FDF Volume 1: Issue 50 Hindu Love Gods - Hindu Love Gods

Album - Hindu Love Gods
Artist - Hindu Love Gods
Key Players - Warren Zevon - vocals and piano, Bill Berry - drums, Mike Mills - bass, Peter Buck - guitar.
Produced By - Andrew Slater and Niko Bolas


Release Date - October 5, 1990


What caused me to blow off the dust? - When I worked in a record store in college I recall getting this cd in. We read about it and opened it right away to give it a spin. What we heard was just a whole lot of fun (my boss was a big Zevon guy and I loved R.E.M) so it was a match. I never grabbed the cd at the time since we spun it ad-nausea. A few years later I went hunting for it and came up empty for a bit. It landed in cutout bins across the US. One day it was found and spun again ad nausea. The recent visit was caused in part by R.E.M's induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of fame and the Superbowl Halftime show by Prince (you'll understand if you keep reading).

Overview - A late night jam session that was never really intended for the public to hear was recorded (supposedly in a drunken session) in 1987. Warren was recently sober so his involvement in the debauchery may or may not be true.

FDF Comments (aka the songs) The entire record is cover songs. After each track in brackets will be who the song is credited to. I'll do my best to not use "12 bar blues" either when talking about the tracks. The album opens with "Walking Blues" (Robert Johnson). You are taken right away in your mind to a small and smokey nightclub. Domestic bottles of beer clutter your table. Buck does a fine, crisp solo on guitar at the mid point. "Traveling Riverside Blues" (Johnson) follows. A soggy bottom riff with simple 4x4 drum temp gives Zevon a moment to shine. The most interesting moment occurs next. The band tackles "Raspberry Beret" (Prince). What a smoking, fun and great take on this tune. The band really takes this and makes it its own. Ever thought this could be a foot stompin barn burner of a tune then look no further. "Crosscut Saw" (Fred Ingrahm, Bill Sanders) flows back to the blues style of the first 2 tracks. "Junko Partner" (Bob Shad) follows and is one of the shorter tracks. The lyrics are sung at a quick pace and the drums are up on the tom toms giving it a smidge more of a rock-a-billy feel. "Mannish Boy" (Bo Diddley, Melvin London, Muddy Waters) is the longest track on the disc and here we get down, down, way down and bluesy. This is a track that has been covered so many times its hard to pick a version that does a real bang up job. This is pretty true to form and the band really finds its groove on this track. "Wang Dang Doodle" (Willie Dixon) intros with some deep harmonica and the band follows suit on the 12 bar blues format (hey first time!). "Battleship Chains" (Terry Anderson) some may recall that the band Georgia Satellites did a cover of this as well. Even though its a Hindu Love Gods version you can also hear the Raspberry Beret feel from earlier in the record. "I'm a One Woman Man" (Tillman Franks, Johnny Horton) again using a harmonica intro and acoustic guitars this is a song you'd imagine being sung on a front porch in wooden rocking chairs. The album closes off with "Vigilante Man" (Woody Guthrie).


Where are they now? - R.E.M. is still making music. As noted earlier they were inducted in to the Rock and Roll Hall of fame in 2007. Bill Berry who had left the group was there for the ceremony and played with the band. Warren Zevon passed away on September 7, 2003 after battling cancer.

FDF Personal Comments (aka the Live experience) - I have been unable to confirm or deny if the band even performed outside the studio. Barring a late night jam session in a local bar the band never did a proper tour.

FDF Overall Take - If you can find the cd you will be rewarded. Its been out of print, or a cut out bin special for a few years now. Although its a little uneven musically at times its a fun listen. That being sad a late night jam session, or sessions that maybe were never meant to be released could be that reason.

Curious? Check out some MUSIC!

****mp3's have been removed****
Battleship Chains

Raspberry Beret *trust me..at least listen once*

>Wang Dang Doodle

Disclaimer - For the most part songs listed you can find on iTunes or your local cd shop. The idea is to give you a little taste of the music. Please support the artist buy purchasing some of their work. Songs are posted for about 1 week but can and will be removed at the request of the artist, band, band management etc. If you are one of those persons contact me via the email link in the profile and they will be removed as soon as we are made aware of the request.