Nino Nardini an Roger Roger "Jungle Obsession" (1971)

Special thanks to Flashstrap Blog for making this album available.

          I have been getting into Exotica over the past few years, and as a result, have become more excited about music than I have since my good friend Vic turned me onto The Beach Boys back in 2001. Every Exotica record I own is either from the 50’s or 60’s though. So, imagine my surprise when I found out that the genre was still being practiced in the 70’s, and that stellar artists were actually pushing the boundaries of Exotica forward. “Jungle Obsession” by Nino Nardini and Roger Roger (great name by the way) is one of those records. Picture everything you love about Exotica (animal sounds, floating strings, mounds of percussion, and marimbas) and mix it with funky drums, moogs, and guitars rife with wah wah, tremolo, delay, and reverb effects. There is a lot of really good stuff going on here.
          My wife digs this record a lot too. Part of being an explorer of music is figuring out what can be played in the house when others, such as your wife and kids, are around, and what is relegated to headphone land. My wife has always been very open minded when it comes to new music, and will give everything a fair chance, no matter how weird. As a result, “Jungle Obsession” has been rolling through our house during breakfast, lunch, and dinner for days now. My son has been getting some good head bobs in as this one plays as well.
          The song “Jungle Obsession” starts off with bongos, and a bass line played by a moog. I love this updated sound. “Murmuring Leaves” follows and really kicks in with that mellow exotic vibe. The synthesizer they use to play the solo reminds me of the lofty flutes solos from more classic Exotica. Some high pitched whistles, that are almost Theremin like, are very interesting as well.
          There is a bit of a “Jungle Book” theme with some of the track names. “Mowgli” has a wonderfully compressed wah-wah guitar sound. The tone sounds like some of the garage rock clean guitar sounds I have heard on some compilations. The volume is loud, but it is played very softly. It’s right on the verge of breaking up. The strings that start in “Bagheera” are replaced with some string ensemble synthesizer in the second verse. What a great idea! Like I said, this is updated Exotica. All these late 60’s sounds were just begging to be put on an Exotica record. These ideas were just there for the taking, and Nino and Roger took ‘em. “Shere Khan” is as creepy as the name implies and it’s hard to listen to without feeling like someone, or something, is staring at you.
          I really can’t say enough good things about this record, however there are two comments about the percussion from my sister and wife that were very interesting to me. First, I burned a copy of this for my sister (who has great musical taste) and she really liked it. She did say that the rubbing sound (the one that sounds like two pieces of paper being rubbed against each other) in “Creeping Danger” was horrible, and made her teeth hurt. Interesting, I really liked it. She does have a weird quirk where she can’t stand to hear the sound of cotton being pulled apart, so I think it’s part of that whole thing. Yeah I know. It’s strange. Everybody has their sounds they can’t stand, and one of hers just happened to be on “Jungle Obsession.” Secondly, my wife said that the clacking percussion of “Murmuring Leaves” sounded like she was “walking through a Hawaiian gift shop.” I couldn’t possibly come up with a more interesting way to describe it. It’s quite accurate.

Tones:  The bass on this record is very cool.  It has a delightful thump on the front end, and a thick sustain.  “Bali Girl” is a great example of this.  I love how the sound fills up the whole stereo spectrum, but isn’t overwhelming.  This is a credit to the phenomenal mixing on this record.  Speaking of “Bali Girl,” I love that clanky guitar sound.  It’s almost got a little pop to it.  Very tasty.  The rest of the album also has wonderful string sounds that are voluptuously thick and humid.

Cover Note:  There are two!  I really like the one with the bananas on it though.  That green color is so lush.  Here is the other one:

Price Paid:  Not a thing.  I found this record over at Flashstrap Blog for download. If you have not checked out this guy’s site, you are in for a treat.  His writing is great and the stuff he puts up will blow your mind.  I am so grateful he put this record up.  It’s very special.  Finish reading this, and go check his site out. 

Bottom Line:  I have never seen a vinyl copy of this.  If you see it, and you have the means, I say just buy it.  If you paid $30.00 or $40.00 for a nice copy, it would be very reasonable.  The words “Lost Classic” get thrown around a lot, but this really is one.  It’s a must hear.