Exalt him: A Mind Behind Maggot Brain

According to Wiki, Lucius “Tawl” Ross (b. 1948) was a rhythm guitarist for Funkadelic in its formative years of 1968 to 1971, culminating with the release of the band’s early magnum opus and legendary guitar flex, Maggot Brain. Most of my rock geek brethren agrees that peak Funkadelic lived in the albums behind the distinctive Pedro Bell covers. While critics tend to worship the (pre-Pedro Bell), Maggot Brain, to me it represents a band still in its infancy – it’d take until 1973 when the diaper came off with Cosmic Slop. The pinnacle of their coming-of-age would come with 1976’s Tales of Kidd Funkadelic.

(Listen here and tell me Lenny Kravitz didn’t completely imprint on this sound.)

I’m not sure what Tawl Ross’s significance to the band’s early formative sound was, much of the glory went to lead player Eddie Hazel, but Ross was at least in the room. If his solo record from 1995 – a.k.a. detrimental vasoline—Giant Shirley – was any indication, he may’ve been one of the sound’s oracles. (Compare to Eddie Hazel’s solo outing: Tawl wins by a mile.)

Whether Ross was in Funkadelic or not it was clearly in him on this notable record. Check it:





Here’s what peak Funkadelic (post-Tawl Ross) could do: