America Eats Its Young
| America Eats Its Young | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by Funkadelic | ||||
| Released | May 22, 1972 | |||
| Genre | Funk, psychedelic soul | |||
| Length | 69:06 | |||
| Label | Westbound | |||
| Producer | George Clinton | |||
| Funkadelic chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |
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| Blender |
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| Robert Christgau | C+ |
| Ink Blot | favorable |
| Mojo |
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| Pitchfork Media | (8.1/10) |
| Rolling Stone |
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America Eats Its Young is the fourth album (a double album) by Funkadelic, released in May of 1972. This was the first album to include the whole of the House Guests, including Bootsy Collins, Catfish Collins, Chicken Gunnels, Rob McCollough and Kash Waddy. It also features the Plainfield-based band U.S.(United Soul), which consisted of guitarist Garry Shider and bassist Cordell Mosson, on most of the tracks. Unlike previous Funkadelic albums, America Eats Its Young was recorded in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and in the UK. The original vinyl version contained a poster illustrated by Cathy Abel. The bottom of the poster features the first widespread appearance of the Funkadelic logo, which would later appear on the cover of the album Standing On The Verge Of Getting It On.
This song is vaguely political, with the central lyrical thrust of the song quoted above. Typically, the lyric functions on both a political and personal level: 'victory in any dispute doesn't confer any moral advantage.'
This song has two interrelated themes. The beginning focuses on hypocrites who want to change reality without accepting the blame if anything goes wrong. This is extended in the latter part of the song to those who make half-hearted attempts at social change, and who protest the "big" problems but are not willing to make changes in their own lives to respect what they claim is right for all of society.
The song was recorded in London, with the assistance of English drummer Ginger Baker, who was one of Clinton's favorite drummers.
This song proclaims that the human race (the titular "everybody") is capable of growing and reforming, but at the present, nobody is willing to learn from past mistakes, and has sacrificed wisdom for material comfort.
Personnel:
This song starts off borrowing the music from the children's Christian song, "Jesus Loves Me".
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