V.A. Chains and Black Exhaust (2002)

Rare Chicago Psych

ARTIST`````Various
ALBUM````` Chains & Black Exhaust
GENRE`````Funk, Psychedelic
YEAR````````2002

Review:

“Chains And Black Exhaust” is probably the best funk rock compilation in the world -- and it doesn’t even have a song with the word "butter" in the title, either. It is wild and untamed stuff (unlike the majority of “various artists” compilations of any genre) and every track hits the nail on the head of people with long-unrequited Hendrix/Hazel fixations. All tracks are mainly on the same organic level of physical deepness as "Free Your Mind And Your - as they usher your ass back into those days of blatantly uncomfortable intra-racial relations in the media and what seems like the top tier of the most forgotten yet memorable psychedelic funk, fuzztone soul and Jimi vamps taken to illogical extremes sifted out from a decade of flea market obscurities and distilled into one truly fine representation. The sleeve design sports exterior shots of what would appear to be biker gang social clubs that tie in neatly with the title (which initially threw many off the true trail of these tracks’ provenance -- as though this collection was comprised of amateur recordings by black sickle men who pumped out psychedelic sex grooves during their off-road hours in the confines of those subterranean HQs like some soul brother equivalent of Davie Allan & The Arrows) and although the album lists no titles or artists, this only increased the chatter of those in the know and inevitably forced to the surface 12 out of 16 titles (with the remaining four of dubious origin because where the hell else is a track called “Potted Shrimp” besides the classic “Trident Sessions” Stones bootleg, anyway?!) And out of this whole passel of gunked up funk only Curtis Knight, Hot Chocolate (don’t worry -- it’s early head days with no marshmallows at all) and Black Merda I had previously even heard, let alone heard of (Which I admit isn’t saying much, but all I mean is that the usual suspects are in no way present and accounted for in this remarkable compilation.)

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Pitchfork review:
http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/1911-chains-and-black-exhaust/

Headheritage review
http://www.headheritage.co.uk/unsung/thebookofseth/962