Jackie Mittoo 'Groovy Spirit'

Jackie Mittoo 'Groovy Spirit'

The keyboard king of Jamaica steps into smooth instrumental territory with a backpack full of strings and rocksteady sandwiches.

Al Green 'I'm A Ram'

Al Green 'I'm A Ram'

With spring in the air, the fruits of the loins of countless rams now skipping merrily around the fields and the star sign of Aries coming about in fine style with the biggest full moon for 19 years the other night, this tune seems to fit quite snugly with the general vibes.  The Rev Green gets next to each and everybody with a chunk of warm and horny soul. Baaaa!

HAPPY PADDY'S DAY!

CAN 'Don't Turn The Light On, Leave Me Alone'

CAN 'Don't Turn The Light On, Leave Me Alone'

The ideal torch song for a bout of man flu. Lead 'singer' Damo Suzuki's nonsensical ramblings kind of the echo the mild delirium you get in the grips of a fever, when even the thought of bright lights makes you wince and groan. Check out the rest of the album for underrated early CAN including the titanic 'Mothersky' and other soundtrack works for leftfield cinema of the late 60's and early 70's.

O'Donel Levy 'Bad, Bad Simba'

O'Donel Levy 'Bad, Bad Simba'

'Bad, Bad Simba' kicks pretty much every other jazz-funk/fusion record in to the proverbial 'row z' in a blur of pummeling guitar work. 

Black Merda 'Cynthy-Ruthy'

Black Merda 'Cynthy-Ruthy'

Got wind of this psychedelic rock and funk group via a really cooking compilation called 'Chain And Black Exhaust' - a collection of scratchy biker jams that is well worth hunting down. The line-up of Black Merda were, bar one, all Mississippi born but came of age in Detroit. That lineage is plastered all over 'Cynthy Ruthy' - a choppy, Band Of Gypsies-style growler, dripping in two stroke oil and brake fluid.

Ten Years After 'Let The Sky Fall'

Ten Years After 'Let The Sky Fall'

Just picked up a brilliant mix CD called 'Swamp Bait' yesterday by messrs Godsy & Zeus. If dirty, Southern bayou rock is your thing, get your skates on to secure a copy of it as there's only 200 for the world apparently. This song features on the mix, and despite being performed by white British rockers Ten Years After, fits right in with the fetid, murky feel of the CD. Check here for an earlier post featuring TYA performing a live blues.