Do the Milkshake

Memphis soul today. Played loud by some white guys. But it's, like, soul baby.

The Oblivians lasted for a relatively short time. Greg, Eric, and Jack Oblivian went on to produce, play on, or star in about a zillion other projects: Compulsive Gamblers, Reigning Sound, '68 Comeback, the Deadly Snakes, The Cool Jerks, to name just a few.

Not to confuse, The Oblivians certainly have the snot and grind of garage/punk in their attack. But firmly embedded in their heart of hearts lies the last great soul band. Sin and Salvation battle with a hipsway under distorted soul grooves, while the alternating vocalists growl to yelp, pleading and fronting for your love, honey.

Nowhere is this more evident than on their finest album, Play 9 Songs With Mr. Quintron. (Quintron deserves his own damn post one of these days.) About a year ago, I posted my favorite song from that album, a pleading church hymn from hell called "Live the Life". So here's another from that album, a locomotive gospel, plus, from Popular Favorites, a song not remotely about sex. Shake it.

The Oblivians: Ride That Train (mp3)

The Oblivians: Do the Milkshake (mp3)

The Oblivians probably don't give a rat's ass where you buy their albums.