I was shocked to hear of the death of Alex Chilton tonight. I don't know how this got past me. Chilton, of course, fronted Big Star, one of the most under-appreciated bands of all time. Apparently his death came just days before Big Star was to perform at the SXSW music fest.
If you can find it, this collection of rare psych recordings from around the world is a precious treasure. Collecting artists from Turkey to Peru, Obsession is a rollicking pleasure from beginning to end. Quarteto Nova Era’s ‘De Repente’ and ‘Murituri’ by Arnaud Rodrigues are as good as anything recorded by Os Mutantes. The wah-licking ‘Osman Pehlivan’ by Arif Sag and ‘Hor Gorme Garibi’ by Erkin Koray kick out the Turkish jams motherfucker! Finally, Jean Paul “El Troglodita’s” ‘Everything is Gonna Change’ takes us ever higher with its horn-infused psych-funk freak out. Definitely out there! For adventurous music fans.
Hows about a listen
A great soundtrack to an obscure 70’s kung fu blaxploitation flick. I can hardly think of anything better than a platter of tasty B-3 grooves artfully layered over a fat n funky bass with a soulful smattering of horns. Just close your eyes and you can see the car chases, the flying roundhouses, the squalid ghetto, the pimps in their finery, and those afro-heavy babes in their halter tops and bellbottoms.
Get your groove on with: Betty’s Theme, Shanty Blues, Kungfusion, and the silky smooth Incense of Essence. Right on Soul Brother!
When I think of the public adoration heaped upon mainstream “artists” the likes of Avril Lavigne, or Ashley Simpson, or Justin Timberlake, it sickens me that artists possessed of a true pop genius, Chris Bell for instance, remain virtually forgotten.
Bell’s posthumous release I am the Cosmos collects tracks recorded in the years between his departure from Big Star and his tragic, untimely death in 1978.
These songs are powerful and sweet, highly reminiscent of Big Star's #1 Record. Top tracks include the title track, the plaintive Speed of Sound, and the delicate pop of You and Your Sister.
