All this week on Melting Pot we’re taking a look back at the best music in 2011. Today’s post focuses on the best reissues of the year. 2011 continued the recent trend in just amazing reiusses, especially on the international front and for lovers of American soul music. Here is my list of the top 5 reissues I heard in 2011, let me know what you think and what was in your own top 5!
***Honorable Mentions: Those Shocking Shaking Days (Now-Again), Local Customs: Burned at Boddie (Numero), The Lijadu Sisters – Danger (Knitting Factory), El Rego – El Rego (Daptone), Life Is Dance: Plugged-In Sounds of Wonder at the Pakistani Picture House (Finders Keepers), Father’s Children – Father’s Children (Numero), Charles “Packy” Axton – Late Late Party 1965-1967 (Light In The Attic)
5. Orchestre Poly Rythmo De Cotonou – The First Album / Rob – Funky Rob Way (Analog Africa)
Analog Africa always seems to deliver top shelf material, and this split LP/CD is no exception. Orchestre Poly Rythmo De Cotonou is an amazing group, and I’ll never get tired of hearing their sound, but I was really surprised by Rob, which I’d never heard before. I’m right now really wishing I had a residency someplace, just so I could see what dancers would do when I dropped the needle on “More.”
4. Shin Joong Hyun – Beautiful Rivers and Mountains: The Psychedelic Rock Sound of Shin Joong Hyun (Light In The Attic)
Shin Joong Hyun – I’ve Got Nothing To Say
Light In The Attic had a very strong year (including twin reissues of material from the Louvin Bros.), but this collection of rock, psych and psychy rockin’ funk from South Korean guitarist Shin Joong Hyun was an ear-opener for sure. For me, Hyun’s music is at its best when it’s slowed down and spaced out, but the shorter, tighter and often funkier tracks, such as “I’ve Got Nothing To Say” (which sounds lifted from a film) are just as tasty.
3. Googoosh – Googoosh (Finders Keepers)
Googoosh – Digeh Geryeh Delo Va Nemikoneh
“Truly Exceptional” just doesn’t seem to be a good enough description of how I feel about the music of Iranian songstress Faegheh Atashin, aka Googoosh. From the opening drums of “Shekeyat” I was completely hooked, every note that followed only continued to blow my mind. The story behind this music is just as amazing, with much of this music being banned (and in some cases destroyed) in Iran after the Revolution of 1979, making it exceedingly rare. In addition to often being seriously funky, the music and the singing from Googoosh is seriously beautiful and well deserving of many, many listens.
2. Mike James Kirkland – Don’t Sell Your Soul (Luv’N’Haight / Ubiquity)
Mike & the Censations – Victim Of Circumstance Part 1
I’ve been a fan of Mike James Kirkland’s brand of soul music since the earliest days of Luv’n’Haight and their reissue of his classic “Hang On In There.” Don’t Sell Your Soul brings together Kirkland’s early career with Mike & the Censations with his solo albums (on the double CD) and unreleased material (on the double LP). Highly recommended listening, deep deep soul with slyly socially conscious underpinnings on tracks that on their face appear to be “just” love songs. “Victim Of Circumstance” might just be the best “lowrider/oldies” track of all-time, the horns, the singing, the sentiment…just perfect. Hard to believe this was only the beginning, being his very first song. If you didn’t check it out before, be sure to check out my interview with the man himself, Mike James Kirkland for even more insight into this music and into this musician’s incredible career and world-view.
1. Boddie Recording Company, Cleveland Ohio (Numero)
Corinthian Singers – Why? (It’s A Shame)
Last year when Numero went extra hard on the Syl Johnson “Complete Mythology” release, I didn’t think they’d be able to top that anytime soon. Instead, the intrepid crew out of Chicago, doubled down on a total soul excavation of Cleveland, Ohio’s Boddie Recording Company. Sifting through the 300 records and 10,000 hours of tape that the Boddie bunch recorded from 1958 to 1993, Numero raises their own super high bar and releases (on 3CD’s or 5LP’s) one of the most incredible love letters to underground soul music I’ve ever seen. A brilliant release and absolutely deserving of the #1 spot…now the question is how will they top THIS in 2012???