George Clinton - You Shouldn't-Nuf Bit Fish (1983)

George Clinton's solo recording career got off to a great start with Computer Games (1982), an all-around great album boasting the R&B chart-topper "Atomic Dog." But his follow-up, You Shouldn't-Nuf Bit Fish, was a different story. For one, it's short on material, featuring only six songs that run anywhere from five to nine minutes in an effort to extend this release to full-length status. Worse, the material is relatively weak in terms of songwriting, with the extended jamming often standing out as the highlight of each song. Secondly, the songs vary greatly in style; for instance, "Nubian Nut" is a clumsy rap song that is a clear standout, partly on account of its charming awkwardness, while "Quickie," another standout, is driven chiefly by the guitar riffing of Andre Williams. Co-produced by Walter "Junie" Morrison and Gary Shider and co-written by a long list of names (no song crediting less than three writers!), You Shouldn't-Nuf Bit Fish is a messy album that one suspects may have been written in the studio and comprised of miscellaneous musical ideas and lyrical bits. While this makes it an undoubtedly curious album, especially for those well acquainted with Clinton's odd ways, it doesn't necessarily make it a great album. Far from it, actually, as it retrospectively made Computer Games seem all the better. © Jason Birchmeier