It seems like every old record that ever put punk and funk on
the same page has been re-issued recently. McNeil & Niles'
virtually unknown 1979 LP “Thrust” has a track called
"Punk Funk" and was recorded partially at Devo's Man-Ray
Studio, but any relation to the new wave ends there. “Thrust”
sounds like Bob James or early Kool and the Gang in a garage,
dropping unembellished, classic-sounding grooves left and right.
Originally released in
a limited pressing that barely made its way past Akron, Ohio, this
priceless result of a fairly recent Midwestern crate digging expedition
is well worth a 25-year wait.
