Moondog, much like Sun Ra, was a notorious musical eccentric whose reputation almost certainly reached more ears than his music (the use of a Mr. Scruff remix in a commercial doesn't count). Also like Sun Ra, Moondog was a serious and idiosyncratic composer/musician who jumped from label to label and even resorted to self-releasing material back before there the D.I.Y. ethic was a movement. Viking of Sixth Avenue is the first compilation that spans more than one label, and therefore serves as probably the best introduction to Moondog's music that's out there. The music covers a lot of territory: from full orchestras to solo performances and from brief rhythmic percussion exercises to vocal rounds to swinging horns or dulcimers.