It's not too often that I review compilations, but I figured I'd make an exception for a rag tag group that few have heard of. Over the last half-decade King Khan and his top notch 12-piece band The Shrines have been cranking out 60's influenced grooves for little to no fanfare, yet they still parade around like they're the greatest band in the world. And deservedly so, when you listen to The Supreme Genius of King Khan & The Shrines (which is kind of a greatest hits for them, even though they've never had a hit) you won't believe that this band has gone unrecognized for this long.

Khan has the look of a demented Little Richard and twice the energy. His voice jumps off the speakers and so does that infectious 60's Garage-Rock sound. Album opener "Torture" has a similar backbeat to that of The Beatles' "Drive My Car" and when you listen to the smokin' "Land of the Freak" you can't help but think of Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels' "Devil With A Blue Dress On." "I Wanna Be A Girl" almost seems to be a loving wink to The Stooges' "I Wanna Be Your Dog" and the organ driven "Shivers Down My Spine" might be found at the intersection of House of the Rising Sun and 96 Tears - it runs quite a gamut. And even James Brown gets an homage here with the horn soaked stomp "Tell Me" with The Shrines trying to keep up with their best impression of Brown's back-up band The JB's. This album is pure unadulterated fun with a capitol F and if you can't appreciate what this album brings to the party then frankly I feel downright sorry for you.