Staff Picks, Volume 10

THE STOOGES (COLLECTOR'S EDITION)
The Stooges

At some point in the late ‘60s, Jim Osterberg became Iggy Pop and rock ‘n’ roll would never be the same. The Stooges debut is, quite simply, one of the best albums ever made. It sounds as raw and vital today as it did when it was released (which, by the way, was 42 YEARS AGO). You hear all the time about bands being years ahead of their time. Iggy and crew were decades ahead. Many point to the band’s follow-up, FUN HOUSE, as their crowning achievement but for me it doesn’t get any better than their debut. When I really love an album, I want to hear every last mix, outtake, and unreleased song that I can get my hands on. The Rhino Handmade deluxe edition delivers these in spades for this album with the original, unreleased mix of the entire album, alternate vocals on “I Wanna Be Your Dog,” and the killer, previously unreleased track “Asthma Attack.”

ENTERTAINMENT
Gang Of Four

Here’s another band whose fingerprints would be all over bands from years to come. From the first track, “Ether,” Gang Of Four come out blazing with their infections blend of punk and funk and don’t let up. If you pick up the Rhino reissue, you’ve also find the band’s rare YELLOW EP included, which is rad, and some other unreleased gems including a very cool, if not a bit sloppy, live cover of The Velvet Underground’s “Sweet Jane.”

WHAT IT IS BOX
Various Artists

This box is a great example of what’s great about Rhino. We can drop a set like this in your lap and completely school you with four discs of amazing music that you have either overlooked or completely forgotten about. The level of cool on this box cannot be matched with its wicked rhythms, badass clavinet, incendiary horn blasts, and chirping Hammond B3. You can really hear the foundation of hip-hop here as so many of these tracks would go on to be sampled by some of the greats of the rap world. It’s hard to pinpoint highlights but, if you want a sampling, try out Baby Huey’s “Hard Times,” Cyril Neville’s “Gossip,” or Eddie Hazel’s funked-up cover of “California Dreamin’.”

CACTOLOGY
Cactus

Man, I wish rock music still sounded like this. If you like dirty, bluesy, take no prisoners rock ‘n’ roll, then get to know Cactus. They were formed from the rubble of Vanilla Fudge by Carmine Appice and Tim Bogert and put out three smoking albums in the early 70’s, the highlights of which are included in this anthology. Once dubbed “the American Led Zeppelin,” Cactus is, unfortunately, a band that time seems to have forgotten about and it’s a damn shame. Do yourself a favor and check this out. You’ll thank me later.

TIM
The Replacements

No one writes anthems for the outcast and downtrodden like Paul Westerberg and The Replacements’ major label debut has some of his best including “Left Of The Dial” and “Bastards Of Young,” with features one of my favorite Westerberg lines ever: “It beats pickin’ cotton and waiting to be forgotten.”