Hell Below Now-Again***

Believe it or not, the soul, funk and rock on this anthology was initially recorded for use as a recruiting tool by the US Army. East of Underground were a band drawn from the ranks of US soldiers based in Germany during the final days of the Vietnam war. Along with The Black Seeds, The Sound Trek and SOAP, East of Underground were winners of an army battle of the bands competition, where the prize involved tours of musical duty rather than trips to Vietnam. Tracks from all four acts are included here, though East of Underground's wild-eyed psychedelic funk is the pick of the bunch, as the group channel Sly Stone and hit their stride on covers such as Walk on Byand Hell Below.There's also plenty to like in The Black Seeds' soulful stomp, though SOAP's wimpy folk-rock doesn't warrant a second listen. An interesting curio from the vaults. nowagainrecords.com

Download tracks: Walk on By, Hell Below