Shaker shocker
The release of a 'new' album - Kollected - from the now disbanded Kula Shaker leaves me wondering. Is former lead singer Crispian Mills not making a profit with his new band Jeevas? Or is it that record label Columbia/Sony is stuck for cash?
Songs on Kollected are from the band's three-year lifespan which ended in 1999. When the British band released their debut album K in 1996, their neo-psychedelic sound, blending 1960s rock 'n' roll with Indian spirituality, instantly rocked the post-Britpop scene. Their hits Tattva, Govinda and Grateful When You're Dead attracted a huge following not just in their home country but in Japan and Hong Kong as well, because of the Asian elements in the music.
In their second effort, Peasants, Pigs and Animals, the band followed the same path with Sound Of Drums and Shower Your Love. But Kula Shaker's sound was not long-lasting. Even an unreleased track, Ballad Of A Thin Man, fails to inspire.