Danny Blaqk & The Galaxy – Greatest Hits Vol. 1

“Words are cheap and from what I’ve seen he who speaks the most, says the least, acts the fool, don’t know what he don’t know…”
– Danny Blaqk

I have, in the past, made it a point to keep clear of composition or greatest hits records by means of reviews because they are simply a culmination of previous bodies of work and/or a shameless plug at grabbing more money from those who find glory in whatever Clear Channel plays on the radio.

Well I’m making an exception. See, if it weren’t for the great insect infestation of 2014 that led to the great record fire of 2015 at Wormhole Studios, we would have all the Danny Blaqk records one could desire. But alas, recorded greats such as Danny Downtown (2012), Danny Blaqk Sings for Someone You Love (2013), and The Blaqk Night (2015) returned to the ashes from which they came.

But like the glorious rising phoenix that is Danny Blaqk, Greatest Hits Vol. 1 offers us, and those who have not experienced his magnificence, another glimpse into the mind of one of the most badass, electrifying musicians Boise, Idaho has to offer.

Laying out six of his, arguably, greatest hits, Vol. 1 brings us “The Serpent Tooth Man,” “The Alchemist,” “Thang,” “Violet,” “White Hot Rocket Fuel,” and “Cult Leader.” Considering this compilation, I can ignore the obvious omission of “Quattro Formaggi.”

Danny Blaqk embodies rock and roll, in the truest modern sense of the genre, with hooks so damn deep they should come with a warning label. Averaging just shy of the Single-Holy-Grail 3-minute mark, impassioned vocals ride the rails on a wall of sound, unrelenting, through each explosive track. I can’t tell if this is a gateway drug into all things Blaqk or if this is a public service announcement for Rock.

Greatest Hits Vol. 1 is not a collection of songs. No, don’t believe what life has taught you. This release is evidence that sexy is not reserved to looks. It lives in the lick-laden swaggers and throbbing beats that slick their hair back with grooving bass lines and gyrating keys only to stare into the abyss with dominating vocals. What’s more, it can all be done without the over inflated posturing that is modern studios. Recorded, mixed, and mastered at the current Wormhole Studios, DB&G is a totem to transcendence in the indie rock music world, in the purest form.

Sadly, these six tracks are all that remain from a legendary catalog. But fear not music friend, for this is hopefully a new chapter in the Danny Blaqk legacy; a chapter as bright and vast as the galaxy itself. Stunningly precise, formidably present, and unabashedly addicting, Greatest Hits Vol. 1 defies expectations before it even mentions worshiping a cat.