Third Eye - Hardware (1992)

The group was originally known as Third Eye, and that's the way the 1992 Japanese CD reads, but before they released the CD in the US, it was discovered that another group had that name and was ready to sue. This was one of the first Black Arc releases, produced by Bill Laswell. It revives the 'supergroup concept' of a hardrocking band based around drums, guitar and bass. Stevie's guitar playing is too bombastic, lacking subtlety and taste. On the other hand, it's great to hear Bootsy doing rock material, a side that was never properly explored when he joined Funkadelic. Because Salas is essentially a one-trick pony, all of the songs start to sound alike, with only some Bootsy variations keeping it afloat. The few rhythm-dominated songs are the best here, as there is simply too much emphasis on guitar otherwise. With Bootsy and Buddy Miles, there's no way that the album should have been this unfunky.