Up for the Down Stroke

Up for the Down Stroke
Studio album by
Parliament
ReleasedJuly 3, 1974
Recorded1973–1974
Genre
Length39:38
LabelCasablanca
ProducerGeorge Clinton
Parliament chronology
Osmium
(1970) 		Up for the Down Stroke
(1974) 		Chocolate City
(1975)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Blender[3]
Christgau's Record GuideA−[4]
Pitchfork8.3/10[2]
Rolling Stone[5]
The New Rolling Stone Album Guide[6]
Spin8/10[7]

Up for the Down Stroke is an album by the American funk band Parliament. It was the band's second album (following 1970's Osmium), and their first to be released on Casablanca Records. The album was released on July 3, 1974. Its title track was Parliament's first chart hit and remains one of the most well-known P-Funk songs. The album also contains a funk reworking of The Parliaments' song "(I Wanna) Testify" under the title "Testify". The original title of the album was Whatever Makes Baby Feel Good, and the cover featured group leader George Clinton hovering over a woman in distress, sporting a black wig and monster-type gloves.

Up for the Down Stroke is notable in that it regenerated George Clinton's professional relationship with bassist Bootsy Collins, who had taken a two-year hiatus from the group. Collins would play a pivotal role in all of the Parliament albums released through Casablanca Records.

  1. ^ a b Up for the Down Stroke at AllMusic
  2. ^ a b c Leone, Dominique (April 13, 2003). "Parliament: 'Up for the Down Stroke', 'Chocolate City' and 'Mothership Connection'". Pitchfork. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
  3. ^ Hsu, Hua. "The Guide: Parliament – Up for the Down Stroke/Chocolate City/Mothership Connection". Blender. New York. Archived from the original on November 3, 2004. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
  4. ^ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: P". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 10, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
  5. ^ Ratliff, Ben (May 1, 2003). "Reissues & Anthologies: Parliament – Up for the Down Stroke". Rolling Stone. No. 921. New York. p. 59. Archived from the original on October 1, 2007. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
  6. ^ Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian David (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon and Schuster. p. 619. ISBN 9780743201698. Up for the Down Stroke Parliament.
  7. ^ Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig (1995). Spin Alternative Record Guide. New York: Vintage Books. p. 296. ISBN 978-0-679-75574-6.