COLL: Cherrystones Hidden Gems (13 Amp/Mercury) The wonderful thing about reissued old material is that there’s SO much GREAT music from the past that so few people ever got to hear. So, we are in luck - big time with the collection of old “psychedelic soul & funk” which it really is. This is PACKED with so much good stuff that even the Cher tune is worth listening to. Yep, I read that right. It’s just the whole spirit of this one. A great party record, too
(((((1))))) Ennio Morricone - Holy fuckin’ acorns! Super funky & severly groovy Morricone scorin’ for an early Charles Bronson film! (“Citta Violenta”) What a combo! What a beat! What killer organ sound!
((((2)))) Shadow Mann - More mysterious than the origins of Nessie, this crazy cat rips it out with some raw soul/garage/psych. “Look out baby!” Something like a more uptempo version of “The Pusher” by Steppenwolf
((((3)))) Mashmakhan - Giant beat, very nice strummy guitars, very 60’s style vocal harmonies (think of The Zombies), and a smoking guitar solo. Heavy psych/folk/pop? Anywayyou slice it it’s nice effort for sure.
((((4)))) Die Anderen - What the...? Is this Sabbath? Leave it to the Germans to fuse heavy fuzz guitars with some nutter tryin’ to do his best James Brown and some damn WILD backin’ vocals. Some of crazy histronics this side of The Sweet & Queen but even earlier - this is from 1968!?! Wha-Wozsa!
((((5)))) The Badboys - Fuzzed guitar which before they get too annoying are supplanted by some SERIOUSLY funky organ and beats. 1966 AND from Fredrick, Maryland?!? You’ve GOT to be jivin’ me you turkeys!
((((((6))))) Zoot Money & The Big Roll Band - British sleazy, funky instrumental with big-ass John Lord (the dude from Deep Purple) meets Jimmy Smith on Laugh-in style MEGAFUNK! Btw, Andy Summers is the guitar noodlers on here. Too bad he didn’t KEEP doin’ numbers like this!
((((7)))) Shocking Blue - The vocals strangely reminds me of Jinx from , Coven (late 60’s/early 70’s occult-rock band) ‘cept this is filled with a lot of goofy 60’s clichés, sitars, yeah-yeah-yeahs, tho’ the guitars are quite nice. Btw, Nirvana cover this band’s “Love Buzz” many moons later.
((((8)))) The Shadows - One of the great instrumental rock bands, mess around here and strum-kinda mental - jumpin’ around from twang, fuzzy, and other off-kilter sounds.
((((9)))) Marsha Hunt - BIG, big sound of soul shoutin’ and some rad horn & guitar parts to underscore the ever compelling voice of Miss Hunt. A lot of odd lyrics like “Ice cream Mustang” and such.
((((10)))) Not the band Faust but it’s Dynastie Crisis from France - doing some groovy, Doors-ish/Zombies like psych/rock. Give it up for the the strange “is it guitar or some odd organ” at 2:00-1:45
((((11)))) The Soul Men - Lo-fi, kinda Vince Guarldi meets Amon Düül outside Ann Arbor in ‘68 feeling.
((((12)))) I’d never thought I’d ever say this but this is a GREAT Cher tune. Now this is NOTHING like the shit she’s known for. This is soulful, funky, dark (!) and pissed off! “I wanna see my enemies at the end of a rope!...”They all fear my malice” It’s like she joined the Church of Satan and “Moonstruck” never happened ! OK, she didn’t write this one but STILL!
((((((13)))))) Roosevelt Fountain & The Pens Of Rhythm - Described as “nudie groove” in the liners notes, I’d have to say I’d agree. Somewhere around the JBs crossed with a little bit of the of Benny Hill theme. Too bad it’s not a long track. Oh but did I mention “nudie groove”? Now there’s a Russ Meyer classic that was never made!
((((14))) Little Joe Cook & The Thrillers - Seriously silly with a hella high pitched vocalist but some GREAT all-around playing. A fun ‘lil soul/R&B ditty from ‘68.
((((15)))) Bugsy - Crazy guitar notes, then SUPER funky beat & bass,
the vocals are a little too flat in places but is totally saved by the intensity of the incrediblely awesome backing band.
(((16))) Bugsy - Folksy, ditty with a Jefferson Airplane-like feeling. Nothing terribly great or awful - just kinda “there” compared to the first track. -