I bought this CD from a stall at the Monastiraki flea market in Athens, still sealed. Now, I have a couple of Cannibals LP's so I knew what to expect: Trashy aesthetic, primitive garage rock'n'roll with excursions into punk, psychobilly and R&B territory - all good fun. It turns out this is a limited edition compilation (only 500 copies) made with the intention of introducing the band to Japanese audiences, as in 2008 they were getting ready for their first tour of the Far East. It's not a bona fide "Best Of", but then the Cannibals never had any hits to speak of. So what singer Mike Spenser did was gather a smattering of rare or unreleased tracks and produce a compilation to showcase his band. I have no idea how the tour went, but I gather from the fact that the 500 CD's did not sell out that it wasn't a huge hit. Not that the Cannibals seem to chase world-wide success, mind you. It's enough that they keep the spirit of garage trash alive in the British Isles. There's a handful of bands still plowing this territory, with Billy Childish and The Meteors the most persistent. Like them, the Cannibals have been around since the late 70's when Spenser's pub rock band Count Bishops broke up and, although they're similar in style, they have dug their own niche, combining pure Nuggets-style garage with that very English punk sneer. Frustratingly, the liner notes give little information as to the origin and chronology of the tracks, but it seems that the compiler's idea was to present different periods and facets of his band. He dug out the original master tapes and has achieved a reasonably clear sound for their first digital transfer (all songs are previously unavailable on CD). The album starts, fittingly, with a Pretty Things cover, "Come See Me" (The Cannibals haven't been dubbed the punk rock Pretty Things for nothing) and continues with Cramps-inspired psychobilly ("Rumble in the Jungle","Screaming Abdabs","Weekend on Mars", "You Drive Me Mental"). He then proceeds to rummage through the Nuggets songbook ("Hey Little Bird","Too Much to Dream", "Gloria", "Barracuda") while more 60's covers follow: A chaotic live "No Fun" and great takes on Sam The Sham's "Little Red Riding Hood" and the Kinks' "Well Respected Man". "Back Door Man" starts off like The Doors' version but Spenser is no lizard king and he knows it. "Take Me to Your Leader" is horror comedy set on a Bo Diddley beat while "Twilight Zone" is a less successful effort. "Little Girl" sounds like another 60's cover but I couldn't quite place it (it's not the Syndicate Of Sound's same-named number). A word of advice: do not google Cannibals Little Girl. The results are not pretty. "Slow Down" is a raucous cover of an old chestnut best remembered as a Beatles' B-side. "Hoochi Coochi Man" is primitive R&B and the CD closes with some more rough garage punk ("All Shook Up", "I Could See Right Through You", "I Don't Wanna Change"). Final verdict: The CD works fine as an introduction to The Cannibals and should satisfy fans of primitive garage a la Back From The Grave. Given that it's quite rare though, it's not worth seeking out. Any Cannibals album would do just as well, but none is really essential.
**** for Rumble in the Jungle, Hey Little Bird, Little Red Riding Hood, Little Girl
*** for Come See Me, Back Door Man, Weekend on Mars, Well Respected Man, Take Me to Your Leader, Slow Down, Too Much to Dream, Gloria, All Shook Up, Barracuda, I Could See Right Through You, I Don't Wanna Change
** for No Fun, Screaming Abdabs, Drive Me Mental, Twilight Zone, Hoochi Coochi Man
* for Twilight Zone (Vocal Backing Track)
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