Classic funk-roughly, bass-driven R&B that flourished in the '70s and '80s-was the pop genre largely untapped by the reissue mania that has accompanied the CD revolution. Now, under the umbrella title ''Funk Essentials,'' Mercury has released six collections of funky stuff, every one a well-chosen revelation.
''Funk Essentials'' is headed up by a two-disc Parliament set, Tear the Roof Off 1974-1980. Parliament was overseen by writer-producer-singer George Clinton, making Tear the Roof Off a rich source of hooks and catchphrases that have been sampled or stolen in countless hip-hop productions of the '80s and '90s. Clinton's ceaselessly witty musical and verbal inventions on tunes like ''Flash Light'' are pure pop genius. (There's another A+ anthology to be mined from Clinton's Funkadelic albums.)
Less elemental but endlessly booty-shakable are The Best of Con Funk Shun and The Best of Kool and the Gang (1969-1976). Kool had more hits, including ''Jungle Boogie'' and ''Hollywood Swinging,'' but Con Funk Shun's collection sounds fresher, sassier, and has lots of Memphis grit; to use their word, ''ffun.'' The Bar-Kays' Best Of shows how the group accommodated the disco beat without loosening their tight rhythms. Cameo's anthology highlights the group's wry, hard stuff and avoids its mushy ballads.
Finally, there's Funky Stuff: The Best of Funk Essentials, which serves as a solid introduction to anyone guilty, in George Clinton's phrase, of ''fakin' the funk.'' With these collections, you have no more excuses. Tear the Roof Off: A+ Con Funk Shun: B+ Bar-Kays: B+ Cameo: B+ Kool and the Gang: B Funky Stuff: B
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