Shakane
Big Step 1970-1974 (2lp)
This is the first-ever collection of recordings by Bristol, UK's highly underrated Shakane. Double album, 23 tracks and 3 are previously unreleased, clocking in at 75 minutes. It boggles the mind that no one has bothered to gather all these amazing tracks in one place. Shakane originally released two now-pricey LP's. One, only released in Italy, and another only available in Sweden. In addition to their two long-players, they put out several singles on several labels. It's no wonder their legacy has been sorely under-served - until now. In modern times they are mostly known for their songs 'Love Machine' and 'Gang Man,' but there is so much more to explore. This has singles, deep album cuts and the aforementioned unreleased tunes. This 2LP encompasses nearly their entire discography. We left off a few of their acoustic numbers in favor of three superb previously unreleased tacks: 'Lazy River,' 'Save Me' and 'Lola.' Shakane was never tied down to one particular genre. Bubblegum, power pop, glam, psych, harmony-based folk, etc. They did it all. Music of this quality never stays buried forever. Informative liners by Steve Krakow complete the package. 500 copies on black vinyl.