CABINET OF CURIOS (RSD2017)

Cabinet Of Curios is the first ever career-spanning compilation of the solo work of Jowe Head, an essential name in the birth and development of the UK's underground scene. From 1981 debut album Pincer Movement up to 2014 recordings by Jowe Head and The Demi-Monde, plus previously unreleased tracks, these 20 cuts present Head's wonderful mixture of off-kilter pop and avant-garde weirdness, like a noise party attended by Joe Meek, Burt Bacharach and Sun Ra. If one looks at the galaxy of stars that can be attributed as source material for today's musical DIY/lo-fi generation, Jowe Head shines as a true iconoclast. His 1973 addition to the avant-garage godfathers Swell Maps added an impressionistic edge to their psychedelic punk pastiche that drew of Max Ernst as ably as Can. Later on in The Television Personalities and his Househunters and Palookas projects, not to mention a sprawling solo discography, Jowe's persona injected color and livelihood into an often-too-cool-for-school post-punk scene around Britain while still delivering transportative sounds and open-to-the-listener interpretations. This compendium is in itself a galaxy of sounds that will never fail to deliver. --Brian Turner, WFMU Music Director??A1. Cake Shop Girl??A2. Swissair??A3. Cuticles??A4. Shy Town??A5. Paper Mache??A6. Evil Island Home??B1. Venus Bigfoot??B2. Belly Of The Beast??B3. Tiny Monsters??B4. Imp Of The Perverse??B5. Don't Rock The Boat????C1. Rubbish Up The Messheads??C2. New World / Enlightenment??C3. Ophelia??C4. Chameleon??D1. Louise Bourgeois??D2. Waltz For Kurt Schwitters??D3. Arachne & Athena??D4. Hannah Hoch??D5. Felt And Fat