First ever collection of material from the late Bay Area guitar whiz, Eugene Blacknell. Despite a career that spanned over 20 years, Blacknell never released a single album, which makes these 25 tracks feel like an introduction and a "best of" at the same time. It's divided into three segments, each marking a progression in the man's sound. The section devoted to his early years include R'N'B tracks like "Mo Self(1)" (with his band The Savonics) and the raw funk of "The Trip(2)," while the middle part of his career found him moving to the "East Bay party sound" with burners like "I'm So Thankful(3)" and "We Know We Have To Live Together(4)." The last segment finds Blacknell "experimenting with blues, soul and disco," and "experiment" is exactly the right word - check out the mad scientist on the disco-funk of "Hard Times(5)," the psych-influenced title track(6) and the chikka-chikka goodness of "Wah Wah Funk(7)." TONS of detailed liner notes and pics in the booklet, as Ubiquity / L'N'H does their typically thorough job. 25 tracks; 60+ minutes.

reviewed by Chris Lemon-Red