In the Primo of Life

You never know what changes time will bring, least of all with bands, but few have undergone the dramatic alteration of Shiva's Headband. Back in the '60s, the Texans reeled out a heady psychedelic-rock brew, but unlike most of their contemporaries, they kept on bubbling across the next decade and beyond. In the Primo of Life was originally released in 1983, an album true to its title and brimming with viv, vim, and good humor, so much so, that one can't help but savor every single minute within. But it's the diversity of life that Headband celebrate here — the joy of smoking ganja down at the "Riverside," the sensuous bite of "Chili Verde," the possibilities of the instrumental "Afrodeez." However, none of those songs's titles give wind to their actual sound; "Riverside" is indeed reggae based, but reggae as fabulously played by a genre-challenged Eastern European R&B band; "Chili" whirls through an urban-lite funk atmosphere, dragging that lost gypsy violinist along for the ride, while "Afrodeez" blends pattering congos to what sounds like Asian instruments, twittering birds, and evocative violin. Then there's "Banjoke," the joke being the banjo sounds like it's being played by a Balkan.

"Beginning" is even more humorous, a sparkling '80s rocker resplendent with organ, but driven by a bass riff ripped right out of the hands of Iron Butterfly's "Inna-Gadda-Da-Vida." And neither "Woman's Blues," composed and sung by Suzy Perskin, nor bandleader Spencer Perskins' own "Why I Sing the Blues really fit the blues bill, the former too fast paced, the latter too sweet to be sorrowing, but both wonderful nonetheless. However, it's "Upside Down" that really captures the set's soul, with its good-time rocking feeling, and pick-yourself-up message.

Which makes the inclusion of two bonus tracks of later vintage totally extraneous and decidedly out of place. This album stands brilliantly, and doesn't need extras to entice.