SOURCE FAMILY - The Source Family [USA psychedelic 2013] Drag City DC559CD

Drag City has been committed to releasing unheard music by Father Yod & the Source Family's various musical incarnations since the issue of 2008's Songs from the Source. They continued with 2009's Magnificence in the Memory (curated by No-Neck Blues Band's Dave Nuss) and the double-LP-only The Thought Adjusters in 2012. In other words, when it came to issuing a soundtrack for the stellar Jodi Wille/Maria Demopoulos documentary The Source Family, the label was a logical choice. Nuss and Wille compiled and sequenced this 14-track collection of tracks from various bands that recorded during the wildly creative 1973-1974 period and that resulted, reportedly, in over 60 albums' worth of material. (Nowhere near that many were ever released, but we can hope!) While most of the music here is listed under the Ya Ho Wa 13 or Father Yod & the Spirit of 76 names, the material chosen showcases the contributions of a wide range of Source Family members. It is compiled from a host of recordings, including those previously issued by Drag City. Highlights include the stellar edited version of the rock jam "Man the Messiah," with its Aquarian-age gospel chorus backed by Farfisa organ, wah-wah electric guitars, walloping drums, and piano. The two Source Family chants included here are brief but compelling, because they weren't necessarily meant to be heard outside the community. They also contrast beautifully with one another as well as the rest of these tracks. "Chant 10" is stripped to the bone, haunting and near reverential, while the Yod-led "Chant 2" is forceful, to the point of being nearly martial. There are better-known selections here too, such as edited versions of "I'm Gonna Take You Home," "Contraction," "Kahoutek," and of course, "Penetration," that are skillfully placed near the end of the set to create momentum. While there are certainly more focused introductions to the many aspects of the Source Family's music that have appeared over the years, this soundtrack presents the widest array of it on a single disc. 

Source Family