I really have a soft spot for this album. It surely isn't the harsh groundbreaking noise of yore, nor the hardcore-tinged tight precision (or near-precision) of the early 90s.

"A Thousand Leaves" rather deals in a form of sonic beat poetry (no surprise a song is dedicated to Allen Ginsberg), long soundscapes and freely evolving structures, that might be called "jazz" if not played on electric guitars.

As lyrics go, roles were by 1998 clearly defined, Kim bringing in the feminism and the politics, Lee the darker streak of experiments, while Thurston lights up the best songs (IMHO) with his words of ever-lasting teenage vitality.

This is no noise-pop-by-numbers though, just a well-crafted body of work by a band confident in their individual and mutual qualities.

Hope I'll feel this way when I'm forty!

So danceable and yet emotional, intensely personal but capable of transmitting its energy to any open-minded listener. Arthur Russell's genius lies in his ability to bridge any gap (just listen to "Is It All Over My face" and you'll see all barriers between white, experimental music and black, party music collapse).

As usual, this Soul Jazz compilation can boast extensive and useful liner notes, cover artwork of the original 12" or LP releases, and a good choice that spans the various sides of Russell's creativity.