Roadsaw/Blackrock--The Boston Sherwood Tapes (split)
Game Two/Underdogma Records 2001
When Game Two and Underdogma joined forces to release the awesome Alabama Thunderpussy/Halfway To Gone split CD, they perfected the "45 EP on CD" (2 songs from each band) format. Can they do it again? The answer is "yes" and it comes in the form of The Boston Sherwood Tapes, a split featuring two songs each from Roadsaw and Blackrock.
Roadsaw's half of the split starts the CD in a big way, first with "Busted Monk". This song is a straight-up groover with killer stop-start construction. It's easily amongst the best songs Roadsaw has ever done--right up there with "Satellite".
Roadsaw's final song of the split is a complete mindblower--a cover of "Where Is My Mind" by the legendary Pixies. At first, your instinct is to cringe since metal/hard rock bands sometimes produce disasterous results when trying to cover punk-based material (i.e. the awkward sounding doom/groove Misfits tribute on Freebird Records). However, as soon as this hits your ears, any fears are put to rest. Roadsaw delivers an amazing version of this song, slightly slower in tempo than the original Pixies version. It's worth getting the CD for this cover alone--to do such justice to one of the greatest, most inimitable bands of all time is endlessly commendable.
Next up is Blackrock's first track, "Loserfuel". This is absolutely one of the best groove/"stoner" rock songs in ages. It starts off with a flat-out groove assault, thanks to an overpowering riff. Then, it segues into a section which is at first reminiscent of "Wishing Well" by Gideon Smith and the Dixie Damned, but morphs again into something that sounds like prime era Free/Bad Company meets Black Sabbath--the vocals in this section of the song are breathtaking. "Loserfuel" ends with a subdued outro section which is reminiscent of moments on Black Sabbath's first album. From beginning to end, this song is great--compositionally and from a performance standpoint.
Blackrock closes out the split with a cover of the Brian Auger classic, "Indian Ropeman". Their rendition is great in that it sounds very modern, yet you can still imagine a beautiful, shapely woman wigging out tastefully in a go-go cage to it. Blackrock manages to be funky, soulful, and heavy all at the same time, here--a great note to end on.
Game Two and Underdogma have managed to again bring together two bands (with a big assist from Marksound) who brilliantly complement eachother to make a great split. Not only are the original tracks from each band winners, the covers are done phenomenally and with reverence. A more than worthwhile addition to your collection, indeed.
Score this CD directly from GAME TWO
OR
Score this CD directly from UNDERDOGMA
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