Hailing from Munich, Germany, The Poets of Rhythm were arguably the world's first retro-soul group, paving the way for later acts like Sharon Jones and Amy Winehouse. Hugely influenced by James Brown and mid- to late-'60s soul-funk in general, they started releasing records in 1992, debuting with "Funky Train" b/w "Hotpie's Popcorn Pt. 1." They also adapted a vast collection of old-school-sounding aliases (including Dynamic Soundmakers, The Soul-Sliders, and Bus People Express) in hopes of tricking listeners into thinking they were a hyper-obscure group from back in the day. This exceptional collection features 18 key jams from throughout their career. It includes JB-style party-starters ("Augusta, Ga"), seasonal tidings ("Santa's Got a Bag of Soul"), a Doors redux ("Wallow in the Myrrh"), and tripped-out, Can-esque joints like "Smilin' (While You're Crying)" and "Discern/Define." With about half instrumentals and half vocal numbers, this is consistently fantastic music from a group that deserves more recognition.