Ruth Copeland - I Am What I Am (Deluxe Edition) (1971/2020)

Ruth Copeland's second Invictus recording retains the services of Funkadelic vets Eddie Hazel, Bernie Worrell, Tiki Fulwood, and Ron Bykowski, but like the preceding Self-Portrait, I Am What I Am simply fails to jell. Without the leadership and focus of George Clinton, the music zigs and zags in too many opposing directions. Credit Copeland for ambition the opening antiwar epic "The Medal" recalls the politicized psychedelic soul of Norman Whitfield-era Temptations classics like "Cloud Nine" and "Ball of Confusion," while "Crying Has Made Me Stronger" shifts gears completely to embrace gospel but her reach consistently exceeds her grasp. When I Am What I Am does come together, it's impressively heady stuff. Particularly noteworthy is the deep-fried funk outing "Suburban Family Lament," which showcases Hazel's scorching guitar as well as Fulwood's much-sampled and monstrous introductory drum break.