Cosby.

Artist: Bill Cosby
Title: Badfoot Brown & the Bunions Bradford Funeral Marching Band
Year: 1971
Label: UNI
Format: Vinyl LP (Original)
Flwrpt Rating of this Record: 5.0/5.0

Review
Perfection! That’s what this album is all about. PERIOD. From the title of the group, to the music, to the conceptual vision, to the feeling. Bill had his planets aligned on this one…

The briefing…for those who don’t know, not only was Bill Cosby a comedian, actor, activist, etc…but the man was a musician and avid jazz collector (think back to the Cosby show when he’d be in his basement drooling for jazz records, that was a reflection of the real Bill folks). Anyway, Bill played the electric piano on this record as well as produced it, and he did an AMAZING job. The overall sound is very open, it’s there but not there, so to speak, as if it’s the soundtrack to a dream of adventure.

There’s no mention of who actually make up the Badfoot Brown Ensemble (aside from Bill on the electric piano), there’s some speculation, but I won’t get into that…the uncertainty is intriguing and adds to the mystique of the LP.

On the A-side is “Martin’s Funeral”, which is an instrumental representation of Bill’s mood. It’s a tribute track, for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Very emotion-driven, the sound hit me directly in the heart, it even made my stomach drop. Music that can control the feeling of the listener, I’m all for it. That’s a HUGE vibration, bottom line. Now, for some contrast, the B-side track “Hybish Shybish” is funky and upbeat. Again, once you start listening, you get drawn in, and you’re at the mercy of the music. And you’ll enjoy every bit of it!

I have a few Bill Cosby LP’s, most of my other ones contain vocals, some jokes, etc. But this one just focuses on the music, the emotion, the innovation and creativity of the artists involved. This record trumps ANYTHING that I’ve heard in a while. The tracks are lengthy, but well worth a complete listen.

Check out the sound!

Martin’s Funeral

• Play

Hybish Shybish

• Play

Design
The album cover is genius! As you can see, there are these small figures with over sized feet, swollen feet…from marching (nod to Madlib for “Come On Feet”). But I think Bill was trying to use that as a metaphor…for The March on Washington (which is where MLK gave his “I Have A Dream” speech), especially since he dedicated this album to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Aside from that, the type treatment is dope as well, it visually supports the old chipped and dusty wood panels that everything is placed on, and it appears to be hand-written (PLUS!). And check out the facial expressions and body language of the small figures…this was a well thought-out album cover and many conclusions can be drawn from it.

Although it references “Marching Band” in the title, this cover feels far from celebratory, instead it feels dark and mournful…which under the circumstances it should, to an extent. I haven’t figured out the placement of the two dandelions…but uhhh, that’s enough of my inner design nerd rambling for one day.

Peace.