THE AEROVONS
S/T (200 numbered only LP)
     Major Psychosis writes: 'Why is it that the more expensive an album, the more meagre the packaging becomes, blood and thunder, they need a horsewhipping'. Thanks maj., it's time for your prozac! In fairness, £22 is the price I paid, some wags however have been chalking this up to as much as £50. This previously unreleased album from 1969 by a trio of Beatle obsessed American boys (average age 17-18) sports a plain white card sleeve with a pasted on A4 photocopied pic of the band on one side and a a similarly reproduced Victorian line drawing on the other (mine are on back to front by the way!). Why certainly you may nod sagely when considering the rave / DJ culture preference for anonymous 12' platters is plain sleeves, but this is something mooted as musically special and deserved more attention to the sleeve design (having one for a start). Anyways up, moving on to the LP itself, opinion has been varied amongst punters veering towards a consensus of it's ok but not that special (on the Ragl `Zonophone bulletin board website anyway). This may just be a reaction to the marketing blurbs which hyped it up. Certainly in terms of originality it is highly derivative of late era Beatles, one or two tunes being little short of cover versions. That said, these lads were (as the liners tell us) on a high, meeting their idols and recording in 'their' studio. Given the youth of this trio, the music and their anglophile devotion is little short of exceptional at times. A stereo version of their World Of You, leaves the mono version standing whilst Bessie Goodheart and She's Not Dead (especially) are beauties of their idiom. Unless you are a vinyl maniac, wait for it to be reissued on CD with extra tracks and pics and at a realistic price in the next few months.
Paul Martin

THE ASSOCIATION
Just The Right Sound (Warner Brothers/Rhino 2-CD)
     With The Association's albums currently only available as hideously overpriced Japanese imports and original vinyl copies becoming increasingly scarce, the timing of this collection couldn't be better. Sandwiched between their 1965 debut (a rollicking folk-rock reading of Dylan's 'One Too Many Mornings') and a clutch of early 80's cuts (including the stunning acapella piece 'Across The Persian Gulf') are 50 other arguments for The Association being the quintessential American harmony band.
     'Along Comes Mary', 'Cherish', 'Windy' and 'Never My Love' may be FM radio fodder but they're also impeccably crafted pop records which still leave the listener gasping for air. On the six albums released on Warner Brothers between 1966 and 1971 (excluding a greatest hits, a film soundtrack and a live collection) they can be found in a more playful and experimental mood. The frantic 'You Hear Me Call Your Name' is a world away from the wistful 'Rose Petals, Incense And A Kitten'; 'Requiem For The Masses' sounds like a medieval death march next to the perfect sunshine pop of 'Time For Livin''.
     Only on the later more rootsy tracks does the uniformly staggering attention to detail wander a little.
     Shame they looked like a bunch of law students trying to get into Pandora's Box.
Andy Morten

TOMMY BRUCE & THE BRUISERS
That's Rock 'n' Roll
MIKE SARNE
Come Outside With Me (both RPM, CD)
     Both of RPM's latest instalments to their 'Before The Beatles' series offer a little fun for fans of Early '60s Brit R&R and, ermmm, comedy. Tommy Bruce's voice comes across a bit like Dr John, but the washed-in-carrot-juice-quiff and gawky grin have far less gumbo. Musically it's decent enough R&B type stuff, with a raunchy feel, but somehow it seems just a little too much of a parody. Even more comical is Mike Sarne, who's risqué sounding London accented ditties, such as 'Come Outside' and 'Dodgy Lookin' Bird' are hilarious examples of Pre-PC workin' class 'umour! What an 'erbert! However, whilst performing on a '64 package tour with The Stones Sarne knew his days were numbered as the girls were screaming for Jagger throughout his set. "They just played the good music they liked. We were squashed in those silly shiny suits and out comes Jagger in a pepper-and-salt sweater" says Sarne in the liners. "John Leyton and I looked at each other and said that we didn't belong on the same stage!" Perhaps, this is when the '60s really began to kick in. Still, these two CDs offer a refreshing blast of R&B and a certain degree of prehistoric stupidity that was left over from the '50s.
Jon 'Mojo' Mills

CHAD & JEREMY
Before And After
Of Cabbages And Kings (both Sundazed, CD)
     Before And After from May 1965, displays the cuddly ex-pats attempting to make commercial pop that fits in with every form of mid-60s music to chart. The sound of the British Invasion is seemingly washed over with soft strings, and a folky approach that in all proportions sounds confusing. A few of the 11 bonus songs are acceptable, notably 'Pennies', which is a delicate folk piece, with gentle harmonies and acoustic guitar usage not unlike The Beau Brummels. Two albums on and Distant Shores aired a marked improvement, ditching the sappier beat sound in favour of folky-pop not dissimilar to Simon & Garfunkle. The more mature introspective side of the duo would finally come to fruition on Gary Usher produced follow-up Cabbages and Kings, which Sundazed have as usual added a healthy amount of bonus cuts. If Before & After is fluff, Cabbages & Kings is Candy Floss. Usher is as ever masterful, and his strong production adds hue to the duos more adventurous compositions with strong drums, ringing guitars and medieval aspects. Side one is faultless, with 'The Gentle Cold Dawn' sounding something like Donovan would have been happy to release on Fairytale, 'Family Way' is the the kind of folk-rock PF Sloan wrote for The Grassroots, whilst 'I'll Get Around To It When I Can' is Byrdseque. Side two is engulfed by the ambitious 'Progress Suite', which for all of it's joss-stick in a purple velvet cave production does bare more in common with film soundtracks or even Burt Bacharrach trying to be The Incredible String Band. Nevertheless, 'Editorial' is sublime sitar-laced folk-rock. Two unreleased cuts from '66 round off the package and provide an earlier look at the duo's superb, slightly comic psych-pop style that they would develop until their demise, whilst the instrumental and single versions tacked onto the end are merely interesting.
     Pre-'66 Chad & Jeremy was really nothing special, but from '66 onwards they got their act together. Of Cabbage and Kings is definitely a must have!
Jon 'Mojo' Mills

GENE CLARK
Gene Clark (A&M CD)
     Better known as White Light, Clark's 1971 masterpiece finally gets its first official re-issue. Effectively his first solo album (his previous three are collaborations and the 1970/71 recordings that make up Roadmaster were unreleased at the time), it's a sombre, predominantly acoustic affair which nonetheless contains a clutch of classics in Clark's estimable catalogue of songs. 'With Tomorrow', 'White Light' and the stunning 'For A Spanish Guitar' are highlights but the remake of 'One In A Hundred' tries a little too hard and fails to match the Roadmaster version.
     The version of Dylan/The Band's 'Tears Of Rage' is strong enough but maybe shouldn't have been included at the expense of the beautiful 'Winter In' which appears here as a bonus track.
     This CD adds another essential piece to the Gene Clark puzzle.
Andy Morten

THOMAS & RICHARD FROST
Visualise (Revola CD)
     Like a number of acts in the 1960s (e.g. The Ringers), Thomas & Richard Martin (aka Frost) were highly adept at writing and performing material in any prevailing style or idiom, but were seemingly incapable of defining a recognisable style of their own. Having failed to garner sufficient recognition as LA based power pop act Powder, The Frosts next tried their hand at a more introspective orchestrated pop and ballad album for Imperial (their next was a country rock album for Uni). The criminally unreleased results that are the Visualise album are now at last here revealed along with a palmful of related single sides. The Frost's song writing skill is evident in each number as are the idioms in which they are constructed. The bright ringing chords of their debut 45 for Imperial, She's Got Love, like some of their other Imperial singles, is akin to Immediate roster stalwarts, Twice As Much, but with knobs on! 'Where Did Yesterday Go?' amongst others, sounds like nothing less than Billy Nichols singing Bert Bacharach. Open Up Your Heart could easily be The Love Affair; Everyday Judy has strong late Beatles overtones and December Rain, April Laughter evokes the Bee Gees wonderfully. Other than the absurd intro and voice-over on the final album track (a wheez of their manager's apparently), this is a shining gem of album, but which serves more as a snapshot of a decade on the cusp of change than it does of the artists themselves. Liners are by Alec Paleo and there is a track by track commentary by Richard Frost and a budget price to boot, you should snap this baby up right now.
Paul Martin

GANDALF Gandalf (Sundazed, CD)
     My worn out, poor sounding 'See For Miles' comp was offloaded as soon as Sundazed's from the masters version, with notes by our buddy Mike Stax landed. This sounds fab! For those reading not in tune with Gandalf, buy it. This is essential, ethereal, psych-pop, that is more pop than psych, yet more psych than pop. What? you say. Updates of Eden Ahbez's 'Nature Boy' (a hit for Nat King Cole), 'Golden Earrings' (an old standard, best remembered by Peggy Lee's hit) and a haunting take on folk stable 'Scarlet Ribbons' are inadvertently pop, but somehow the echo laden production and a feeling slightly reminiscent of a more paranoid Zombies and Left Banke give these safe old songs a truly psychedelic edge. Two Tim Hardin covers ('Hang Onto A Dream' and 'You Upset The Grace Of Living') are wonderful adaptations that lose nothing from the originals, whilst the band originals 'Can You Travel In The Dark Alone' and 'I Watch The Moon' are absolute gems. All we need now is a collection of unreleased '60s Sando originals, but until then this is the final chapter in Gandalf… well until, The Two Towers but that's a different affair altogether.
Jon 'Mojo' Mills

HARPERS BIZARRE Feeling Groovy
Anything Goes
The Secret Life Of...
Hapers Bizarre 4 (all Sundazed, CD)
     Gentle arrangements and a 'namby pamby' feel to '60s pop has been big business, and Rev-o-la's, Poptones' and Sundazed's trawl through the back waters of Boettcher and Cherry Red's Free Design set have proven that the soft approach worked wonders in the psychedelic era. However, what separates the previous artists from Harper's Bizarre is that they were genuinely creative whereas the jolly San Franciscan conglomeration were solely out for the dollars, and clearly purposely MOR. That assumption is true, but on further listening, and skipping the updates of standards, there are a few decent songs that hit the mark on each album: Leon Russel's 'Raspberry Rug' and 'I Can Hear The Darkness', Randy Newman's 'Debutante's Ball' and 'Happyland', and Ron Elliot's adaptation of 'Peter & The Wolf' from the debut, Feelin' Groovy; 'Jessie', David Blue's 'You Need A Change' and Van Dyke Park's 'High Coin' from Anything; the Randy Newman collaboration 'Medley: Bye Bye Bye / Vine Street', Ron Elliot's 'I Love You Mama' from Anything Goes, and an inspired soft-pop take of Jim Pepper's strange jazz piece, 'Witchai Ta To', 'Something Better', The Beatles' 'Blackbird', 'I Love You, Alice B Toklas' and All Through The Night' from Harpers Bizarre 4. All good songs, written and arranged by fabulous writers and studio musicians, but Templeman's move to the soft side after the demise of his Autumn records garage/pop band The Tikis seems like desperation, and seems as he had believed that rock was dead. The final Warner Bros Tikis 45 ('Bye Bye Baby'/'Lost My Love Today' - included as bonus cuts on Feeling Groovy) exudes more passion and feeling than practically any of Harpers Bizzare legacy. I guess some people worked wonders with softer sounds (Brian Wilson and Curt Boetcher) and others didn't. Harper's Bizarre grasp of the genres sentiments were a little too square to be hip!
Jon 'Mojo' Mills

HONEYBUS
She Flies Like A Bird: The Honeybus Anthology (Castle 2-CD)
     Aficionados of British 60's pop should already be familiar with Honeybus' output. Between 1967 and 1970 they cut six singles and an album which nodded to The Beatles, The Hollies, The Lovin' Spoonful, The Byrds and The Moody Blues and topped them off with ornate string and woodwind arrangements.
     They possessed no less than three hugely talented songwriters and when Pete Dello, the writer of their classic early singles, left the band at the height of their fame, they got back on their feet and carried on without him.
     This wonderfully packaged and annotated anthology contains all those Deram cuts plus previously unreleased BBC sessions, a rare Italian single, early 70's single sides, a selection from the unreleased 1972 album Recital and some demos previously only available on a long out-of-print Dutch CD.
     Now we can hope for similarly expanded editions of the Pete Dello & Friends and Colin Hare albums.
Andy Morten

DOTTIE HOLMBURG
Sometimes Happy Times
CURT BOETCHER
There's An Innocent Face (both Sundazed, CD)
     From working with The Association and indulging his love of lysergic pop (ambrosia for the ears) with such projects as Ballroom, Sagittarius and Millenium, Boetcher's delicate craft is most certainly deserving of the cult status it has gained.
     The child-voiced Holmburg formed 'Gypsy-inspired' folk-troupe The Goldebriars with Boetcher in the mid-60s and helped provide heavenly harmonies on a number of his meisterworks. Sometimes Happy Times compiles 17 studio and home recorded demos that range from studio intricacy (the four '66 Boetcher productions) to fragile vocal and guitar reel-to-reel at the kitchen table jobs. There is a fragile beauty to much of this, enchanting in an early hippy mystic manner, but The Millenium it is not. Really, this is somewhere between sunshine pop and the solo-album that Licky from The Incredible String Band never made.
     Boetcher's first solo album, released in '73, still shows signs of the angelic harmonies, which became his trademark, but rather like The Beach Boys effort of the same year Carl & The Passions it also filters FM friendly soft-rock and country-rock into the fold. Although a notably more simple product, more akin to everything else of the era than the 'head in the sky' symphonies of the '60s that Boetcher is loved for, this is a decent '70s pop/rock album, with still enough of Boetcher's inherent grasp of melody and instrumentation to impress.
Jon 'Mojo' Mills

THE LOVE GENERATION
Love And Sunshine: The Best Of… (Sundazed, CD)
     There's no disputing that future Partridge Family writers the Bähler Bros extremely commercial flower/sunshine/pop venture The Love Exchange was a cash-in on the success of The Mamas & Papas, Association and Beach Boys. The songs are indelibly bouncy, and filled with male/female harmonies that follow the formula of The Mamas & Papas, lyrics splatter sun, love and peace over the top of brassy, and at times baroque arrangements, whilst all songs have a catchy pop sensibility. However, like a number of second and third tier copyists it's all laid on a bit too thick. When it works, it's excellent such as on the first album standout 'Not Be Found' or the pseudo-hippy-schtick 'Consciousness Expansion' from the second album. But, as summery as it is, a number of songs are far too treacly and have none of the lasting power of the major players. Pleasant, but not breathtaking.
Jon 'Mojo' Mills

PUBLIC NUISANCE
Gotta Survive (Frantic 2-CD)
     Barman, a pint of your best Nazz with a Brain Police chaser if you please, oh and while you’re there fix me an acid rock sandwich and don’t spare the Music Machine relish, oh and a side salad of Stooges and Open Mind with a Lou Reed dressing will go down nicely too. Just when you thought you’d heard it all, something like this comes along to knock your cocksure, jaded ass into gear again! This 2 x 52 minute 28 cut set (and no alt takes either barr the debut single) comes on like a rock archaeologists wet dream (witness the liner notes!). All the key ingredients are here, tunefulness, attitude, confidence and original toons. Two versions of Public Nuisance’s 1966 debut 45 There She Goes / Please Come Back (recorded as Moss & the Rocks) bookend each disc (the second versions are best) and jaw droppingly serve to underline that the times they-had-a-changed indeedy by 1968-9 when the other 24 cuts were laid down. The jangly faltering folk rock of the single stands in stark contrast to the assured pop / rock unit that they had morphed into within eighteen months of its recording. Often the hype surrounding a release (especially American ones) can lead to disappointment. Not so here, this is the real deal and has set the standard to meet in 60s sound excavation for the new century. Psyche head or garage nut, there’s something for ya all here, go fetch!
Paul Martin

SANDY SALISBURY
Falling To Pieces (Revola; CD)
     Many demos in the '60s weren't just skeletons of songs to be played to labels to give an idea of what was on offer, but fully arranged products. Recordings that frankly have nothing in common with the thinly produced badly played efforts that pass as demos today. This collection of material written and recorded between 1966-1969 were recorded by Salisbury, before, during and after his tenure, with Boettcher, as a leading force in Ballroom and The Millennium. All things 'soft rock', 'harmony pop' and 'LA' have thankfully been re-discovered and re-assessed by such folks us as at Shindig! and have now become something of a phenomenon. Last year Joe Foster on his Poptones imprint released Sandy, the sadly scrapped debut album by Salisbury. Falling To Pieces is the perfect side-order showing the many facets of Salisbury's unique grasp of using the right ingredients for a 'perfect pop' song. 'Together In The End', one of the earlier cuts, combines garagey 12-string led folk-rock with the beginnings of harmony-pop; 'Sweet Sweet Cinnamon' is pure teen-bubblegum, which could have been a smash-hit for The Archies, whilst 'So Close To Heaven' could be the template that later acts like The Raspberries and The Rubinoos based their act on. 'Do Unto Others' even, sounds not unlike The Four Seasons backed by a late '60s rock band! While'Falling To Pieces', although clearly a work in progress, is sublime, and sounds like The Millenium at their most forlorn. Along with the bonus of both sides of projected Left Banke-a-like single 'All I Really Have Is A Memory', is yet another of Salisbury's unreleased tunes 'Holly In The Summertime', which out does Michael Brown at his baroque best! It's a gem of a song, and reason enough to lay claim to Salisbury as one of the greatest, yet unsung, writers of the sixties.
Jon 'Mojo' Mills

THE SMOKE
High In A Room: The Anthology (Castle 2-CD)
     Neatly divided into the 60's and 70's, this two-disc set gathers together everything you need by the famously turned-on Yorkshiremen. The patchy but dynamic 1967 album It's Smoke Time is joined by their raucous pre-Smoke single as The Shots and the excellent post-album single sides such as 'Have Some More Tea' and 'It Could Be Wonderful'.
     Their rendition of Nirvana's 'Girl In The Park' could have been the UK hit they never had while the previously unreleased alternate version of 'Sydney Gill' is tantalisingly different to the backwards piano-drenched single cut and worth the price of admission alone. As it's now been established that Chords Five weren't The Smoke, 'Universal Vagrant' and the like are omitted.
     Disc two finds the band flirting with hard rock, rootsy sing-a-longs and bubble-glam as members come and go and the 70's draw on. There are moments of inspiration but it would take a stronger stomach than mine to do the whole thing in one sitting.
Andy Morten

THE SPIKEDRIVERS
60s Folkrocking Psychedelia From the Motor City (RD Records LP/CD)
     The first thing to say here is get the CD with six bonus tracks which costs about half as much as the vinyl! Packaging wise, the CD is colourful (as is the label) and informative with interesting liner notes from one of the band. The Spikedrivers had two line ups between 1965 and 1968 when these (largely) demo recordings were made. With dual male and female vocals some of these tunes are resonant of early Jefferson Airplane (Often I Wonder, Strange, Mysterious Sounds, Baby Let Me Tell You) whilst here and there, there is a definite Fairports influence (e.g. Portland Town). Many of the first nine cuts along with tracks 14 & 15; Can't Stand The Rain and I'm So Glad (no, not the Cream song) are infectious and you will soon find yourself humming them all day. There is a small patch of five numbers from their second incarnation though which have been over-recorded (in a rehearsal room seemingly) and which are supposedly ragga based, but which actually descend into over-amped acid-fried mayhem (Grocery Store, Everybody's Got That feeling, I Know, Time Will Never Die, Sometimes) which you will either love or skip past. So, an uneven set, but not surprising given that most are demo and rehearsal recordings from two different line-ups covering the transition from folk-rock to (heavy) psychedelia. As an all-round package and artefact however, it has history, a story to tell, colour and great hooks - I would grab it with both hands!
Paul Martin

TEN YEARS AFTER
Ten Years After
Stonedhenge
Undead (all Universal, CD)
     Crickelwood Green was an album my brother-in-law gave to me when he and my sister left the shores of blighty. I was 10. And I loved it, still do too. The earlier albums however do very little for me. Lee possesses talent ten-fold, but the post-'65 blues boom style he explored on their '67 debut mixes show-off leads with boring blues re-treads. The only need to own this CD are the early 45s that are added at the end. 'Portable People' is delightful country-boogie, whilst the flip 'The Sounds' is a dark moody psych number that would later be re-worked as 'As The Sun Still Burns Away' for the great Crickelwood Green.
     Second album, Undead features material from the first album recorded live at the 'Klooks Kleek', and it's wanky drivel. The playing is impressive, but this is borrrrring blues rock that has none of the excitement of The Yardbirds. Avoid, unless you're a guitar geek!!! By third album Stonedhenge, a more progressive aspect can be heard on opener 'Going To Try', which even has a bit of Floydian organ, but things go down hill from there onwards with a collection of competent blues/jazz numbers that go nowhere. Knowing very well that Shindiggers aren't denim clad blues-rockers these three early Ten Years After albums receive a huge thumbs down, and no recommendation!
Jon 'Mojo' Mills

VARIOUS ARTISTS
Beat Us If You Can Vol.2 (Liverpoodle, Vinyl LP)
     An attractive feature in my eyes of any LP is coloured vinyl. In this case it's a lovely Ribena shade of purple! As for what's in the grooves, a mixed bag, but a generally good one. There is inevitably some duplication; Lyons & Malone's Dr Gentle (on Rubble Vol.18); The Exceptions The Eagle Flies On Friday (on everything seemingly at the moment) and one that can easily be forgiven, The Pentad's Don't Throw It All Away (also on the upcoming Sweet Floral Albion CD) which is an organ led beat mover with a great guitar hook line. Elsewhere, The Cresters put in a good plaintive gob-iron driven r&b wailer a la Love Me Do in the shape of I Just Don't Understand (and which the Beatles also played on a BBC session it says here); The League's Nothing from '66 is a pop gone freakbeat nugget, a great example of the genre and written by ex-Riot Squad mod gone teen-crooner Graham Bonney (see the Beat Club DVDs for proof!); From the same year, but a conceptual solar system away, The Peenuts turn in an ersatz derivative Monkeys number in the from of Trouble (does that make it ersatz ersatz then??) and the Dick Watson 5's I'll Make It Up from 64 is as sharp a mod stomper as you'll ever hear. Other pleasers are the Force Five's I want You Babe, The Beatstalkers Everybody's Talking and The Nerve's (who feature on the front of the sleeve) Satisfying Kind, a great Decca era Small Faces styled soul mod voice rasper!The Dave Davani Four round off this set with the great hammond instro Top Of The Pops (pre CCS theme) and if you like this look for their own retrospective compilation CD on Big Beat. All in all a pretty decent collection of generally interesting and uncomped UK beaters, well worth getting
Paul Martin

VARIOUS
Byrds Won't Fly Today (Misty Lane LP)
     Massimo Del Pozzo comes up trumps with his jangly, moody 18 track comp of folk-rock never-were's. Corking mid-60s teen angst abounds in tunes such as The Skunks - I Need No-One and The Hard Times - Your Turn To Cry which nestle nicely alongside surf groups with welded on singers reading the writing on the wall such as Dave & The Customs attempt at the well worn JFK lament 'He Was Friend Of Mine'. A great cartoon sleeve with label repros and liner notes written by Tony Rae of The Palace Guard, as well as a track by track breakdown of the comp make this a winner to own and as they say 'will want to play again and again', buy it now!
Paul Martin

VARIOUS ARTISTS
Board Boogie: Surf 'n Twang From Down Under
Of Hopes Dreams & Tombstones: Beat 'n R&B From Downunder
Hot Generation: 1960s Punk From Dowunder (all Big Beat, CDs)
Devil's Children: The Third - Rum & Beer (Moonshine [bootleg] CD)
     Although the meatier tracks from Aces's three CD chronicle of archive material from the Festival label have shown up on numerous vinyl comps ala Ugly Things Big Beat can pride itself in keeping up it's impeccable sound and presentation. Rather than releasing one chronological CD of the label's out put from the early to late '60s Paolo and cohorts have devised genre based CDs - which in total supply 91 tracks!!!! The first, Board Boogie -- the surf volume -- may not be to everybody's taste, but the twangy Ventures guitars and honking sax of The Fabulous Blue Jays' 'Jay Walker', the Joe Meek-ness of Laurie Wade's Caviliers' 'The Phatom Guitarist' and The Playboys garage-instro take on 'Theme From Dr No' (actually the standard James' Bond Theme) are all sound instrumentals. 30 songs of twangy instros may be too much, but nevertheless this volume is integral to the label and it's bands evolution. Of Hopes & Dreams & Tombstones (the R&B/Beat volume) is where things begin to take off. The Purple Hearts fabulously snotty Pretty Things punker 'Of Hopes & Dreams & Tombstones' opens the set, and with such stellar cuts as 'She Used To be Mine' (Normie Rowe & The Playboys moody beat number),'That's When Happiness Began' (Mike Furber & The Bowery Boys) and Steve & The Board's superb Troggs, Beatles and Easybeats blend 'So Why Pretend' following on, you're set for a nice ride. And as a child finds out at Xmas, the best always comes last; Hot Generation is packed to the brim with Oz garage-punk classics! Although I've heard 'I'm Still Mad At You' (The Soul Agents) hundreds of times, never, I say never (in the voice of Foghorn Leghorn) have I heard it in such superb sound! Much of this will be known by the typical Shindigger, but the liners, packaging and sound, plus the hefty, long running order make this the pick of the bunch. All three are worth having, but this volume is indispensable. And if punk enough for all of ye fuzzbusters, 'Not This Time' (The Black Diamonds) one of the greatest Power Pop songs from the '60s Oz era is also included to add variety in tone.
     A pretty amazing, first time officially released in the UK set of Australian nuggets!
     Good too is the third instalment of the Devil's Children series, which offers yet more (in fact, another 32 tracks) of primal OZ Beat/Punk. Of course, the sound is not comparable to the Big Beat releases, but where this album stands up is in its consistent snottiness, and inclusion of two unreleased tracks and a wealth of obscurer uncomped cuts, although mainly in the R&B mould rather than fuzzed out acidic punk. An early outing by Python Lee Jackson (and Ward Austin) fits into the insane deconstructional take on R&B that the Ozzies excelled in. Their 'Who Do You Love' is mashed, pulverised and then coated in fairy dust, whilst The Elois damage 'I'm A Man' in an equally crazed manner!!!!
Jon 'Mojo' Mills

VARIOUS ARTISTS
Haunted: Psychedelic Pstones II (Sequel, CD)
     A plethora of lesser-known tracks rubbing shoulders with the commercial and Rubble fair gives this the edge over it's predecessor, and as usual with Sequel the wonderful sound and cheap cover price are also a major plus. For me, having a decently mastered version of The Bobcats supreme Smoke style moody beat /dawn of psych classic 'Can't See For Looking' is enough reason to own this, but it's all damned fine to boot. Add some of the psychier unreleased moments from Sequel's earlier '91 spotlights on specific bands such as Episode Six and The Rockin' Berries (whose excellent 'Yellow Rainbow' was originally recorded by The Piccadilly Line and written by Mancunian beatnik gone flower child, Graham Nash, no less) and the unreleased 'Mr Kipling' by Tuesday's Children which is wonderful pop-psych with a fab kazoo break and you already have the makings of a winner. The subtle placement of such a psych-pop corker as 'Suddenly Winter' by the less regarded Tremeloes is neat, and will hopefully put these chirpy lads a few rungs higher in most peoples books. Much is known however, and a finger may be pointed at Sanctuary for re-cycling it's back catalogue, but this is in itself works very well as a compilation of '68 era lyte psych. Even if you have the majority of tracks the sound is good, and the concept is very, very good. A definite must have for pop/psych collectors wanting some very accessible material on CD.
Jon 'Mojo' Mills

VARIOUS ARTISTS
Joe Meek: The Alchemist Of Pop - Home Made Hits & Rarities 1959-1966 (Sequel, 2-CD)
     Meek needs no introduction to the discerning '60s music fan, and that readers is you, but if by a small chance you do, this is the ideal starting place. Sure, early '60 Brit-Pop, Cheesy R&R throwbacks, quirky instros and odd, camp ditties may not sound like everyone's cup of tea, and if later '60s sounds are, you may have never investigated his Royal Meekness, but I suggest you do. And this double CD is the only collection you will ever need. Running chronologically from '59 to the bitter end, this has it all. Some of the early straighter sides really are non-starters, but the likes of John Leyton's haunting 'Johnny Remember Me', the menacing 'Night Of The Vampires' by instro outfit The Moontrekkers, and of course the pure cod horror joy of the early Sutch sides. By no means is this music normal. And that is exactly why its so wonderful.

VARIOUS ARTISTS
Ready, Steady, Stop! Doin' The Mod Vol.4 (Sanctuary, CD)
     Possibly the most interesting volume in this series since the hammond heavy Vol.1. This time round, the theme is '...heavy beat to power pop, freak beat to mod rock...' Amongst the usual suspects in the never ending recycling of the PYE roster are an anomaly in The Movement's 'Head For The Sun' (previously comped on 10th Planet's vinyl only Electric Lemonade Acid Test Vol.1 album) which was originally on the President label - gasp - a non PYE infiltrator! There is also barefaced cheek in the inclusion of the (admittedly intriguing) Bobcats 'Can't See For Looking' which appeared on Sanctuary's Haunted: Psychedelic Pstones Vol.2 just a month or two ago! Hardy perennials apart, there are some fine treats here. Three of my faves which have previously appeared on the Diggin' For Gold series are the modtastic rave up of Tony Colton Big Boss Band's, ' I've Laid Some Down In My Time', the slow burning fuzztoned mod-soul builder, Guy Darrell's 'Evil Woman' (the disc's closer) and the fuzz-tinged freaky beat pop mover that is Michael Leslie's 'Make Up Or Break Up'. Other goodies include The Truth's 'Who's Wrong', a good beat pounder with catchy guitar motif and The Montanas quirky off-kilter take of 'Top Hat'. The Lancastrians find their finest moment in their last single, 'The World Keeps Going Round' and Five's Company groovy novelty swinger, 'The Big Kill' brings a smile to the face. Other standouts include The Time's 'The First Time I Saw The Sun Shine' which is a good pop pick with a self-conscious fuzz guitar hook line and Pussyfoot's lyrically irrelevant but groovily essential hip shaker 'Good Times'.
Paul Martin

LOS WALKERS
Waking Up (Pampas Gracia, CD)
     Nice sounding bootleg of Argentia's premier Anglophiles Los Walkers' final and best album Waking Up. Although released in '68, the sound is pure Rubber Soul to Sergeant Pepper Beatles with the added zest of Northern England via The Hollies. The production is crisp, and the songs superb, if anachronistic. Nevertheless, it's a wonderful South American '60 piece, which will sound perfect alongside Los Shakers and Los Mockers, and a treat for lovers of Macca's Beatle tunes, and such similarly influenced American bands as The Merry-Go-Round. Find it now.
Jon 'Mojo' Mills

CLIFFORD T WARD
Anthology (Cherry Red; CD)
     The Secrets 'Such A Pity' (Ward's 1966 beat band effort) opens this oddly titled Anthology set of unreleased material. The earliest, all recorded around the mid-60s in demo form under a number of alias show Ward in a typically commercial beat territory, rather like a poor man's Hollies. Although not overly strong the majority of these early recordings, notably 'Naughty Boy, which bares a strong similarity to the sugary beat-pop-psych of fellow Eddie Trevett projects Norman Conquest and Peter & The Wolves, is well worth hearing at least a few times. Later '60s cuts like 'Evening' see the signs of the introspection (for which , of course, Ward is regarded) whilst unreleased '70s cut 'Escalator' is more in a Power Pop / LA style, unlike anything else Ward recorded.
     All in all, good for 'Clifford obsessives' and those interested in obscure '60s beat-pop-psych, but far from an introduction to the singer's prime cuts.
Jon 'Mojo' Mills

VINYL

     Unfortunately Akarma seem to be issuing a lot of contemporary Blues at the moment, which really doesn't make the mark for us at Shindig! What's happened to the days of their wonderful Prog releases? Maybe they still are releasing classic albums -- it just may be that they're not sending them here. Still, along with the Hendrix mullet wannabes, a few fine albums have crept from the label since SD#6. Both the BEACON STREET UNION (The Eyes Of The Beacon Street Union and The Clown Died in Marvin Gardens) albums have been released in their original sleeves on nice, thick vinyl. The first album is more garage based with a rather behind the times take on 'Beautiful Delilah' and superb band original 'Green Destroys The Gold', and elsewhere some typically Bosstonian psychedelic diversions into sped up guitars and pulsating bass-lines ensue. On a far heavier notes is 'Sadie Said No' which has an almost Detroit feel, and is excellent, full of incisive guitars and tough vocals. The second effort is both more song based, and rambling. A rather unnecessarily long version of 'Baby Please Don't Go' and poem piece eat up side two, but side one is full of relative ornate delights. 'The Clown Died In Marvin Gardens' breaks from the bass-line drone heavy Bosstown sound and opts for a more light feel reminiscent of The Strawberry Alarm Clock, but quite why 'Blue Suede Shoes' is tackled is another matter.
     Regards the great Progressive Rock that I mentioned, TONTON MACOUTE's sole album, released on the Neon RCA subsidiary in '71, is a solid, pleasant collection of jazz tinged Prog bits, with even an echo of The Small Faces on 'Just Like A Stone'. Highly recommended stuff, featuring great woodwind and organ. I rate this highly in its field.
     Get Back have continually issued a wealth of '60s rock, alongside Free Jazz and New Wave. In both Digipaks and on vinyl THE THIRTEENTH FLOOR ELEVATORS have received fair treatment, whilst the related LIGHTNING HOPKINS IA releases have gained a vinyl-only release. A new YARDBIRDS compilation is available as both a luxurious digipak and double-album showcasing singles and album tracks, as are Charly licensed SMALL FACES and HUMBLE PIE albums, which if no, in the collection of every Shindigger, should be. Hang On Sloopy THE McCOYS cover version filled debut gets a vinyl release. It's not a mindblower, but features major league playing and singing from those so young. On the Soul/Funk front CURTIS MAYFIELDS' stunning debut and … In Chicago gain CD and vinyl releases; both are essential. Curtis was just so wonderful and peace loving… A rather less peace love loving man, JOHNNY CASH, gets his self-titled '57 debut and from '62 his Now Here's… both originally released on the legendary Sun label re-issued in authentic mat card sleeves. Everyone who loves '60s pop should hear these as Cash played such a major influence on the artists we adore. Tales of woe and booze ridden misery follow.
     Of a far more hippy nature is GONG's fifth, and most easily accessible, album Angels Egg. 'Oily Way' stands out from the jazz/prog pieces as a bloody decent pop song. Even more controversial than the dirty, naked, pothead Gong were the Black American street performers from New York, THE LAST POETS. This Is Madness gets a vinyl re-issue and just proves that rap has been around a lot longer than many think. Last of the recent Get Back releases is the vinyl issue of NMC's live at the Rainbow Theatre, '79 BUZZCOCKS performance Small Songs With Big Hearts. When this recorded the band were at their height of popularity and pop-punk classic after classic are performed. Superb!
     The guys and gal at Wah Wah have been busy as well. Not only has Marc Argenter designed the sleeve for the current issue of Shindig (as well as #5's) he's also been letting his creative juices flow over a number of dramatically impressive sleeves for a whole host of Wah Wah Exotica and Spanish Prog. BEN HUNGA & HIS COMBO and ELCHICLES LA LA LA are two albums packed with groovy Hammond based exploitation soundtrack type club bands from Belgium. The sole 1971 album by Spanish female-duo VAINICA DOBLE is chocka full of sweet folk harmonies with acoustic, orchestrated and electric instrumentation Gloria Van Aerssen and Carmen Santonja's songbook is full of haunting, ethereal melodies that combine jazz, folk, rock and psychedelia in a most enticing manner. Sure, elements of the Incredible Stringband, Joan Baez and Leonard Cohen, the Rolling Stones and Beatles, and a plethora of acid-tinged UK folk-rock, psych-pop and American West Cost rock are in evidence. However, this is a distinctly Spanish album. If Wendy & Bonnie, Os Mutantes, Sagittarius or Margo Guryan appeal, this is a must have. It's about time that more people become aware of Vainica Doble! A superb album. ASTRID GILBERTO with Turrentine's '71 effort captures the Brazillian singers move from Bossa Nova to easy inflected '70s jazz. A gem of an album for a Summer's day. On the Spanish Prog front is the immaculately lavish 10" by CEREBRUM. Housed in a gold envelope and featuring poster inlay, with liners, the two super heavy, and especially rare, artefacts of the Madrid Prog scene are collected together on this 10" platter. Great, stoner feel, with obvious pointers towards Hendrix. Not as good, but oddly interesting, is the equally rare TABACO album Desintegracion. Again, there's a psychedelic feel, which seemingly welds together, Procol Harum, Spencer Davis Group and West Coast Rock with groovy jazz feel. However, a number of completely uninspiring R&R revival pieces ruin it.

GEAR FAB RECORDS

     THE CHALLENGERS, a young gang of Puerto Rican students, recorded this fairly decent album in '69. Lots of Santana type guitars, a Rascals soulful edge and a few nice flower-power type ballads like 'Martha Does' (which is a dead ringer for The Strawberry Alarm Clock) go together well, although the covers of 'Blowin' In The Wind' and a Fudged-up version of 'Needles And Pins' are unnecessary. Overall though this is genuinely listenable obscuro. Far less successful are Mexican teens fronted by Canadian ex-pat LOS CHECKMATES whose '67 album is full of competent cover versions of such hits as'No Milk Today' and 'I'm A Believer', although pleasant renditions there really is nothing to sink the teeth into. San Fransiscan trio DAY BLINDNESS fair no better and although a few heavy guitar parts raise the fuzz-o-meter, and the organ is decent, it's just way too much like The Doors to be noteworthy.
     Some psych collectors like THE HAYMARKET SQUARE album, although to me it clearly is the product of a rather bodged up garage band with aspirations to shake off their R&B covers and ape the glorious Airplane. Some love it, I don't.
     One of the best albums Gear Fab have released in some time has to be the sole album by the nutty New York duo MILKWOOD TAPESTRY which really does deserves a place in the '60s Acid-Folk/Wyrd-Folk/Psych-Folk pantheon. The opener 'Beyond The Twelve Mile Zone' mixes searing MC5 full frontal sonic attack with orchestrated folk; a little less jarring perhaps, but this has a similar twisted juxtaposition as The Pretties 'Defecting Grey'. Throughout there is an even mix of fuzz-psych monsters and mellow whimsical affairs rather like Magna Carta, and the Gypsy-Folk sound that was prevalent in the UK in general. The song titles are great too; just dig 'Signs Of The Invisible Chalk', 'Sea Of Marshmellow Bees' and 'The Purple Side Of Sunset'. A genuinely quirky, and intriguing album.
     A lesser string to Gear Fab's bow is THE SOUNDSATIONS release which is somewhat of an odd release for the usual psych/rock label, this '66 frat album and accompanying 45s really is no great shakes. SWEET MARIE's Stuck In Paradise however is far more Gear Fab and sets the label back on track. This mixed race trio who relocated to Hawaii combine the influences of bluesy psych, notably Hendrix, or Buddy Miles, and the West Coast rock sounds of Spirit, with some Sly And The Family Stone hippy soul, and and a genuinely tiki cosmic sound akin to the mythical jungle band of LA Ex-pats Mu. The entire album doesn't work, but in places it's very good indeed. The seeming psych cash-in by T. SWIFT AND THE ELECTRIC BAG, which opens badly with a strange take on 'Are Your Experienced?' soon picks up with a selection of Go-Go instros that wouldn't have been out of place in an AIP exploitation flick. 'A Jet' (in fact 'The Letter') moves along nicely, and 'Free Form in 6' and 'Expo In Sound' are obvious trip-out cash-ins. Still, they sound spot on, and a great deal like the soundtrack that The Strawberry Alarm Clock and pseudo-group Storybook provided for Psych Out.
     Finally an interesting series for garage/psych buffs will be the PSYCHEDELIC STATES series, which Gear Fab have now completed five volumes. All are good, though of course repeat material from other such collections. Carrying on the tradition of Greg Shaw's High In The Mid-60s these focus on regions. The sound is great, and with 28-30 cuts per volume featuring a few rare treats along the way these aren't to be snubbed at. 'nuff said?
Jon' Mojo' Mills

THE CHILDREN
Rebirth (Gear Fab) CD
     At almost 78 minutes, you certainly get your money's worth on this one! This is not so much an album as a family tree. Beginning in 1966, two garage / frat bands, The Stoics (whose 'Hate' was a garage compilation staple in the 1980s reissue scene) and The Argyles made a few singles, compiled here as the first six tracks. Members from both became The Children in 1967, but whose debut recording went under the moniker of The Mind's Eye (as part of the opening of psych club of the same name). Their one and only number Help, I'm Lost, is a stone cold psychploitation classic, and would have been a worthy follow up to Max Frost & The Trooper's Wild In The Streets! These cuts are followed by the Children's twelve track Rebirth LP proper, originally released on Cinema in 1968. It's a good representation of the period in which it was recorded, mixing fuzz laden heavy psych with aching wistful ballads, pseudo-vaudeville throwaways and an excellent toy-town pop-psycher in Maypole. Don't Ever Lose It blends Floyd era Syd with shades of End-like Introspection whilst a number of the other cuts are reminiscent of the omnipresent Jefferson Airplane (again, see also Spikedrivers review), Picture Me for instance. The female vocals of Cassell Webb feature solo (as on the achingly beautiful southern sounding piano led upbeat ballad, Force Of Habit which ends the disc) and in tandem with Stephen Peron's appealing tonsils! Being the kind of lineage based anthology that it is, there is plenty of room for reflection on how the times they-were-a-changin'. Most noticeably in the comparison of the Stoics garage monster Enough Of What I Need from 1966 and it's equivalent revamping by The Children as a psych monster two years later. The liners are detailed and interesting as the all-to familiar story of bad breaks and drug induced problems that cause the band to fold etc. but this is a recorded legacy not to be sneezed at and a worthy addition to any 60s collection.
Paul Martin

THE OXFORDS
Flying Through The Sky (Gear Fab, CD)
     This Louisville band's 1970 album is an absolutely essential collection of sunshine pop/psych, with the tenderness of The Sunshine Company and Peanut Butter Conspiracy, Eternity's Children, and a touch of Airplane lsergia. 'My World', 'Lighter Than Air' and 'Flying Up Through The Sky' are orchestrated harmony-pop delights whilst 'Sung At Harvest Time' and 'Two Poems by E. E Cummings' are more cosmic, carried by wind chimes and flute. The second side is far more rocky; 'Come On Round' starts as an Airplane styled number, but unfortunately gets a bit wanky, 'Young Girls Lament' is Wah-Wah driven rock, and 'Trix Rabbit' a gentle piece (more in line with material on side one) possesses a Beatles vibe. The remainder of the CD is filled with the band's garage/punk and post-album sides. Debut 'Time And Place' is a moody, yet commercial piece of fuzz driven garage-pop and the flip, a cover of 'Always Something There To Remind Me', is a dead-ringer for The Choir. Follow up, 'Sun Flower Sun' a UK psych inspired piece, is incredibly fab. 'Your Own Way' (the flip of the stupid 'Come On Back To Beer' 45 from '70) sounds like Carly Simon fronting Badfinger. The last four cuts were recorded in '72 with a heavily trimmed down band, and continue in a singer-songwriter/jazzy rock/good time feel that easily compete with any of the huge names of the era.
     All styles the band attempted were successful, and this great compilation is well worth purchasing.
Jon 'Mojo' Mills