early funkadelic is a bit meandering and doesnt really go anywhere but the free your mind album is def the best (and wildest) of that early batch. around 1973 clinton saw his black-psych-rock concept for funkadelic wasnt really getting him where he wanted so the band changed gears (for the better IMO) to a funkier, tighter approach. anyway, the best stuff id say is-
free your mind..
cosmic slop
standing on the verge
lets take it to the stage
one nation under a groove (junie morrison joined them here, and the songwriting was their best)
for parliament, i know everyone raves about mothership but ive never really liked it all that much - the bass is hardly audible, and the production is much, much too clean (state of the art, sure, but a bit too perfect imo). clones of dr funkenstein is more interesting IMO, the synth work on there is pretty novel, but even there, it seems like they held back a bit.
these are their best albums IMO -
osmium (quite diff from anything theyd do later on, but brilliant IMO, sort of like to parliament what a whole new thing is to sly stone)
funketelechy vs the placebo syndrome
motor booty affair
p funk earth tour is great IMO, and saves you having to wade through bootlegs where the songs go on for hours and hours (i like that sometimes, but not with every song lol), but its not really a proper live show as such - i think there was quite a bit of overdubbing and post production, and most of the songs are from their then-recent albums. the new song fantasy is reality is one of their all time best songs though, and the live version of dr funkenstein is great too.