George Coleman, Bongoe Joe (side A)

It's not clear to me how Bongo Joe got released, on a fairly serious folk/blues label, in the first place in 1969. George Coleman bangs on empty oil drums and other metal, whistles, and sings. The lyrics are funny and self-effacing, and the songs do have some sort of structure. There's not a lot of melody or propulsion, and the sound borders on field-recording. What does make sense is that it got reissued in 2008—primitivisim is fashionable now, and it could even appeal to those seeking irony. Comparisons to Tom Waits and Moondog are not far off, and the cover photo of Coleman is great.