Oftentimes a record with the buzzwords Oddities and Rarities emblazoned in the title is another excuse for an artist’s flock to prove they’re not only ardent but anal completists as well. In the case of gonzo Ninth-Ward hillbilly Mike West, this is hardly another offering of throw away out takes and b-sides. Rather, it’s a dense, double-disc affair that’s not only a cult find but also an ample introduction to a twisted troubadour who continually places New Orleans’ acoustic music on the map amidst the land of lip-splitting trumpets and headache-emitting squeezeboxes.
Though this project had been on the boards for years, interestingly it wasn’t until 2001’s Home when it would become a reality. Originally Home was in the can when West decided it didn’t hang together, junked it and re-recorded everything. With that much extra material, it was only a matter of deciding what else should be included.
Volume one contains samplings of West’s early cassette-only offerings including the pink one depicting the pig. Even with this older material, it’s uncanny what a keen eye West has for spotting stories and crafting them into all things musical. It seems that a West song could be inspired from a conversation as recent as five minutes ago or a thought that’s been rumbling around for years. There’s spoofs about Nashville (“Johnny Cash”), biting portrayals of employment searches (“Every Man a King”) and unrealistic expectations in the newborn (“Wild Card”). There’s also two songs sagely left off an earlier CD (“American Girl,” “American Jeans”) “out of consideration for my green card application.” In between, the flawless guitar picking and blitzing banjo finger roll techniques would leave many an aspiring folkie drooling with envy.
Nine songs on volume two originally slotted for Home reveal what you might have missed, which makes it grand that they’re included here. From this cache, there’s an apres funeral day reflection (“Darlin’”) done à la jug band style and a lighthearted lesson in local steamship history (“Susquehanna”). There’s even an original version of “Squirrels” replete with a Farfisa organ, the cheesy kind used on old Monkees records.
If you ever wondered what a live West disc would be like, that answer is also here with a few live tracks from Margaritaville. Besides the audience’s vociferous approval and West’s entertaining onstage humor, it only emphasizes that if you haven’t seen him live, that’s your fault. Explaining that his songs are mostly originals, the deadpan West adds “If you don’t like ’em, just come to me and we can fix the song the way you like ’em.” Any takers?
