Bunalim

We've all heard time and again how the magic of '60s music suddenly caused American kids to grow their hair down to the backs of their knees. Kids 'round the globe, however, don't always get their due in this scenario. Way off in Turkey, the underground rock scene was inspired by both the thick guitar fuzz of Cream and Hendrix and the interweaving melodies of Middle Eastern folk. The heady mix was dubbed "Anatolian rock," and in 1969 its rawest purveyor was the short-lived group Bunalim (Turkish for "depression").

While members went on to jam with more stadium-friendly acts like Erkin Koray and Baris Manco (names as big as Clapton and Santana to the Turks), these dirty nude guys were just as hairy and stacked their amplifiers just as high as any heavy rock band you could name. Drink up the John Bonham drum fills, sick Sabbath guitar, and brooding Iron Butterfly organ on this collection of long-lost singles. Just one listen to the monstrous bass of "Basak Saclim" or the proto-metal of "Tas Var Kopek Yok," and you'll never think about Istanbul the same way again.