six point four equals make out

i don't necessarily remember the circumstances under which chris nine bestowed me with a bootleg of gary wilson's debut lp, you think you really know me, but i know it was a defining moment in the evolution of my musical taste. 25 years after its initial release (and i know i'm late on reporting this because the media was all over it already), wilson's album reached cult status and has since been re-released by motel records, along with his follow-up, forgotten lovers. [here's the pitchfork review, the free williamsburg review, an about.com interview, and the original cover art.]

wilson rediscovered the spotlight when beck confessed his adoration of the singer and began covering wilson's songs in concert. if you're familiar with beck's midnite vultures or his performance on sessions at 54, you've already got a great understanding of what wilson's all about—he's sort of like what would've happened if frank zappa was a bad r&b/soul singer entering the age of disco...and dude, that fucking rocks. (:P) actually, martin, aphid and ray took turns making fun of me for playing his album for them. and all i could say was, "you just dooooon't understaaaand!" gary wilson is a cultural phenomenon... the best kind of freak there is. i mean, who else was singing about making people their bitches in the 1970s? you know as well as i do that there's nothing better than hysterically laughing on the subway at 8:30 in the morning from beneath your headphones for no apparent reason.

anyway, motel records is quickly becoming my favorite label, coming in just under ninjatune, as i've now collected everything in their catalog. most exciting, beyond gary wilson of course, are their reissues of the classic bollywood soundtrack hiphop remixes bombay the hard way vols. 1 & 2. volume 1 was produced by dan the automator (famous for his work on kool keith's octagonecologyst, del tha funky homosapien's deltron 3030, and later, gorillaz and lovage) along with dj shadow. volume 2 features work by mixmaster mike and dj kid koala, among others. top that off with their other soundtrack releases, including the classic vampyros lesbos, and you're talking about the makings of an outstanding label.

and i am apparently becoming a fiend for tricked out 70's swinger soul music. i've been listening to al green, james brown, and this baadasssss cinema soundtrack incessantly. next thing you know i'm gonna start building the blaxploitation dvd collection and sporting pimp gear. oh... right.