Frijid pINK-ST

Artist: Frijid Pink
Album: Self Titled
Release: 1970
Label: Parrot

Tracklist:

1. God Gave Me You
2. Crying Shame
3. I'm On My Way
4. Drivin' Blues
5. Tell Me Why
6. End Of The Line
7. House Of The Rising Sun
8. I Want To Be Your Lover
9. Boozin' Blues

Frijid Pink are one of the lesser-known bands from Detroit's fertile late 60's-early 70's music scene that produced shit like the Stooges and MC5. However, instead of possessing a "proto-punky" (hate that term, yet I use it. I suck) sound, the band falls more under the stoner rock category, with plenty of fuzzed-out guitars and pseudo-psychedelics.

The record opens up with an odd ballad that, while very lyrically cheesy, is actually pretty good and is a great intro to the riffy "Crying Shame," which, along with "End Of The Line," is the band's finest original song on the album. Still, the band's pinnacle as a band is their minor hit: their rendition of "House Of The Rising Sun." The band takes the traditional song made classic by the Animals and drenches it with fuzz and reverb, making an already awesome song even better. Sure, the Animals' version is legendary (and great,) but to me, this is the definitive version of the song.

The band is at its strongest when it caters to its stoner tendencies, which, unfortunately, is not all the bands goes for on this release. The band often falls into the common 1960's/70's trap of white rockers trying too hard to be Black. Just when you're riding the high from "Crying Shame," the band breaks into "I'm On My Way," which sees these young men trying a LITTLE too hard to boogie woogie. When they take their influence from a lot of 50's music, it sounds too forced and is kind of embarrassing.

Overall, though, the awesome moments of this album are worth sitting through the bad. Or skipping it! "House Of The Rising Sun" is a classic. Good vibes!http://www.mediafire.com/?wnmbnzijmqm