Creative collisions can be a wonderful thing: 1920s Paris, 1950s American music, and most relevant – the late 1980s collision of independent rock with dance music and huge parties in the UK. While Manchester seemed to be the original nexus (see Stone Roses and Happy Mondays et al), it was a bunch of paisley and leather wearing Scots that found the pot of gold. Concisely stated, Screamadelica is a joyous merger of country rock, Stones riffs, trippy beats, gospel choruses, and a healthy dose of dub reggae.

The personnel on Screamadelica undoubtedly had a tremendous impact on the final product as producers Andrew Weatherall and Hugo Nicolson started their involvement by remixing previous Scream tracks that ended up on the final LP. Add to that a track produced by The Orb and two by Rolling Stones producer Jimmy Miller (aka “Mr. Jimmy”) and the result is a masterpiece.

While Manchester seemed to be the original nexus, it was a bunch of paisley and leather wearing Scots that found the pot of gold.

Kicked off by the infectious Jimmy Miller-produced “Movin’ On Up,” the opening track brings Exile-era Stones to mind with its jubilant acoustic guitar along with equal portions of piano, tambourine, handclaps, and slide guitar that would make Mick Taylor proud. The song is also the first time the listener hears the glorious gospel vocals of Denise Johnson who appears on several tracks and toured with the band following Screamdelica’s release in 1991. The other Jimmy Miller track “Damaged” could very well be the sui generis of Noel Gallagher’s songwriting or at least his style of guitar solos. Spare and haunting, the song could be mistaken for a Rolling Stones cover or at least an acoustic alternate take of “Wild Horses” or “Let It Loose.”