Computer Games (album)

For the Mi-Sex album, see Graffiti Crimes.

Computer Games
Studio album by
George Clinton
ReleasedNovember 5, 1982
Recorded1981–1982
StudioThe Disc Ltd., East Detroit; United Sound Systems, Detroit
GenreFunk, electro-funk
Length40:09
LabelCapitol
ProducerGeorge Clinton
George Clinton chronology
Computer Games
(1982) 		You Shouldn't-Nuf Bit Fish
(1983)
P-Funk collective chronology
The Electric Spanking of War Babies
(1981) 		Computer Games
(1982) 		Urban Dancefloor Guerillas
(1983)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Rolling Stone[2]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[3]
Spin Alternative Record Guide8/10[4]
The Village VoiceA[5]

Computer Games is the debut album by American funk musician George Clinton, released by Capitol Records on November 5, 1982. Though technically Clinton's first "solo" album, the record featured most of the same personnel who had appeared on recent albums by Parliament and Funkadelic, both formally disbanded by Clinton in 1981. Conceived in the aftermath of a period marked by financial and personal struggles for Clinton, Computer Games restored his popularity for a short time before P-Funk fell victim to renewed legal problems and scant label support in the mid-1980s.

According to Glenn Kenny of Trouser Press, after the end of his Parliament-Funkadelic collective, Clinton's album was titled as a "nod to the burgeoning wave of techno-funk that was beginning to overtake almost every other form of dance music; rather than reject the new technology, he adapted it here in his own unique way".[6]

The single "Loopzilla" hit the top 20 of the R&B charts, followed by "Atomic Dog" which reached No. 1 R&B but peaked at No. 101 on the pop chart.

The album was listed by Slant Magazine at #97 on its list of the "Best Albums of the 1980s".[7]

Track listing

  1. "Get Dressed" (George Clinton, Bootsy Collins) – 3:41 (released as a single-Capitol 5222)
  2. "Man's Best Friend/Loopzilla" (Clinton, Kenneth Gambrell, Garry Shider, David Spradley) – 12:51 (released as a 12" single-Capitol 8556)
  3. "Pot Sharing Tots" (Clinton, Walter Morrison) – 3:45
  4. "Computer Games" (Clinton, Morrison) – 6:46
  5. "Atomic Dog" (Clinton, Shider, Spradley) – 4:47 (released as a single-Capitol 5201 and 12" single-Capitol 8556)
  6. "Free Alterations" (Darryl Clinton, Clinton) – 4:20
  7. "One Fun at a Time" (Clinton, Morrison) – 4:29

Personnel

Technical
  • David Baker, Mike Iacopelli, John Jaszcz, Tony Ray, Greg Reilly, Jeff Turkin, Jim Vitti, Greg Ward – recording engineer
  • George Clinton, William Collins, Ted Currier, Walter "Junie" Morrison, Gary Shider – Producer
  • George Clinton, Junie Morrison, Fred Wesley – arrangements
  • Greg Reilly, Jim Vitti – mixing

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1982–1983) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[8] 40
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[9] 3

Year-end charts

Chart (1983) Position
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[10] 8

Notes

  1. ^ Birchmeier, Jason. "Computer Games – George Clinton". AllMusic. Retrieved August 5, 2009.
  2. ^ Milward, John (April 28, 1983). "Computer Games". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 5, 2009.
  3. ^ DeCurtis, Henke & George-Warren 1992.
  4. ^ Weisbard & Marks 1995.
  5. ^ Christgau, Robert (December 28, 1982). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved August 5, 2009.
  6. ^ Kenny, Glenn. "TrouserPress.com :: George Clinton". Trouser Press. Retrieved on 2009-08-05.
  7. ^ "The 100 Best Albums of the 1980s".
  8. ^ "George Clinton Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
  9. ^ "George Clinton Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
  10. ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1983". Billboard. Retrieved March 27, 2021.

References