figures assisted in producing individual tracks. Bassist Bootsy Collins emerged as the principal musician on this album, playing virtually all of the instruments on a number of tracks. The track "Let's Play House" was sampled by the Hip-Hop group Digital Underground for their single "The Humpty Dance". While Trombipulation wasn't as commercially successful as previous Parliament albums, its first single, "Agony of DeFeet" peaked at #7 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts.

This stupendous performance in Washington, broadcast by WWDC-FM, captures George Clinton's P-Funk extravaganza at the peak of its power and popularity, at the time of their classic Tales of Kidd Funkadelic and Hardcore Jollies albums. Boasting the talents of guitar prodigy Michael Hampton and bass legend Bootsy Collins, it's a breathless romp through many highlights from their huge catalog.

Chocolate City is the 1975 album by Parliament. This was the first of two albums the band released in 1975, the other being Mothership Connection. This is from the 1990 CD pressing released by Casablanca/Polydor that is "unmastered".

Up For The Down Stroke is the 1974 album by Parliament. This was their first album in four years and their first release for Casablanca Records. This is from the 1990 CD pressing that is "unmastered".

Live P-Funk Earth Tour is the first and only official live album by Parliament, released as a double record in 1977. It consists of songs recorded during The Clones Of Dr. Funkenstein tour, plus a song and a cut-in made specifically for the album. The original vinyl pressing features an early Parliament song, "Fantasy Is Reality", which was left off of this compact disc pressing since its duration would have made it surpass the time limits of a CD. For the lossless version, I have added the FLAC file in a folder called "Bonus Track". The file was taken from the CD First Thangs, which I recently re-upped if you wish to read the EAC/technical info. For the MP3 version, it is included in the lineup as the last song, as originally intended.

Funkentelechy vs. The Placebo Syndrome is the 1977 album by Parliament. It is an album where Starchild meets up with Sir Nose D'Voidoffunk, who have to battle those with big noses in order to get out of the brightness. The album became a hit in part due to the single "Flashlight". This is from the 1990 CD pressing that is "unmastered".

Mothership Connection is the 1975 album by Parliament. It features the hit songs "Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off The Sucker)", "Mothership Connection (Star Child)", and "P. Funk (Wants To Get Funked Up)". This is from the 1990 CD pressing released by Casablanca/Polydor that is "unmastered". Ga ga goo ga, ga ga goo ga; ga ga goo ga ga.

First Thangs is a 1992 compilation CD by Parliament. Its first "thangs" consists of the group's 1970 debut album, Osmium (songs 7-16) and a small handful of songs recorded for singles or during the recording sessions for the album. A few were previously unreleased at the time of release. This was released by HDH via Fantasy jazz.

Motor Booty Affair is the 1978 album by Parliament, released on Casablanca. It features such songs as "(You're A Fish And I'm A) Water Sign", "Rumpofsteelskin", and "Aqua Boogie (A Psychoalphadiscobetabioaquadoloop)". This is from the 1990 CD pressing that is "unmastered".

A Fifth of Funk is the fifth and final installment of the George Clinton Family Series collection by Parliament-Funkadelic collective members. Compilation producer and P-Funk leader George Clinton gives his final thoughts about the tracks on the album, as well as his feelings on the entire Family Series project, for A Fifth of Funk‍ '​s final track. The title is a play on words of Ludwig van Beethoven's famous Fifth Symphony, as well as Walter Murphy's 1976 disco hit "A Fifth of Beethoven".

Though Gloryhallastoopid boasts a couple great songs, "Big Bang Theory" and "Theme from the Black Hole," it's unfortunately one of the least essential Parliament-Funkadelic albums. In particular, the ten-minute "Party People" and the nine-minute "The Freeze (Sizzaleenmean)" plod on (and on, and on) for no good reason. Unlike other epic P-Funk songs, most notably "(Not Just) Knee Deep," these songs are terribly uneventful. Shorter songs like "May We Bang You?" are better, but "Big Bang Theory" and "Theme from the Black Hole" are far and away the chief draw to Gloryhallastoopid. Thankfully, the two songs are easily found on a number of best-of compilations, making this album – along with its similarly vacuous successor, Trombipulation (1980) – one best left to completists.~Jason Birchmeier.

The Casablanca Records Story is a 4CD box set exploring the soul and disco sides of Neil Bogart's Casablanca Records. Released in 1994, this is dedicated to just their soul and disco sides, not the rock side so no Kiss or Angel. This was taken from the promotional version of the collection so no booklet, as it was packaged in a thick case (clam shell).