Saigon Supersound, 1965-75 Volume 1

Five years after Sublime Frequencies' release Saigon Rock and Soul – Vietnamese Classic Tracks 1968-1974 (reviewed in #85), here is another compilation of vintage rock'n'roll from South Vietnam during the war. Singers like Carol Kim feature on both albums, but this new release reveals the rich tapestry of styles that influenced the South Vietnamese pop music scene before the Vietnam War ended in 1975, including Latin rhythms and dances like rumba and bolero. The poignant song about wartime love and loss, ‘Dem Cuoi Cung’, for instance, is driven along by a percussion groove, intermingled with Latin-style piano flourishes, jazzy muted trumpet solos and bluesy guitar rifts.
One of the most intriguing tracks, ‘7 Cau Vong Co Chuc Tet’, blends contrasting genres: it starts with traditional singing from cai luong theatre and shifts halfway through to a laidback chachachá rhythm. Another noteworthy track is Khanh Ly's famous recording of ‘Diem Xua’, a sentimental love ballad by the legendary songwriter Trinh Cong Son. This beautifully produced album, complete with translations of song lyrics, should bring further attention to a largely forgotten era of Vietnamese pop music.