A pair of great albums - brought together in one super-heavy package! First up is the legendary East Of Underground record - an uber-obscure LP recorded in 1971 by a group of US Army serviceman at the Armed Forces Network studios in Frankfurt, Germany - originally used as a recruiting tool during the Vietnam war! Given the strength of the set, we wouldn't be surprised if plenty of folks signed up for a tour of duty after hearing it - as the set cooks like some of the best American funk from the indie 45 world at the time. The production is nice and dark - with an echoey quality that makes us guess the album was a live recording - done by American servicemen with the feel of some backroom funk show from the Indy or Ohio scene of the 70s. Some of the tracks are familiar numbers from American hits - but redone here with a nicely gritty feel - and titles include the awesome medley "Bet'Ya Never Lose My Love California Dreamer" - plus "Higher", "Smiling Faces", "Hell Below", "Getting Over", "Popcorn/Santana", "I Love You", "Java Girl", and "Walk On By". The set also includes the Soap album - a very similar record with a mix of rock and soul, done with the same sort of US Army-endorsed approach - and some great raw production that really makes the album sparkle! Many tunes are covers, but they're played here with a gritty live energy - so that even the rock tunes feel a bit funky at times - given a really odd edge. Titles include weird versions of "Uncle Albert", "Ticket To Ride", "Southern Man", "I Just Want To Celebrate", "Get Together", and "Walk Away".
