Primal Scream
Give Out but Don't Give Up

This is not a simple band to describe.

This is not slapdash music.

This is GENIUS.

Genius that is musically embodied in one of the most diverse bands of the last 20 years.

Bobby Gillespie undoubtedly deserves credit as one of the most interesting musicians of recent years. A former collaborator of the Jesus and Mary Chain (with whom he collaborated on guitars for the first work), at the end of the '80s, he decided to form the group I'm reviewing now, Primal Scream.

We know them primarily for the first masterpiece "Screamadelica," one of the most influential albums of the '90s in every way, after two good records that I'm not well-acquainted with, like "Sonic Flower Groove" and a self-titled one.

When 1994 arrived, "Give Out But Don't Give Up" was released, already different from "Screamadelica," as it features a style between funky and Stones-esque rock'n'roll. This is one of the reasons why some criticisms like "this is the misstep of Gillespie and company" started to rain down. I distrust these criticisms and move on.

The door opens with "Jailbird" and "Rocks", the two most well-known songs at the time, where Bobby plays the Mick Jagger role so well that at a certain point, it feels like listening to a Stones record. But they also have an acoustic heart that doesn't stand still, and the next track, "(I'm Gonna) Cry Myself Blind", is proof of that. Sensational.

Notable is the cameo of George Clinton, one of the pioneers of funk, and Denise Johnson in "Funky Jam", which in my opinion is a bomb, a track suitable for being part of a summer blowout soundtrack. It is followed by the ballad, also acoustic, "Big Jet Plane", which demonstrates how this "heart" is relentless.

"Free" is perhaps the most intimate track of all, a seductive saxophone introduces the wonderful voice of Denise Johnson, and it's hard not to be captivated by it. "Call On Me" is closer to blues-rock than simple rock'n'roll.

The unaware of electronic Primal won't be disappointed when listening to the long "Struttin'", where the acid, dub, heavy sounds present in "Screamadelica" already emerge and will characterize the band's style again later on.

But I bet that for those unaware "Sad And Blue" will be another punch to the gut. An unprecedented gospel choir in a song also very much in the Jagger style, which performs its task admirably.

The title track is an authentic journey between funky and reggae, also featuring the vocal duet between Johnson and George Clinton. It's a kind of head-to-head moment with the overlap between the bass and the trumpet, perhaps one of the highest points of the album.

Closing the whole thing are two excellent ballads, "I'll Be There For You" and "Everybody Needs Somebody" (not a cover of the namesake song from "The Blues Brothers", eh!), taking a complete distance from '70s style rock.

Twelve years later, these inspirations would return in "Riot City Blues," according to Gillespie, but unfortunately, the impact, in my opinion, is not the same, as seen in "Country Girl," a song that is generally nothing special.

Trust me, it won't be "Evil Heat," it won't be "Vanishing Point," it won't be "XTRMNTR," it won't be any of those masterpieces that we justifiably adore, yet this record is truly beautiful. Listen to believe.