The Radiators "Earth vs. The Radiators: The First 25’’ Image Entertainment ****1/2 (4 and a half stars)
Once in a while, records come along that help capture a vital snapshot of American music — Marvin Gaye’s 1971 "What’s Going On,’’ Elvis Presley’s 1976 "The Sun Sessions’’ and Nirvana’s 1991 "Nevermind,’’ to name a few. Well, add The Radiators’ "Earth Vs. The Radiators: The First 25’’ to that mix. This 2-disc recording captures Zeke Fish Head — a.k.a. keyboardist Ed Volker — in the band’s best funky Fish Head glory.
Often, live CDs descend into exercises in ego. But "Earth Vs. The Radiators,’’ recorded earlier this year at New Orleans’ legendary Tipitina’s, is not one of them. The Rads dive into their own chunky songbook with a host of special guests, including the horns from Bonerama, the Crescent City group that smoked Greensboro a few summers ago.
The result: a 19-cut CD full of tasteful jams, Sunday morning baritone and Volker’s excursion into channeling barrelhouse piano king Professor Longhair. Yes, this CD is sweet. It’ll be a delight for anyone interested in how New Orleans, the birthplace of jazz, helped play midwife in helping birth the country’s popular music scene. The Radiators are definitely the doctors, just 25-year specialists in funk, shake and groove who will bring out their instruments Saturday night at Ziggy’s.
