Rodriguez - Searching For Sugar Man: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2012)

Like many people, I came to the music of Rodriguez via the 2012 Academy Award–winning documentary film Searching for Sugar Man. I won't go into the whole thing in this space, but you should watch it if you haven't already. It's an amazing, bittersweet success story of suffering artist. As for the music, it is simply fantastic folk-pop protest music from the early '70s. It is of its time and it's a shame it wasn't more popular here in the U.S. upon release. I should spin this thing more often than I do.

"The recordings, off two albums and a few track sessions, prove Rodriguez to be a gifted songwriter with a penchant for lyrical flourishes influenced by Bob Dylan, and echoing Van Morrison’s jazz-rock-soul masterpiece, 'Astral Weeks.' At times, it recalls another great Latin soul singer-songwriter of the period, Jose Feliciano." - L.A. Times

No liner notes to speak of, but lyrics are included.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #76

Tracks: Don't skip any. I'll be honest - the songs are even better after you've seen the documentary.

1. Sugar Man
2. Crucify Your Mind
3. Cause
4. I Wonder 
5. Like Janis
6. This Is Not a Song, It's an Outburst: Or, the Establishment Blues
7. Can't Get Away
8. I Think of You
9. Inner City Blues
10. Sandrevan Lullaby – Lifestyles
11. Street Boy
12. A Most Disgusting Song
13. I'll Slip Away
14. Jane S. Piddy

Tracks 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 9 and 14 are taken from the album Cold Fact (1970)
Tracks 3, 8, 10 and 12 are from the album Coming from Reality (1971)
Tracks 7, 11 and 13 were recorded for Rodriguez' unfinished third album and were later included as bonus tracks on the Coming from Reality 2009 US re-issue

Record World, April 11, 1970, p. 18

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: Watching the doc quickly followed by purchase of the CD. I've always wanted to re-watch the film at some point and now I'm thinking that today might be that point.