Various Artists - Chains and Black Exhaust (Memphix, 2002)

Various Artists - Chains and Black Exhaust
(Memphix, 2002)

Compilation of obscure psych funk 45s from the seventies. It's very good (of course).

Preview (Click to hear): Cynthy Ruthy by Back Merda, Potted Shrimp by Brothers Jackson

01. Prologue
02. Yeah Yeah (Blackrock)
03. Cynthy-Ruthy (Black Merda)
04. Mama, Here Comes the Preacher (Doug Anderson)
05. Showstopper (Iron Knowledge)
06. Dancing in the Light (Frankinsense)
07. Blind Man (LA Carnival)
08. Life is a Gamble (Preacher)
09. I Believe I Found Myself (Sir Stanley)
10. Potted Shrimp (Brothers Jackson)
11. Paper Man (Jade)
12. Get High (Grand Am)
13. The Devil Made Me Do It (Curtis Knight)
14. Alladin Story (Slim Haskins)
15. What's Good For the Goose (Hot Chocolate)
16. Who Am I (Tiny Tex & The J. Jones Connection)
17. Epilogue
18. Crystal Illusion (Creations Unlimited)

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Shinki Chen - Shinki Chen and His Friends (Polydor, 1971)

陳信輝
Shinki Chen - Shinki Chen and His Friends
(Polydor, 1971)

Heavy Psych. Fuzzy Bass. Echoes in a cave vocals. As long as we're in the habit of comparing these lesser known folks to the big names, this guy is oft referred to as "Japan's Hendrix." Very chill, very good. Click it and dig it. Skip over the first track and I won't hold it against you because I tend to skip to the good stuff myself.

Preview (Click to hear.): Requiem of Confusion

01. The Dark Sea Dream
02. Requiem of Confusion
03. Freedom of a Mad Paper Lantern
04. Gloomy Reflections
05. It Was Only Yesterday
06. Corpse
07. Farewell to Hypocrites


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The Deviants - The Deviants 3 (Sire, 1969)

The Deviants - Deviants 3
(Sire, 1969)

This 1969 release was The Deviants' third album. Sometimes it's referred to as "The Deviants 3," or "#3," or simply "The Deviants." Three of the four Deviants ditched the lead vocalist to become the "Pink Fairies" shortly after this album. You can read up on The Deviants more here. Some sites say this is inferior to the albums which came before. I don't know about all of that, I just know that there are some thoroughly enjoyable tracks on this one and I think that is some of the damned sweetest cover art I've seen in a long time. I will say that I am left a bit unsatisfied by "Death of a Dream Machine." It's such a solid tune, rolling right along and then it ends in one of those hugely anticlimactic fade-outs. Snag this thing, give it a listen, and make up your own mind about it, friends. 'Til next week, enjoy!

Note: The tags are kind of whacked out on this. I forgot to fix them before I uploaded. If you don't know what I'm talking about then you won't notice or care anyway and if you do know what I'm talking about, then it'll only take you a few seconds to fix them. Feel free to berate me in the comments section. ;)

Preview Tracks (click to play): The People Suite, Broken Biscuits

01. Billy the Monster
02. Broken Biscuits
03. First Line (Seven The Row)
04. The People Suite
05. Rambling B(l)ack Transit Blues
06. Death of a Dream Machine
07. Playtime
08. Black George Does It With His Tongue
09. The Junior Narco Rangers
10. Lets Drink To the People
11. Metamorphis Explosion

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