More than five decades after Funkadelic recorded “Maggot Brain” in Detroit, the 1971 track remains one of the most recognized guitar-driven recordings of its era.
The song, built around Eddie Hazel’s extended guitar performance, has continued to reach new listeners and influence musicians across rock, funk, soul and hip-hop.
Released as the opening track of Funkadelic’s third studio album, Maggot Brain, in July 1971, the song runs for 10 minutes and 21 seconds. The album was recorded at United Sound Systems in Detroit during late 1970 and early 1971.
Funkadelic pose for a portrait in 1971.Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
The recording has also received renewed attention in 2026. Org Music and Westbound Records announced a new Maggot Brain reissue for September, with the album remastered directly from the original analog tapes. According to Relix, the new edition is being released on vinyl, CD, SACD, cassette and digital formats.
“Maggot Brain” is unusual even by the standards of early-1970s psychedelic rock and funk. The recording has only a short spoken introduction before Hazel’s guitar takes over for most of the track.
George Clinton, Funkadelic’s leader, produced the album and gave Hazel a powerful emotional direction before the recording. Per Songfacts, Clinton told Hazel to play as if he had just learned that his mother had died.
The song was recorded in one take. Clinton had Hazel surrounded by a large number of amplifiers, while other musicians also played during the session. Clinton later faded much of the other playing from the final mix, leaving Hazel’s guitar as the clear center of the recording.
Hazel used fuzz and wah effects, drawing from the sound of his guitar hero, Jimi Hendrix. Clinton later added delay and other effects during the mixing process.
The result was a long, emotional guitar performance that moves slowly rather than following a traditional verse-and-chorus structure. There are very few lyrics. Instead, the track begins with Clinton’s spoken words before Hazel’s guitar carries the rest of the piece.
Rolling Stone included “Maggot Brain” in its 2026 list of the 100 greatest guitar solos of all time, describing Hazel’s performance as a cornerstone of his musical legacy.
The song has also appeared on lists and discussions of great guitar performances for years. Guitar World ranked Hazel’s solo on its 2015 list of the greatest wah solos.
The Maggot Brain album was released by Westbound Records in July 1971. It reached No. 108 on the Billboard 200 and entered the top 20 of the Billboard R&B album chart.
The title track was only one part of the album. Other songs included “Can You Get to That,” “Hit It and Quit It,” “You and Your Folks, Me and My Folks” and “Super Stupid.” The album closed with the nearly 10-minute “Wars of Armageddon.”
In Cleveland, the full version of “Maggot Brain” has been played as part of a long-running late-night and early-morning radio tradition.
The album itself has also gained stronger recognition with time. Rolling Stone ranked Maggot Brain No. 486 on its 2003 list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, then No. 479 in 2012. In the magazine’s 2020 version of the list, the album rose to No. 136.
Fifty-five years after its original release, “Maggot Brain” remains closely tied to Eddie Hazel’s guitar playing and George Clinton’s vision for Funkadelic.
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