THE BLADES OF GRASS
Are Not For Smoking (Rev-Ola CD)
     New York City is not exactly known as a hotbed of '60s soft-pop, but when you consider the likes of The Left Banke, Every Mother’s Son, Canterbury Music Festival (reviewed later), and The Blades Of Grass all came from those environs, the Big Apple can certainly make a case for itself.  The Blades Of Grass (so named to perpetrate a 'hazy' allusion) were a foursome whose lone album, Are Not For Smoking… was one of the lost treasures of '60s pop, and it's reissued on this disc along with appended a's and b's.  Their sound falls neatly between the aforementioned Left Banke and the more angelic UK duo Twice As Much.  The album is made up of band originals, songs penned by outside writers specifically for the band, and well-chosen covers.  As with much New York soft pop, there’s a hint of melancholia in virtually all the songs, including the unlikely named ‘Happy’, (which reached #87 on Billboard and hit top 10 in several U.S. markets…but alas, not enough of them), 'Just Ah', 'Satin Slipper', and 'Or Is It The Rain', and 'Just Another Face' contains some of that angst-ridden tension that marked a lot of Left Banke tunes (appropriately enough, The Blades do a neat cover of  'Walk Away Renee').  The bonus tracks include nifty covers of The Hollies' 'Charlie And Fred' and the movie theme 'I Love You Alice B. Toklas', but the crown jewel of these (and the whole disc, actually) is 'Pageant', a work of regal elegance that will bring many a tear to your eyes.  Are Not For Smoking is truly one of the finer resurrections of the year.
David Bash

MARK BOLAN & T. REX
20th Century Superstar (Universal, 4-CD Boxset)
     Because of the legal wrangle over who actually owned the pre-1972 Bolan back catalogue, this is the first time a complete career retrospective has appeared of the bopping elf. No matter how familiar some of this material is, placed in a historical and chronological order, this is a compelling and worthy musical document. Much of this will be overly familiar to Bolan buffs of course, especially on discs three and four which contain the hit material (and of course Edsel have done sterling archaeological and reissue work in this period of Bolan's career). But there are still nuggets to be had. Disc One opens with Bolan's first known recordings from the Winter of 1964 /65, 'The Road I'm On (Gloria)' and 'Blowin' In The Wind', remarkable as much as anything else for their lack of the trademark Bolan warble. Disc two provides a 30-second snippet of Steve Perrigrin Took singing 'Do You Remember' and David Bowie's 'The Prettiest Star' with Bolan playing lead guitar. Historically, a moment of note is when producer, Tony Visconti asks Bolan immediately prior to recording "What's this one called Mark?" to which Bolan replies "'Ride A White Swan'" and a star was born. The first two discs are full of the prime cuts from all four Tyrannosaurus Rex albums and the first T.Rex LP. On a compilation so daunting, favourites are inevitably omitted (mine are 'Throat Of Winter' and 'Stacey Grove'). For those of my generation who grew up with T Rextasy, but have not subsequently delved that deeply into the back catalogue, Discs three and four are something of a revelation. Often decried as lazily generic after 1973 (and okay, riffs are recycled a-plenty, granted), much of the material from the T Rex albums presented here, to my ears anyway, sounds great! For instance, I'm up for 'Futuristic Dragon' now for sure! In general, if you like Bolan but are not a hardcore fan(atic), this box is a dream, it provides so much of worth; if you are a fanatic then no doubt you will have to have this for the odd previously unissued track and the packaging which is very nice (a book set with two discs clipped into the inside of both covers with a booklet of many previously unpublished pics and overseas issued pic sleeves of 45s). This is a beautiful and long overdue career retrospective of one of pop's true stars.
Paul Martin

THE CANTERBURY MUSIC FESTIVAL
Rain & Shine (Air Mail Recordings CD)
     There are rare records, and there are rare records. Rain & Shine by The Canterbury Music Festival is definitely in the latter category, as only 150 (count 'em) copies were pressed upon its released in 1968. In fact, this record was so rare that it never established a market value because hardly any collectors even knew it existed! This bit of trivia somewhat obscures the fact that Rain & Shine is one damn fine platter of '60s soft pop, and that collectors of the genre should thank their lucky stars that soft pop aficionados Steve Stanley and Air Mail Recordings head Hiroshi Kuse orchestrated its re-release.
     The Canterbury Music Festival was a foursome from New York who generated interest from The Tokens, who released Rain & Shine on their label, B.T. Puppy Records. Like most soft pop from New York there is a melancholic underpinning to the sunshine, as you'll hear on mournful sounding ballads like 'First Spring Rain', 'Why Does Everybody Run To Home', 'You're The Only Good For Me', and 'Poor Man'. Unlike most soft pop groups, however, these guys could rock when they wanted, as they do on 'Super Duper Trooper' and an unlikely instrumental take on 'The Son Of A Preacherman'. The crown jewel of the album is the snappy 'Angelina', which is the best song that the Epic-era Don & The Goodtimes never did.
     Thoughtful liner notes by Steve Stanley round out the package, and shout out loud the swaggering proclamation by Canterbury's singer/songwriter Roger Gemelle that "we would'a been famous…if only". Well, Gemelle will be partially vindicated when this reissue rightly becomes famous among collectors. (Contact Hiroshi Kuse at pure-pop@tb3.so-net.ne.jp)
David Bash

STUD COLE
Burn Baby Burn (Norton; CD)
     You can always trust Norton to deliver something weird, trashy and exotic, and the recordings of the pompadour wearing Cole ARE just that. The '50s rockabilly purists at work said this was shit and that Stud couldn't sing for shit, and that set me up nicely even before hearing it. What do they know about weird trashy shit I thought! And yes, this oddity works for me. The idea of a '50s styled teen pin-up transported to late '60s California backed by a Brit Invasion styled R&B band is absurd, and that's what it is. Let me use that oft used 'only in America' tag, as it's tailor made for Stud Cole. This is crazy shit, and what dimension it came from is beyond me. To say this sounds like "Elvis singing with '66 Yardbirds" may be somewhat of an exaggeration, but it's about as close as you'll get.
Jon 'Mojo' Mills

THE DILLARDS
Wheatstraw Suite/Copperfields (both Collector's Choice CD)
     By the time The Dillards cut Wheatstraw Suite for Electra in 1968 they'd established themselves as modern bluegrass heroes with three previous albums for the label and numerous guest appearances on records by the likes of The Byrds. In fact, founder Doug Dillard had recently left the group and hooked up with ex-Byrd Gene Clark with whom he would record two groundbreaking albums in 1968 and '69.
     Not to be out-done, the remaining Dillards opened themselves up to contemporary influences and shaped two priceless classics which were unfairly overshadowed by other, higher profile country rock excursions such as Sweetheart Of The Rodeo, The Gilded Palace Of Sin and the aforementioned Fantastic Expedition Of Dillard & Clark.
     The resulting mix of accessible, pop-orientated original compositions and choice cover versions (Jessie Kincaid's 'She Sang Hymns Out Of Tune', Tim Hardin's 'Reason To Believe' and The Beatles' 'I've Just Seen A Face') takes the Dillards' country/folk template and stunning four-part harmonies, sets them in an electric rock band format and adds tasteful string and woodwind arrangements to stupendous effect.
     The following year'' Copperfields continues in the same vein with, if anything, even greater success. The song writing, for example on the glorious title track, shows more depth and confidence and there are even hints of jazz and gentle Psychedelia on 'Brother John'. Again the covers are inspired (Harry Nillson's 'Rainmaker', Eric Anderson's 'Close The Door Lightly' and an a capella take on The Beatles' 'Yesterday') and the production is flawless.
     The bluegrass tag shouldn't worry the uninitiated; these albums are great American pop records to be loved by all.
Andy Morten

DON & THE GOODTIMES
The Original Northwest Sound of… (Sundazed; CD)
     First came The Wailers and then all hell went loose in the NW region. Although not as vicious as The Sonics, Don & The Goodtimes had a raw style and (then) sharp appearance that rowed the kids. Their early sides are typical of the NW sound, and if you like that, you'll like these. Or more like, garage heads, you'll know them already. Not all of it blows me away, but then my preference for garage isn't really the primo-riff driven NW sound. By '66 a more pop friendly edge crept into the band's repertoire; 'You Were Just A Child' has a subtle production, which brings to mind The Remains and Guess Who. Harmony vocals, subtly placed fuzz and even a Harpsichord were as important as the stompin' Dave Clarke drum beat, and to me it's the pop works the best for Don and the boys. By the time of the '67 Epic single 'I Could Be So Good To You' Don & The Goodtimes were pure pop; all the bite had gone. Nevertheless their reading of Nitzsche's tune is wonderful proving that they were as capable a pop act as they were stompers. However, here ended their career.
     The 25 chosen cuts map out the changing career path of the band, and for anyone wanting some Goodtimes in their collection this is the ideal purchase.
Jon 'Mojo' Mills

THE DRIVING STUPID
Horror Asparagus Stories (Sundazed; CD)
     How about just plain stupid?! Inept and comical, doesn't equal good garage/psych. Just because 'The Reality of (Air) Fried Borsk' and 'Horror Asparagus Stories' adorned the fab Pebbles #3 The Driving Stupid have interested collectors since. But they're not decent, not even an eighth decent. They're not Psych either; their music is the product of frat hall humour. They can't play, and they're not funny. And I for one hate this. Sorry Sundazed for the lack of constructive criticism, but I can't put it any other way.
Jon 'Mojo' Mills

THE EMBERMEN FIVE
Fire In Their Hearts (Break-A-Way Records; LP/CD)
     Originating in Minot, North Dakota as all instrumental unit The Demensions, The Embermen Five have been described as North Dakota's best sixties group by Tom Tourville in his book 'Rockin' The Northern Plains'. The vinyl edition of this set features both sides of all four of their 45s, three of which were released on Studio City, the in- house label of the Minneapolis based Kaybank Recording Studio. These are all originals, and there are also three live cover versions (the CD has five). There is perhaps an argument for this to have remained an eight-track ten-inch showcasing the 45s with the live tracks saved exclusively for the CD edition. On closer listening however, the live tracks demonstrate elements of the group's appeal not so apparent on the 45s (a searing lead break on land of '1000 Dances' and faultless harmonising on The Zombies 'You Make Me Feel So Good' for instance), so where's the victim? The 45 sides are good accomplished numbers which sound maybe a year behind the trends of the period ('66 -'68) in which they were recorded. Being the US of course, this only serves to show the relative isolation some sixties scenes existed in to each other in a country that large. Nonetheless, moody, mid-paced minor-chord garage sulks like 'Fire In My Heart' rub shoulders with a couple of delicious ballads ('Without Your Love'; 'My Love For You Won't Die'), a chugging horn led soul-pop beater ('Do You have To Be So Cruel', their last 45 from '68) and fuzzing beat, pop and garage numbers ('Someone To Hold', 'That's Why I Need You', 'Baby I'm Forgetting You'). Add to this the sumptuous LP sized four-page liners with lotsa pics and info and this makes for an all-round quality product that would enhance any garage collection.
Paul Martin

THE FLAMIN' GROOVIES
Slow Death (Norton, CD)
     Well, time to drag out that old "all killer and no filler" cliché. Early Groovies is always worth hearing, but if you find the endless recompiling of existing recordings tiresome, make an exception and buy this. Completists will have some of the stuff on the album already, but the main incentive is 'Shake Some Action' from a July '73 session at Capitol Studios in L.A. Cyril Jordan believes the band never topped this version, and he don't lie. A completely different arrangement with mandolin and vocal harmonies gives it an almost country rock feel, and it swings in a way that the 1972 Rockfield track never quite managed. The alternate cut of 'When I Heard Your Name' from the same session emphasises this impression - imagine if the predominant influence on the Groovies had been The Byrds instead of The Beatles and the Stones and you're just about there. The other tracks are more predictably in the Groovies mode, but just as kickin': demos of various faves ('Slow Death', 'Dog Meat', etc.) from 1971, 'Roll Over Beethoven' from a 1972 French TV show and the United Artists single version of 'Tallahassee Lassie'. Oh, and if that's not encouragement enough, you also get a whole host of Cyril Jordan's "celebrities I have known and taken drugs with" tales in the sleevenotes. Garbled but highly entertaining!
Jane Farrell

KIMLA TAZ
Kimla Taz
THE EXTREEM
From Out Of The Sky (Both Birdman Records, CD)
     Japanese specialist Birdman's two releases are a break from the norm; with their far thicker cases and fold-out liners and inserts these at first site appear do appear really interesting! And that they are. Well, kinda. Kimla Taz, the first obscure band to be tackled, were a Welsh band who formed in '67; members would go onto UFO amongst other major and minor tier bands of the '70s. The first two cuts on this CD, although taken from a scratchy Decca acetate, will be of great interest to the psych collector. 'Tomorrow' is a heavy slice of late-period freakbeat/rock, which makes use of a jaunty riff, Hammond organ and some slow raga sections. Not exceptional, but it's pretty darned good. Think later era Les Fleur De Lys and Small Faces, but without the songcraft. With me? The second cut 'See You In The Morning' is more along the lines of early Fairport Convention (Pre-Denny) and Humble Pie; pastoral, but still psychedelic, in as much as the time it was recorded. And in fact, it's pretty decent. However, the remainders of the tracks are below average live blues-rock from '76.
     Second release The Extreem From The Sky features two tracks from '67, eight from '70 and two from a '98 reform. Members went onto Budgie and Judas Priest, though early on, as displayed by their sole release, the '67 Strike single 'On The Beach'/'Don't Ignore Me' the guys were typically mod-y club soul. Not bad, but nothing to shout about. By '70 both blues-rock (theirs doesn't grab me), folk-rock (they do a decent version of Fairport Convention's 'Meet On The Ledge') and garage-y Cream/Hendrix styled psych (a take of 'Daytripper' kinda works). Oddly enough the rather ragged later-period commercially-tinged demos 'Can't Stop Loving You' and 'Dreaming' are their finest moments, recalling the earlier club soul days via the Love Affair.
     These two CDs are great for collectors and those interested in the psych era in general; both contain decent songs, if not enough. The quality of the packaging is great; it's clear an effort has been made. As long as there are guys like Birdman out there obscure '60 music will continue to be unearthed until the year 3000. (http://birdmanrecords.hypermart.net/)
Jon 'Mojo' Mills

THE LOVE AFFAIR / ELLIS
Singles A's & B's (Ascadia/Evangeline; CD)
     Although somewhat younger than Marriott and with a much shorter fringe, Steve Ellis was truly one of the finest British voices to emerge from the late '60s. In short, the story follows the rags to riches story of a bunch of teenage mods who honed their skills, played the clubs, impressed people in high places, recorded an acetate (included as the first four tracks) that Tony Blackburn played it on Radio 1, an okay version of the Stones 'She Smile's Sweetly' was released and next the band were re-shaped (meaning Ellis sang with Keith Mansfield's Orchestra backing him) and 'Everlasting Love' stormed the charts! Love Affair were now a sensation! The teeny-bopper classification insulted the band, but on album tracks and b-sides they wrote and played their own stripped down material, which was an indication of how they sounded live. 'I'm Happy' is a fab freakbeat stomper, not unlike Wimple Winch or even The Creation, whilst the tremendous 'Let Me Know' is so much like high-octane late '60s US garage rock that it was included on a volume of the Boulders series, Ellis' final 45 b-side 'Accept Me For What I Am' rocks big time; strewn with searing guitars, Hammond and a powered Ellis vocal it runs the LOUD competition into the ground! The a' sides shouldn't be knocked though as they represent the zenith of blue eyed soul bubblegum. How can one not appreciate Ellis' vocals on 'Everlasting Love' or melt from the good time movie-theme-like 'Bringing On Back The Good Times'? After Ellis quit the band in '69 he recorded an impressive version of Jimmy Webb's 'Evie' backed once again by Keith Mansfield. The result is a hybrid soul/loungecore/country-tinged slice of groovy balladry soaked in Euro pop strings and fuzzy guitar. The remaining 45s Ellis recorded until the formation of the Ellis Band are like a more honed version of The Faces with pop rather than rock aspirations. The a-sides, such as 'Take Your Love' were commercial fare, whilst b-sides like 'Fat Crow' and 'Jingle Jangle Jasmine' were rootsy, bluesy rock. 'Goody Goody Dancing Shoes', (Ellis' final self-written b-side of his solo career) is a tumultuous portion of power pop/rock that has an edge not unlike his pal Roger's Who!
     If you thought that Ellis and cohorts were a one-trick pony you need this, now. An essential item for those who wish to be surprised by some impeccable late '60s pop!
Jon 'Mojo' Mills

MARGO GURYAN
Thoughts (RPM; CD)
     Those dark beautiful eyes, the lightly held cigarette: Margo Guryan epitomised the deep thinking beatnik girl, and the seductively breathed jazzy pop tunes she sang fitted her sultry image perfectly. In 2000 her legacy was collected on the Take A Picture album, and she instantly became a cult icon. Her prepossessing tunes are undated and beautiful, yet convey the sleek James Bondian Jetset vibe of the '60s wonderfully. Perfect retro-lounge music for the 'In Crowd', and folks like Beck have picked up on her too—whether that is creditable or not is another matter. These 27 cuts were all recorded as demos between '66 and '78, and whatever the musical climate of the time all are quintessentially Guryan. In fact, she quit recording as modern pop was such a misdemeanour to her. Guryan conveyed sensuality, a laid-back humorous philosophy and composed cracking tunes that are always a delight to hear. Sublime, and understated!
Jon 'Mojo' Mills

THE NEW COLONY SIX
Breakthrough (Sundazed; CD)
     Chicago's New Colony Six opted for The Zombies approach to pop and mastered what we all now call 'the moody garage sound'—'Don't You Think It's Time You Stopped Your Crying' could be called nothing else than moody. 'At The Rivers Edge' is relatively tough, with a pumping bass line, shrill farfisa and garage-y R&B guitars driving it, but the calm vocals subdue the franticness. It's great, and an all time garage fave of mine. Most of the material on '66 debut, Breakthrough however are haunting pieces of teen-pop. their version of 'Mister Than You're A Better Man' softens all the edges of The Yardbirds original, but the impact is by no means lessened. As some crappy NME critic wrote a year or so back: 'Quiet, is the new loud.' Well, mate, hasn't that been the case for sometime? The early era New Colony Six made the utmost of melancholy and their delicacy stands up. Sod Coldplay, this is where it's at! Fab stuff!
Jon 'Mojo' Mills

NOSY PARKER
Nosy Parker (Gear Fab; CD)
     A slice of seriouser than thou prog-pop dedicated to Salisbury Cathedral (from my home town) is terrible; the pompousity and playing above themselves is scarily amusing. Oh dear. But a number of the songs from these teens have something. Although recorded in '75 their folky-pop style sounds much more like a product of the late '60s. 'Lucy Gray' and 'Leave The Last Day' are easy to digest, and the sweetly sung melodies are endearing If acoustic pop folk not unlike early Strawbs appeal this may be worth investigating.
Jon 'Mojo' Mills

THE SALLYANGIE
Children Of The Sun (Transatlantic; 2-CD)
     Has anyone seen that episode of the original Star Trek where a group of peace loving, singing adolescents who look like Ancient Greeks – clearly supposed to be Flower Children—get beamed aboard the Enterprise? Not only does the 17 year-old Mike Oldfield and his elder sister look like these characters, but their medieval-esque odes are just like the songs they sang too. Okay, I'll let the cat out of the bag now and tell you something personal – when I was 16 the first song I wrote was a little tune called 'Pacifist'. At that time I was a hippy-kid in awe of Donovan, The Incredible String Band and smoking as much dope as possible. My song was just like these. Naïve Flower Child twaddle that treated the World as if magical castles in the skies, fair maidens and magical goblets were reality. I suppose that's why I like it. Third rate, but comical. C'mon, it's cute.
Jon 'Mojo' Mills

STONE GARDEN
Stone Garden (Gear Fab; CD)
     'Oceans Inside Mine' and 'It's A Beautiful Day', which begin this rare '69 album sound like The Orange Wedge or Stereo Shoestring (OTT heavy garage rock indebted to Sabbath), things dip into average blues-rock before picking up with the similarily vibed 'Assembly Line' (fab, stop-start stoner rock, with big fuzz and fret wanking galore) and the lengthy, funky 'Woodstock'. The LP is a mixed bag, veering from heaviosity to average rock. Far from a classic, but these kids made a loud enough noise to warrant inspection.
Jon 'Mojo' Mills

THE SUNSHINE COMPANY
The Sunshine Company (Revola; CD)
     I bought some Sunshine Company albums years ago, sold 'em (as they weren't supplying the goods for my fuzzed- out mynd ) and then a year or so back once again picked up their second album. My thoughts have changed somewhat with the passing of time, but still, even with my 'softer tastes' a percentage of the LA pop that the band recorded is still too tame and sclmatzy; missing out 'pretty creativity' for 'dinner club variety'. Jimmy Webb's 'Up, Up And Away' is bloody twee and 'Happy' too jolly for it's own good. 'Look Here Comes The Sun', however, cuts down on the sickly sweetness, and with a favourable melody and a gentle lead vocal, the end result is folky sunshine pop par excellence. With an arsenal of decent songwriters, prime picking of the 'wrecking crew' and a use of top studios their 'hippy for the masses' pop did turn out more than a fair few treats. When the folk roots were allowed to shine, they excelled. 'Springtime Meadows' is a dead-ringer for '67/'68 era Fairport Convention (who oddly enough, were inspired by The Sunshine Company after hearing their records—so could my comparsion be arse about tit?) Guitarist Maury Manseau's sublime acoustic/ocarina combination 'I, To, We And Back Again' is very remiscent to the forlorn folk that Marty Balin encompassed on 'Comin' Back To Me', and although the 'peace and love' message is laid on with a trowel on their version of 'Let's Get Together' it is nevertheless a pleasing version, with harmonies that shine, whilst Manseau's 'Without Really Thinking' has a lovely Beatles feel. They even went heavy too: 'A Stictch In Time' is cool fuzzy psych-rock, which was a real break away from their mainstream shackles.
     A good variety of the band's styles (picked from their three Imperial albums) are included, but I for one, am surprised at the omission of a number of cuts I deem relevant. Nevertheless, most of the filler that dragged the albums down has been left of, making this the 'nearly perfect' Sunshine Company compilation.
Jon 'Mojo' Mills

THE KEN WOODMAN SOUND
Town Talk (RPM)
     Ken Woodman was perhaps best known through the music he scored and wrote rather than as a musician in his own right. His arrangements in the 60s for Sandy Shaw and Tom Jones amongst others would be instantly recognisable as would be the title of the CD Town Talk, Jimmy Young's Radio 2 signature tune for decades! On this disc we have compiled the two LPs Woodman with his Piccadilly Brass recorded - That's Nice from 1966 and Vibration from 1969. The first album comprises instrumental treatments of his own arrangements for singers (Chris Andrews' 'That's Nice' and 'Yesterday Man' for instance) the odd cover of a hit of the day ('Day Tripper') and his own material such as the excellent 'Mexican Flyer' and 'Twelve By Twelve' (both featured also on Past & Present's Instro Hipsters A Go-Go series). The second album is much more funkified and looser in approach with suitably groovy instrumental takes on The Move's 'Fire Brigade' and Manfred Mann's 'Mighty Quinn' amongst others. For lounge and orchestrated instro fans this is very much a worthwhile purchase.
Paul Martin

VARIOUS ARTISTS
Fading Yellow – Timeless Pop-Sike & Other Delights 1965-69 (Flower Machine Records; CD)
     This is a fine example of not only compilers, but also the buyers increasing appreciation of the more pop-sided aspect of music that arose after the Beatles caught 'A Ticket To Ride'. Running the gamut from jolly mid-60s beat-pop through to heavily orchestrated affairs from '69, Fading Yellow's overall concept of 'pop-sike' and more so 'other delights' is fully realised. Some may argue that by the end of the year a certain type of collector will be becoming hot under the collar on hearing mention of a rare '67 Ken Dodd acetate that features lush orchestration and sustained fuzz guitars! Diddy Men in the sky with diamonds, indeed! Cynicism aside, the psych/pop compilation is clearly becoming far poppier with the passing of time, and such a fine example as Fading Yellow sits perfectly on the cusp of the Rubble series most commercial selections and the more recent and uneven Ripples compilations (albeit a lot more interesting).
     It's practically a gem after gem ride too. Mike 'Remember You're A Womble' Batt's mournful, sweeping ballad 'Fading Yellow' is the perfect summation of what's on offer and is certainly worthy of having an entire compilation named after it. The strings, warm guitar parts and soft vocalising are sumptuous, and a good indication of what's in store. It really is a solid set, and possibly the greatest pop-psych comp to come out in years. Rather than focus on fifth-division acetate pressings of 'four Lancashire lads trying to be Syd Barret' everything included here is well performed pop saturated in that certain late '60s over-the-top production that so regularly gets classified as psychedelia. And there are plenty of obscure choice cuts to satisfy even the most hardened psych-head. Irish four- piece Jon's 'Is It Love' has a great rising chorus, some oriental sounding instrumentation and a middle-eight that has a vague feel of the Troggs psych-pop phase. Juan & Junior (of Los Brincos fame) sound uncannily like Magna Carta on their whimsical folk-pop cut 'Andurina'. 'Woe, Is Love Dead My Dear?' the b-side of the Koobas rare Danish only 'Sweet Music' 45 sees the 'pudlians getting introspective on their beautifully performed rendition of this Bert Jansch piece (which he also recorded). And amongst the many other strong cuts from the likes of Eddy Howell, Ronnie Bird, Paul & Barry Ryan is American teen trio The Aerovons incredible 'World Of You', which was recorded in Abbey Road in 1969. This not only rates as one of the best cuts on this album, but is also among the finest late '60s EMI discs (and yes, we're talking Pretty Things and Pink Floyd here too).
     Not only timeless, but in every aspect wonderful too. If only more compilations were as good as this.
Jon 'Mojo' Mills

VARIOUS ARTISTS
Fading Yellow Volumes 2 & 3 (Flower Machine; CDs)
     It was worth the wait! Volumes 2 and 3 in this series are here at last. An all-American affair this time, but continuing in similar style to the largely British based Volume 1. Psych-lite paisley pop that employs the airy beauty of harmony vocals and orchestration without ever tipping over into the syrupy mire of sunshine pop! The wonderfully tasteful compiler is to be congratulated on firstly locating these obscure delicacies and secondly for making them available to a wider public, they are clearly a labour of love. Volume Two opens up with Disraeli's 'What Will The New Day Bring', a breathy folkish styling that promises to lead us gently by the hand along the same path as Volume One and indeed largely does. Standout cuts include the heavily eastern inflected 'Isha' by Chris and Craig, Calliope's 'I'll Take It Back', George Edwards' 'Never Mind I'm Freezing', The Cascades' 'I Bet You Won't Stay' and The Oracle's 'Don't Say No'. Volume Three opens with the original version of 'Shadows And Reflections' by Eddie Hodges (made famous by The Action) and you get an idea of what you're in for from such band names The Wiggs Of 1666; The Giant Jellybean Copout and Michael & The Trees. Standouts on Vol.3 include the two sublime cuts by Saturday's Photograph, Robbie Curtice's 'When Diana Paints The Picture' and River Deep's 'Shelley Tell Me Why'. The oddity quotient is provided by both sides of ten-year old Mark Radice's 45 from 1967 'Save Your Money' / 'Wooden Girl'. These are not half as bad as you might expect - a little spartan perhaps - but they fit right in with the rest stylistically. Volumes 4 & 5 promise to be all UK affairs again and if the quality and obscurity remain this consistent, they will also be well worth the wait. Get 'em while they're hot!
Paul Martin

VARIOUS ARTISTS
I'm Walkin' Babe: The Northwest Battle Of The Bands Vol. 3 (Sundazed/Beatrocket, CD)
     I for one, am really not that blown away by 'Psycho'. Sure, I like it. It gets me going, but. It has energy, but it's nothing compared to originators Little Richard and Jerry Lee. However, The Sonics later cut 'I'm Going Home' is a different matter. Here Roslie and crew throw in some tough soulful melodies into their token drivin' beat. They'd moved on and forged more of a style. The Live Five borrowed as much from The Zombies as The Sonics; 'Yes Your Mine' is perfect-pop just that little different than the NW sound, but the drums still stomp away. The Galaxies' 'Along Comes The Man' sexs it up in a way that combines the Raiders, Monkees and Sonics; it's certainly the finest cut compiled. For me, NW garage-punk falls between two camps: the unadulterated rhythm driven numbers and the slightly later cuts that borrowed the more commercial styling of mid-period Raiders. And I prefer the latter as it all became a bit more crafted at this point. I suppose to put down tough garage-rock in Shindig is heresy. And it is. But after years and years of the same frat-rock chord progressions, it can become boring. That's why The Feelies '68 bubblegum-punk version of 'Louie Louie' is so wonderful; it just offers something less dimensional.
     So as not to boil the kettle black this latest instalment of Sundazed series (which works wonderfully with the Big Beat Jerden set) isn't full of goodies, but there are enough interesting diversions in the NW sound to please. And of course, if three-chord rawk is your bag and you're a collector of NW punk this is a must. It's just that not all of this music works for me. But I suppose after five pints 'Psycho' can be amazing!
Jon 'Mojo' Mills

VARIOUS ARTISTS
Mark Wirtz Pop Works (CDR)
     Don't let the CDR tag put you off, this labour of love set is equally as good as any of RPM's. Mastering is superb, the colour laser copy neat and tidy, the pictures crisp and the liners informatively written - in essence this as good as any professional job, if not better. Musically everything is pretty rare; cherry picked from the 1967-1971 era that delicately mix Wirtz' quirky pop and psych-ish material. The sadly neglected '68 sing by The Whales, 'Come Down Little Bird' combines the harmony styling of The Turtles and Beach Boys, whilst the bizarre Philiwit & Pegasus' 'Psuedo Phony Mixed Up Crony" is wonderfully batty, somewhat like Big Boy Pete in a head on collision with The Goodies. The Wirtz led studio group The Matchmakers, who released a few singles and an album, were supposedly formed and recorded to sell publishers songs, all tracks were written by and feature Wirtz. 'Thank You Baby' could easily be a lost track from The Koobas superb '69 album; mixing big pop with strong vocals and a slight soulful edge. And indeed, 'Fantastic Fair' is very much in the blue eyed soul tradition that was a major selling point in '68/'69. The best of the bunch is the beautiful 'Sandy'. Its hazy edge, oddly enough, is rather reminiscent of later period Dutch melancholists Sandy Coast. A far lighter approach can be heard on the unfinished solo Wirtz country-punky-pop piece 'The Singer Sings His Song (The Gambler Gambles On)', which is exceptional and really, really should have been recorded by The Troggs. What a loss! And finally, and of great importance, are the four tracks from the sadly ignored Judd album, released on Penny Farthing in '69. Wirtz put everything into these and created a delicious blend of bombastic pop. 'Thee' is an incredible accomplishment, laced with West Coast laid back hippy trappings.
     Everything here is worth a good listen, and over half the cuts are exceptional. A wonderful treat.
Jon 'Mojo' Mills

VARIOUS ARTISTS
Northwest Battle of The Bands Vol.3 (Big Beat, CD)
     This latest instalment in this definitive series of the Pacific Northwest USA's Garage legacy is every bit as strong as its predecessors. This speaks volumes (pardon the pun) for the quality and quantity of output in the area in the 1965- 7 period. Thirty prime slabs of garage crunch, R&B and soulful beat are a joy to aurally behold. Even on well-worn garage classics (such as the opener, the perennial Rocky & The Riddler's 'Flash And Crash'), the sound is the very best it can ever be, taken from the masters. Lesser known numbers such as The Sonics 'Lost Love', (the ignored classic of a b-side of their last garage style single in 1967) abound. The title of the disc award though, must go to The Bag's 'Incubatin' Middle of The Night Gyratin' Blues'! My only gripe with this series is how long it is taking to get the full five volumes out. By the end of each volume you are left wondering how much more killer material there can sill be in the tape vaults, three down, two to go and I still want more!
Paul Martin

VARIOUS ARTISTS
Peculiar Hole In The Sky: Pop-Psych From Down Under (Big Beat, CD)
     No such timescale quibbles however about the other five CD series from Big Beat, their Australian 60s series on the Big Beat International imprint. This has reached volume four already! Whereas the three preceding volumes offered us surf, followed by two garage and beat volumes, here we move into the later 60s for the lighter pastoral sounds of the era. Oddly, it has always been claimed (not least by Australian enthusiasts themselves) that psych was not an Australian favoured genre. Admittedly, the heavier or acid-rock end of the spectrum seems to have been pretty spartan at the time, but for the harmony vocal, ragged edged pop and pop-pysch, and mod gone wonky varieties they seem to have been as proficient as anyone else as is demonstrated here very amply. The 27 track set kicks off with The Valentines great take on the Easybeats' 'Peculiar Hole In The Sky' (see the Sweet Floral Albion comp reviewed elsewhere for the original) and continues in similar vein throughout. The only problem with this series is that it is culled entirely from the Festival catalogue. Whilst Festival has a plethora of exotic and wondrous delights in its vaults, much in this series has been reissued before on Australian labels. From this volume for instance a number appear on, Forest Of Goldtops and Daytura Dreamtime, though many are new to me at least (The Wild Cherries 'Chrome Plated Yabby'; Lloyd's 'World Brass Bird'; and the two cuts by the 1863 Establishment amongst them) Though you may already have some of these (and more so on volumes 2 and 3 where many of the songs have already appeared on comps like Devil's Children or Pretty Ugly et al) they are here taken from the masters and hence the sound is vastly better. I hope some of the indie Australian labels can be as well researched and comped at some point. If you don't have many or any of the Australian issued comps, this one is worth every penny, if you do have a few of them, the sound is worth buying this one for alone.
Paul Martin

VARIOUS ARTISTS
Sweet Floral Albion: 23 Pop & Psych Gems (Past And Present; CD)
     Not only the Fading Yellows, but also the Sweet Floral Albion comp is here at last! A more varied style is contained hearin than on the Fading Yellows, but every bit as delicious. Paisley pop gems can be found for instance in Made In Sheffield's 'Amelia Jane', Normie Rowe's 'Sunshine Secret', Pasha's (aka The Searchers) 'Pussy Willow Dragon', Simple Image's 'Spinning, Spinning, Spinning' and Dennis Couldry & Smile's 'Tea & Toast Mr Watson (also featured on the vinyl only Oddities Vol.1 LP). A delightful and tuneful package is only spoiled (for these ears anyway) by the rather crass and monolithic meandering of Gun's 'Take Off', although as a closing shot I can see why it was chosen and probably will work for some more than others. How the times they have-a-changed is demonstrated by the Fruit Machine, whose 'Cuddly Toy' is not talking about plush covered teddy bears! Pentad's 'Don't Throw It All Away', is a prime example of mod gone fuzzy round the edges (although it's reissue premiered on the vinyl only Beat Us If You Can Vol.2 LP a while back). The 'celebrities' include two early cuts by The Sweet but the pick of the bunch is the Nems demo acetate of The Bee-Gees hitherto unissued 'Deeply, Deeply, Deeply Me', on which they sound distinctly more than eight miles high and is a prime exhibit in the aural psych pretenders 'You've Been Framed' awards, worth the price of admission alone! Overall, this is a delightful collection and Dave Thubron is to be congratulated on excavating and providing more psych artefacts for the discerning fan, it's another must have and I sincerely hope there will be a Volume 2 in similar vein.
Paul Martin