Blood Red River 1982-1984
Before running the gamut from soundtracks to techno to blues,Kim Salmonwas indulging in the great pastime of the Australian rock underground--worshipping at the altar of theStooges. This well-trodden path has been taken by many a bozo, but Salmon was different as his devotion was so rabid and impassioned that the early Scientists made noise righteous enough to be considered quality outtakes from Iggy and company. Salmon's voice ranges from Jim Morrison seduction to the full-throat yowl that Iggy perfected, complete with chants andDiddleybeats 'n' slide (check out "Revhead" or their cover ofBeefheart's "Clear Spot") and sinuous guitar lines to match. You wish that they, like the Strokes, were a little further removed from their sources so you could like them more, but like the NY boys, they're still tight enough that you can enjoy them without much guilt. Now that this kind of music is an endangered species as rock slips into subgenre status, what might have seemed kind of retro a few years ago sounds pretty fresh today.--Jason Gross