Daisy Mae

Released in 1978, Don't Ask My Neighbors was the second and last album that George Duke produced for Raul De Souza. For the most part, Duke serves the Brazilian trombonist well, but this vinyl LP isn't without its flaws. Duke sometimes overproduces, and a few of the tracks are weak – especially De Souza's disappointing versions of major R&B hits of the late '70s. Instead of really interpreting the Emotions' "Don't Ask My Neighbors," De Souza provides a pointless note-for-note cover and turns the song into elevator muzak. He doesn't fare much better on Michael Henderson's "At the Concert," which is marred by robotic female background vocalists who insist on singing the chorus instead of getting out of the way and allowing De Souza's trombone to be dominant.

This deluxe reissue boasts the superlative, punchy mono mix, heretofore unavailable on CD, along with ten bonus tracks - seven of which are previously unissued - thereby doubling the length of the original album. The 36-page booklet examines the Seeds’ early career in unprecedented detail, based on fresh research and interviews with the surviving participants. Keyboard player Daryl Hooper - the true architect of the Seeds sound - opened his files to share a swathe of incredible, rarely seen illustrations.
Of the great garage punk bands of the 1960s, some were louder (the Sonics), some were angrier (the Music Machine), and some were trippier (the 13th Floor Elevators), but few seemed like a bad influence on so many levels as the Seeds…