Neighborhood Rhythms (Patter Traffic)

Freeway Records – 1984

This is the followup record to English As  A Second Language, released in 1984 and again featuring a huge amount of short tracks by L.A. artists, poets, punks and various lowbrow Hollywood fixtures.

There’s lots of Henry Rollins and Chuck Dukowski, something from the late, great Jeffrey Lee Pierce and loads of L.A. poets.

I dare say, at over one hundred tracks there’s probably something here for everyone, or something to offend everyone. Like the first compilation, much of this is unsafe for daytime radio or for the kiddies, unless they’re like my kids. All kinds of love, sex, death and dying and general testimonials of the human condition are contained herein.

After this compilation, Freeway released a Wanda Coleman/Exene Cervenka split LP, rereleased Charles Bukowski’s Hostage LP, released an album by poet Michael C. Ford and then quietly folded.

Both these compilations have been hopelessly out-of-print since the initial release and given the massive roster, it’s unlikely anyone will ever untangle the rights for all the artists involved.

You can sample individual tracks over at UbuWeb, who curate it there and download the whole thing here:

Neighborhood Rhythms (Patter Trafic).zip (176 megs., 192k)