Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Forge your own Chains


Saw this listed as new release on some list and got real excited. Stones Throw/Now Again has a pretty spotless reputation for obsucro-comps with their funk reissues ,and odd psych records give you a lot of room to work with (toyshop comps???. The two together should be a slam dunk.
Packaging is on some eyepeeling blue and orange action. Huge booklet of liner notes. 15 tracks from all over the globe. First couple of listens under not optimal conditions had me feeling underwhelmed. Luckily, I had the chance to play it uninterrupted on a rainy Saturday drive. The overall dirge and ballad theme was well suited to a rainy drive to Lynn. While not a front to back all killer no filler experience, there are some standout tracks.
Both Top Drawer and Shaddrack Chameleon(best name or what?) drop some procul harum-esque 16 vestal virgins organ ballad jams.
Sensational Saints bring a little gospel funk to the table. D.R. Hooker drops a pre straightedge straightedge jam.
First jaw dropping classic nugget goes to Ofege "it's not easy". This is way beyond an english as a second language novelty rework of "dear mr.fantasy". Classic mixtape showstopper.
2nd place goes to baby grandmothers who drop a mega 13th floor elevators style lysergic dirge, I will be tracking down their reissue with 20 minute live jams from 1968 for sure.

One minor complaint-why put east of underground and d.r. hooker on here when both full lengths have been recently reissued? So you've got a bunch of tracks from around the globe. Some of the tracks have that Kill Bill soundtrack vibe-rock nugget novelties from other countries, but it is still a good comp. Not quite as wild as the other recent Pysch-Funk 101 comp,but covering a similar wide swath of the global rarities.