LPCDreissues: Looking forward to the past

The new millennium has seen a slew of raw rock duos -- The White Stripes, The Kills, The Black Keys, and The Raveonettes being some of the better-known examples. Fifteen years prior, the two-piece configuration belonged to singer-guitarist Bryan Harvey and drummer Johnny Hott, together House Of Freaks. Originally from Richmond, Virginia, Harvey and Hott put down roots in L.A., settling on the periphery of the roots scene inhabited by bands like The Blasters, The Gun Club, and Long Ryders. Their music was a melodic, Southern-tinged blend of blues and postpunk -- and it sounded much larger than the work of just two guys. Monkey On A Chain Gang, House Of Freaks' 1987 debut, is the definitive representation of their ripping stage aesthetic. "Yellow Dog" is a fiery blast of blues. "My Backyard" and "40 Years" offer melancholy pop, while "You Can Never Go Home" reveals the Freaks' flair for yearning ballads. This Rhino Handmade release presents Monkey in its remastered entirety, along with several contemporaneous recordings. We've added alternate takes of three album tracks, a pair of unreleased gems ("While You Sleep" and "Barn Burning"), a heart-rending cover of the blues standard "Corinna, Corinna," and the rousing "I'll Treat You Right Someday." Also included are eight live performances recorded at beloved Hollywood dive Raji's. Monkey On A Chain Gang is available as an individually numbered limited edition of 2,500 copies.
TRACK LISTING CRACK IN THE SIDEWALK (3:21) 40 YEARS (3:29) CACTUSLAND (3:14) LONESOME GRAVEYARD (2:34) BLACK CAT BONE (2:55) BOTTOM OF THE OCEAN (2:53) MONKEY'S PAW (1:27) YELLOW DOG (3:16) LONG BLACK TRAIN (3:23) MY BACKYARD (3:05) GIVE ME A SIGN (2:31) DARK AND LIGHT IN NEW MEXICO (3:27) YOU CAN NEVER GO HOME (4:14) I'LL TREAT YOU RIGHT SOMEDAY (2:43) CORINNA, CORINNA (2:41) MONKEY'S PAW (Live) (2:08) YELLOW DOG (Live) (3:28) PASS ME THE GUN (Live) (3:08) CAN'T CHANGE THE WORLD ANYMORE (Live) (2:32) TEN MORE MINUTES TO LIVE (Live) (2:47) PARCHMENT FARM BLUES (Live) (3:17) BOTTOM OF THE OCEAN (Early Version) (2:52) CRACK IN THE SIDEWALK (Early Version) (3:26) GIVE ME A SIGN (2:36) WHILE YOU SLEEP (2:29) BARN BURNING (2:04)