Country funk. I have to say I am pretty thrilled by this. I love the idea of making something out of nothing. I did some research and I'm pretty sure there's no such thing as country funk. At the same time, the words conjure up a very possible sound, and if the fruits of that unholy merger sound weird, it is more through cultural prejudice than musical impossibility. Take the rhythm section of a funk band and marry it to the small-town narratives and thick, smoke-heavy vocals of country and you get something very exciting. Add a bit of gospel here and there to keep it all together.
But mostly I love the idea of collecting these stand-out tracks by artists who did not seem to form a specific scene, who were not known as country funk artists - or even either country or funk, for that matter - and making something cohesive and seemingly sensible out of it.
If you're curious, just check out this track of Bobby Darin. And yes that is the same guy who did one of the best-known versions of Mack the Knife. I never expected him to do something like this:
For everything on this compilation, check out the label's website:
