Give Out But Don't Give Up: The Original Memphis Recordings [140 Gram Vinyl] in Bloomington, MN

Set aside all romantic notions about unfinished and unreleased albums: most scrapped albums are shelved because they're not very good. Certainly, that's the case with the
Original Memphis Recordings
of
Give Out But Don't Give Up
, the 1994 album that found
Primal Scream
reckoning with the American South without considering what may lie beneath the surface. Certainly, the cover of the original album -- which showcased a lit-up stars-and-bars -- illustrated that
didn't care much for the intricacies of American politics, but what's really shocking about the original sessions showcased on this 2018 release is how they don't seem all that interested in American music, either. At best, the group work up a head of steam that recalls older British bands reckoning with American music -- "Rocks" is a
Faces
pastiche so good
Rod Stewart
would later bestow it with a cover -- and whenever the band try to relax into a groove, they wind up sounding messy. This is especially true of the second disc, which finds the group stumbling through their originals and covers with an equal sense of blindness. At first, the looseness is alluring, suggesting the listener is eavesdropping on the sessions, but soon the entire proceedings grow frustrating because it's clear that
have no idea what they're doing. Listening to this set, it's little wonder
Alan McGee
decided to throw money at
George Drakoulias
to get this to sound a little bit like
the Black Crowes
: it was the only way to salvage the money, time, and effort
Creation
and
spent on this misguided folly. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine