If Tony Iommi is Birmingham's favorite son, then Scott Weinrich is that of the Washington D.C. Both are men so dedicated to their craft that their names are synonymous with heavy doom-laden riffs. The major separation between these two is that while Tony has been sitting atop the Sabbath throne for decades, "Wino" continues to move from one legendary band to the next. His time spent in The Obsessed and St. Vitus helped develop his distinctive sound which and can be heard here on this compilation, which is D.C./Maryland style doom at it's slowest, galloping finest. This album includes both the Elusive Truth and Jug Fulla Sun albums, so you'll need only the Dreamwheel EP to complete you Spirit Caravan catalog.

In '79, Lester Bangs wrote a review of this album ten years after it came out. He stated that when it came out, he had been on a real downer for some time and that he credited the album with pulling him out of this funk. The fact that an album could still resonate with a man who's entire life revolved around seeking out the next big thing speaks volumes for the depths of Astral Weeks. This is probably the most complete album he ever made from top to bottom and is a complete departure from his stint with Them or ever his earliest solo efforts. This album can be a back drop for from a quiet Sunday morning of coffee and danishes, to discussing heavy life decisions with your partner, to your best friend's wake, or just standing in the rain, questioning your own existence. It's that good.

"The Long-Haired High School Dopers Almanac

Chapter 12 - Motorhead

Lemmy Kilminster was put on this earth as a hero to the unwashed, awkward teen who is lost in the world. By simply dawning a Motorhead shirt replete with an image of Snaggletooth, he/she will find friends among punks, metalers, speed-addicts, old bikers, and acid-gobbling freaks."

At 30 years old, Lemmy began an odyssey when he was dumped from the all-time freakout band, Hawkwind. While lesser men may have thrown in the towel, found themselves a day job, and given in to the societal pressure to exist amongst the every-man, Lemmy took a road less traveled. You don't name a band after a slang word for a amphetamine user if you plan on writing love songs, so Motorhead have always been an uncompromising hard-rock outfit. Overkill offers many of the staples of a Motorhead concert, including Stay Clean, Metropolis, and the reigning encore closer, Overkill.

Having hired J.T. Taylor as their new front man and moving to a smoother style from their original bass-heavy \"Jungle Boogie\" sound, The Gang were now on their third album under this new design. Tracks like \"Take My Heart\" and \"Be My Lady\" might leave little imagination to who the band\'s trying to appeal to, but this is no boy band drivel. The Gang had been at it for 11 years at this point and it\'s clear they know how to write popular singles. The true standout of the album is \"Get Down On It,\" a song that should be included in any party mix to this day.

An important thing to note, is the smaller role of Kool himself. In their original funk format, he sang and his bass playing was much further to the front in the mix, not to mention that his name was the one on the marquee. In perhaps one of the most selfless moves ever by a musician, he realized the need for an updated sound, thereby replacing himself as singer and writing songs thinner on bass which resulted in some of the most well-known R&B standards of all time.