December 17, 1998
Rootsier than The Beatles and tougher than the Stones, Them were a phenomenal band who took the explosive conflict and hot passions of their Belfast home and wed it to the soulful stomp of American R&B. While The Stooges mark the real birth of punk rock, the conception may have been here in 1964 - this electrified, amped-up distortion of Chicago blues crackles with energy and raw power.
"Gloria" is the seminal three-chord stomper, but the wild recklessness of "Baby Please Don't Go" and the frenetic "Mystic Eyes" shred anything else recorded at the time. It's hard to believe this howling shaman is the same Van Morrison who would record Moondance - Morrison was at the first of many creative peaks, writing stone killers like "Philosophy" and "Bring' em On In" and investing covers of obscure R&B like "I'm Gonna Dress in Black" with fierce foreboding.
Besides Van's evocative slur-singing, what made Them formidable was their strength in slow numbers too. Their version of Dylan's "It's All Over Now Baby Blue" features a heartbreakingly beautiful ringing organ that Beck was moved to sample in for his "Jackass", and their down tempo blues are tense and muscular. The sound on this anthology is crisp and loud, making the organ runs throb and the fuzz bass lines crackle. Including all but one of the singles the band recorded, this is Them's definitive compilation. If you love high octane R&B, this stunning 2-disc set will kick your ass, and if you don't, you will by the time Van is through with you.
- Jared O'Connor
explosive R&B