Chocolate Soup For Diabetics

I have heard about this series of compilations over the years, but it is only in the past week that I have scored a "copy" of sorts. Chocolate Soup is a series of comps that explore British Psyche, similar to the Rubble series.

I am listening to a CDR of the tracks. Looking at an online database, I see that the CDR to which I am rumbling the HQ, is a comp of the Chocolate Soup comps.

One of the tracks that seems new to me, The Nutchez' Open Up Your Mind has a sort of fey, baroque sound , that has a pretty tasty fuzz riff, over a really booming electric bass line.

One In A Million sings about death, "He won't come back... he's dead now, " in the Fredereek Hernando track. Nice backward coda. Odd song with an odd ending. I have to say that as far as psych goes, I appreciate the spooky, creepy, grey skies, twisted, leafless oak tree sound as opposed to the sunny West Coast sound.

Tinturn Abbey in Vacuum Cleaner conjures some moaning tones from their guitar, some sort of electronic sustain that sounds like it is melting both the tubes of the amplifier driving the speaker cabinet as well as the tape stock running across the magnetic recording head. Perhaps it is just my pre amp tubes melting...

The Misunderstood, from Riverside CA, take up 4 tracks on this. While the tracks are great, I have them on other comps as well as on the Ugly Things CD and the other Cherry Red Before The Dream Faded release from the 90s. John Peel really dug them and played The 'Stood a bunch on his radio shows way back then. I Can Take You To The Sun, please do.

Dantalian's Chariot Madman Running Through a Field has a weird vocal, sort of whiny, with an odd slow break that features some backwards sound effects. Instead of a flute solo, a Hammond jam would have been better in my book. There is also a persistent high pitched tone from a Farfisa or something that is turning the dog's ears for pretty much the entire track. Bizarreness.

The Flies (also on Rubble) bust their jamming version of Steppin' Stone. Great power intro riff that leads into the killer bass line and pounding percussion. Are these dudes Brummies? Double tracked vocals add to the general tough sound. The guitar tone rules and just weaves its' way throughout the mix. "Didn't have no shoes- now you're walking around like you was front page news." Indeed.

In my book, Fresh Windows' Summer Sun Shines should jump through the closest one, and end it, please. But they redeem themselves somewhat with the very next track, Fashion Conscious.

Your boot will definitely tap the carpet to My Father's Name is Dad by The Fire. I have heard this one a bunch, but it has a great simple riff that is punctuated by a pulsing bass. Sappy pop lyrics only help this one.

This comp of comps would be an excellent intro to some of these British psych sounds, akin to an ongoing in the similar Rubble series. The sound on this CDR has a pretty decent range. The (minimal) vinyl surface noise only adds to the listening experience.