The Space Cossacks "Never Mind the Bolsheviks" The Best of the Space Cossacks 2005

Bought this to have a representative collection of one of the finest modern-era instrumental surf bands to ever play. Am already a big fan of The Madeira, the band that lead-guitarist Ivan Pongracic founded after this one. The original material is soulful, melodic, explosive, and executed with a level of musicianship worthy of any super-group. The outstanding audio mastering makes this very good to pop in the car's CD player as well. I knew that Ivan is a big fan of the Australian super-group The Atlantics, so also ordered their cover of 'The Crusher' to go with this album - seemed appropriate since they covered 'Bombora' so well. But the original material, bulk of the album, is simply a gold mine. - By wes
Since this Washington, D.C.-based surf collective only released two albums in its relatively brief existence (from 1996-2000), a best-of collection would seem to be unnecessary. But both of those discs were out of print, at least on CD, as of this compilation's appearance in 2005, so Never Mind the Bolsheviks is now the Space Cossacks' only legacy. And it serves them well. The 24 tracks squeezed into 70 minutes cherry-pick the best from their minimal catalog and add a pair of live tunes as well as some rare singles and unreleased nuggets for the collectors. While there was nothing particularly unique about the Cossacks' retro Dick Dale/Ventures approach, the instrumental quartet is a better than average contemporary surf combo with a deep understanding of its genre. But, thankfully, that didn't prevent the band from writing originals that can proudly stand next to the few classics they cover. The '50s sci-fi space themes are highlighted by song titles such as "Solaris Stomp" and "Transylvanian Orbit," as the reverb and vibrato are cranked up to 11. It's all good, trashy fun and, based on these caffeinated tunes, it seems that lead guitarist Ivan Pongracic is one of the great lost instrumental guitarists of the '90s. His lines are propulsive and jittery, with just enough flamenco, Middle Eastern, and punk influences to bring intriguing twists to a genre not known for them. Liner notes from label owner Art Bourasseau and other fans provide relevant history, but the lack of detailed track information explaining which album and/or year each song was recorded is surprising. Regardless, the album brims with raucous, rocking music and is a fitting final testament to a band that sadly surfed too far under the radar. - AllMusic Review by Hal Horowitz
trax:
01 The Space Victory Theme 03 Solaris Stomp 04 Bombora 05 Transylvanian Orbit 06 Metsakukkia 07 The Defector 08 The Jewel of Duende 09 Tsunami Tsurprise 10 Space Probe 11 Exolumina 12 The Apes of Wrath 13 Black Sand 14 Penetration 15 Transatlantic Orbit 16 Cossack Rocket Patrol 17 Escape from Gulag 17 18 Planet of the Apes 19 Mir Rescue 20 Gunmetal Express 21 Hava Nagila 22 Tsar Wars 23 Moroccan Adventures [Live] 24 Red Sunrise [Live]