Various Artists “Root Damage: Rotten But Not Forgotten” 2003. Sympathy for the Record Industry. A comp of roots, blues, garage and rock music from the Sympathy label (a “serious excavation through the sympathy catalogue”) including R.L. Burnside, Soledad Brothers, Jack Oblivian, Compulsive Gamblers and (pre-famous) Beck. A double-LP with 28 tracks, it’s a time commitment but totally worth it. I’m familiar with a lot of it – a ton we already have on vinyl on the original albums, but there’s some new-to-me artists that make the comp a great listen.

The loved and familiar: R.L. Burnside’s “Georgia Woman” (1997, a 7″ single on SFTRI, also appears on Mr. Wizard, Fat Possum Records), another Fat Possum artist, Frank Roach with “Alabama,” Soledad Brothers “Shakey Puddin’” (2001, appears on Sympathetic Sounds of Detroit which was compiled by Jack White, who also sings backup on this track along with Dirtbombs drummer Ben Blackwell), and the two Jon Spencer collaborations: Spencer with Jeffrey Evans on Gibson Bros’ “Memphis Chicken” (1993) and Workdogs’ “Our Good Man” (1994).

New to me that I’m digging: “Sun Sinking Low” by Mr. Airplane Man, a female two-piece from Boston described as “a mishmash of deep love for Mississppi hill country blues, Memphis weirdo rocknroll, drony VU and Stooges, and Boston garage beat.” While I do know who Billy Childish is (he’s on this comp multiple times), this is my first time hearing, I think, The Blackhands’ “Black Girl” which is an accordion-soaked rendition of the Lead Belly classic, better known to our generation as “Where Did You Sleep Last Night” famously done by Nirvana on MTV Unplugged. Lo-fi high-speed blues punk w/harmonica “Harpoon Man” by Big Foot Chester is a burner.

Not a fan: Kirby Grips’ “Needless” (corny country), “Blackish Man” by Speedball Baby (corny blues) and Interstate Leisure Kings’ “Best Liquor Store” (formulaic country rock – the liner notes state it comes from the 1998 Shine On Sweet Starlet movie soundtrack – I can’t find any info about the film – and it’s the band’s only song but it seems to be a Jeff Smith (Hickoids) project).

And while it’s neither among my top picks nor particularly disliked, Beck’s “Leave Me on the Moon” is worth a mention. Part of the Kill The Moonlight soundtrack released in ’97 by SFTRI “captured before [Beck] sold millions of records and won the adoration of the world…at the time of this recording he was still living in a rat-infested tool shed in an alley in downtown Los Angeles and, as bands were setting up in clubs, he’d boldly jump on stage with his thrashed guitar to play his brand of infectious punk, blues and country songs.” (Root Damage liner notes)