The first 20 minutes of the album—just two songs—is nonstop funk, with “Freak of the Weak” and the 15-minute “(Not Just) Knee Deep,” which became one of their most famous riffs after ...

The top of my list is big-statement songs, ones that had repercussions beyond how they sound. Below those, it’s not a ranking but a playlist, a more-or-less guided cruise through what 2024 ...