World Psych Funk Classics V.A. : Psych Funk 101 (VAR,1967-1980/comp.2009)**°°'
-CD or 2LP-
Always being interested in discovering new surprises of a global prog/psych/crossover nature, I have looked forward to hear this new compilation. The booklet surely looks nice, with cover scans and extensive explanations on the tracks. According to the liner notes this compilation is related with a course provided by professors and assistant-professors at different universities in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Toronto, Paris, Istanbul, Cairo, Lagos and Addis Ababa. It introduces the global phenomenon of what they call ‘psychedelic funk’. So far this sounds interesting. They make a few conclusions of its more popular music related phenomena origins which I cannot confirm or add anything more specific (for I’m not that familiar with funk elements and its range), although I can already see how some of the already too often repeated standards are easily taken for granted (the mention of the importance of Cream for instance, however one of the members, Ginger Baker, had his importance in Africa or Nigeria specifically). Nice to see is how they find “the gravitation towards the ‘psychedelic mind set’” as a musically important phenomena, that opened up or that was associated (in one direction or the other) to a certain body of inspired improvisations all over the world. Mentioned for the psych-funk label are also mentioned some minor labels (like Finders Keepers, of which their Mustafa Özkent reissue surely was a good example).
But then, if you look at the chosen tracks the term ‘psychedelic funk’ seems to be a bit weakly chosen. The conclusions and associations here within are leading to a different area which leads off from what is musically more important. ‘Psych groove’ could have been a much more appropriate term or starting point to start with seeing the examples they took out. The true ‘funk’ elements are hardly there, and even when this starting point is comprehended differently, (-so not as a mix in styles-), the association therefore also takes us too easily to minor important a-go-go and easy listening psychedelica or to albums of minor musical and historical importance because of its too vague or not representative of ideas for a psych-mind, and for being too weak to stand for a dance-groove, this is perhaps where their approach led to, to the new grey area between real groove and true mind bending psych. In that way you can hardly expect the most interesting examples except when you would go either deeper into the kitsch of it or so, or make a choice for true heavier grooves or to musical inventions or interesting crossover moments, leading to a stronger musical perspective than that.
In that way, the truly progressive funky track of Mehr Pooya (Iran) is a bit out of place, while this is a not to miss track that is a must-have on the next Iranian psych compilation (still yet to come) (-you can find it on an Iranian compilation of Mehrpooya published in the US if you wish to hear more from him, amongst with other, interesting crossovers-).
When I dig deeper into the liner notes it seems that the professors or compilers seem to have made the same mistake as students are blamed for : they got most of the information from relatively easy found internet sources like Radiodiffusion or perhaps even mine without mentioning them, but without coming to new conclusions or findings by deeper investigations, so that for me, really surprising new things are not there: The Husnu Ozkartal Orkestrasi can hardly be called important, even musically despite the comments and use of repetitive fuzz. The single from Afrodisia (Nigeria) or or from Ethiopia might not have been published before but are not the best representation of a ‘groovy psych’ combination. The Shin Yung Hyun track might be a good example of a combination of song accompaniment with more psychedelic style, but are not a best off representation (the only real psych-funk that I heard of was of Devils, many more groovy tracks I know too). The German example is more of a rather psychploitation nature. The Italian band example from The Group is more experimental but is too stretched to be really musically rewarding enough compared to the real thing (from Italy most interesting material is already reissued). The Lebanese example is disappointing. I heard tons of Egyptian/Lebanese tracks which have much more of the real groove. And I got already tired of an overexposure to Omar Khorshid tracks, as if you cannot really find another guitarist from that area (Lebanon to start with) if you really wanted to. His music however can be found very easily. I am glad that there finally is attention to the kitschy but relative groovy moog album by the Turkish Metin Alatli (a good example!), but the track is short and confusing. I would love a reissue of the guy’s complete works from the 60s. Eskaton is one of the Magma-clones.
Conclusion : I expected some surprise or another, but didn’t find it. Maybe other people not knowing world psych might find some artefacts here, but sooner or later these true tracks either will turn up elsewhere in a better context, like the Mehrpooya track, or can already be found elsewhere (Omar Khorshid). It’s a good attempt with a marvellous booklet, but not a must have.
Also, I believe that courses like this can only be led by true collector’s who are busy with the matter for years, in cooperation with open minded musicicologists or critically-conscious witnesses from the right period from the right country perhaps, for only they can truly learn to understand how difficult it is to find the right information from a musical area outside the mainstream frames and find the right products that will withstand time (with a full focus on talent and creativity). In reality the best items and information need not only an experienced nose for such things and good local contacts, but new information is not sold for anything else but larger amounts of money. The organisers should have provided some collectors with a chance to cooperate and also earn some extra investment money to increase that possibility for the music’s sake ( I can always advise with some names in future).
Listed are Husnu Ozkartal Orkestrasi - 'Su Derenin Sulari', 2. Kukumbas - 'Respect', 3. Mulatu Astatke - 'Alemiye' (feat. Belaynesh Wubante / Assegedetch Asfaw), 4. Kim Sun - 'The Man Who Must Leave', 5. Petalouda - 'What You Can Do In Your Life', 6. Mehr Pooya - 'Doe Pajereh' / 'Ghabilehe Leili', 7. Staff Carpenborg And The Electric Corona - 'All Men Shall Be Brothers Of Ludwig', 8. The Group - 'The Feed-back', 9. Armando Sciascia - 'Circuito Chiuso', 10. Wadih Essafi 'Aandak Baharia Ya Rayess', 11. Omar Khorshid - 'Rakset El Fadaa', 12. Metin H. Alatli - 'Mevlana Boyle Dede', 13. George Garanian With The Melodiya Jazz Ensemble - 'The Big Search', 14. Eskaton - 'Dagon'
