Spirit Caravan

Back in the old days, the term "wino” conjured up an image of a grizzled old sot, down on his luck and carrying his lunch in a greasy brown paper bag (see also Jethro Tull’s Aqualung). Presently, the term is one of sheer awe, for Scott "Wino” Weinrich is a living legend — a doom rock pioneer who has spent the last 20 years living off of his fret board wailings. Between his vintage sludge outfit, the Obsessed, and his current neo-doom band, the Hidden Hand, Wino fronted the relatively short-lived but no less influential Spirit Caravan. Two full-lengths, one EP and a handful of seven-inches later, it was over, but the kind folks at MeteorCity have compiled the hands-down ultimate, two-CD compilation for all your Caravan cravings. Beginning disc one with some of the band’s final recordings, the unreleased "Brainwashed” and phenomenal title track (with its fluid acoustic chordage) reveal more of Wino’s stratospheric solos and hookier riffs à la Jug Fulla Sun. That album is here in its entirety, re-mastered for optimal sonic enjoyment: the majesty of "Healing Tongue,” "Cosmic Artifact” and "No Hope Goat Farm” are once again comfortably mingled with the epic "Dead Love/Jug Fulla Sun,” the Skynyrd-like "Sea Legs” and the souped-up punk of "Kill Ugly Naked.” This disc even includes a real winner in the original, rawer recordings of the ultra-heavy "Courage,” "Powertime” and "Lost Sun Dance,” widely distributed as the first Shine demo (before the band was legally forced to change its name from Shine to Spirit Caravan). Disc two collects tracks from various stoner rock comps and seven-inches to polish off what should be heralded as the quintessential Wino compendium.