LORI BURTON
Breakout (Rev-Ola; CD)
     This is one of those memorable cases of "East meets West"; only here we're talking about East London and West Connecticut. Lori Burton and Pam Sawyer were a song writing team who'd had success with tunes penned for Lulu, Patti LaBelle, and The Young Rascals, among others. Along with a prolific pen, Burton had a strong set of pipes, so she recorded some Burton/Sawyer originals for Breakout, which was released in the U.S. in 1967, on Mercury Records. Breakout is a delight from start to finish, and is definitely the kind of album one might expect from a couple of good, versatile songwriters-for-hire, as it's an amalgam of various styles which, fortunately, Burton has the vocal chops to pull off. You get some cool, blue-eyed soul ('Gotta Make You Love Me; 'There Is No Way To Stop Lovin' You'), torchy numbers ('Since I Lost Your Lovin'; 'The Hurt Won't Go Away') worthy of Lorraine Ellison or Evie Sands, sweeping, Cher-like ballads ('Love Was'; 'Only Your Love'), complete with a spot on Bono/Nitzche-styled production, and 'Bye, Bye Charlie,' which could have been a hit for Neil Diamond. With all of that going for the album, the one track on Breakout which really stands out (for better or worse, depending on your point of view) is its coda, 'Nightmare,' which may very well win the title of the most dramatic 'my boyfriend's dead and there's gonna be trouble' song (see 'Leader Of The Pack and 'Condition Red', among others).
     This Rev-Ola reissue contains three bonus tracks: the original 45 of 'Nightmare' (originally credited to The Whyte Boots, a supposed trio of girls who never really existed, except in photos), and mono single versions of 'The Hurt Won't Go Away' and 'Bye, Bye Charlie'.
     With the glut of girl-group reissues over the past few years, it's astonishing that this album hasn't been reissued until today, but thankfully now we can file this one under 'FINALLY!'.
www.revola.co.uk
David Bash  

THE CHOCOLATE WATCHBAND
Melts In Your Brain Not On Your Wrist (Big Beat; 2-CD)
     Discounting the embarrassingly awful title this is a superb double CD - with a twist. Splitting the tracks between the 'real '66 band' and the 'studio bands' (and even featuring three new re-dubbed vocals by Aguilar) the running order of the three original albums is subsequently disrupted, but what unfolds is perhaps the truest aural portrait of this great, but unfortunate, Californian band.
     'Are You Gonna Be There (At The Love In)?' was my personal introduction to the Watchband as an eager-to-learn-more 14 year old and proud recent owner of Nuggets: Punk Vol. 2. I was gob smacked. It wasn't long until I tracked down the Rhino Best Of and became a badge wearing Watchband fan... and don't get me started on how my teenaged garage combo The Nuthins spent hours trying to emulate the band's look. I know we weren't the only ones! The Chocolate Watchband was a cult, and one of the coolest sounding and looking garage/psych bands to break through to new ears in the 1980s! For me to go any further would be silly... every SD reader knows this...
     And now, twenty plus years on comes this corkin' set. Containing all of the bands 1960s recordings, a good selection of unseen pictures and thorough liners which tell the whole story this may well be the final word on this enigmatic band. Highly advised, even if you do own all of the previous reissues.
www.acerecords.co.uk
Jon 'Mojo' Mills

THE COWSILLS
We Can Fly (Collector's Choice; CD)
     The Cowsills have been unjustifiably bagged on for several years, for being "too bubblegum" (as if that's a bad thing), for being lightweight (as if that's a bad thing), and for being "like The Partridge Family" (as if that's a bad thing). If you've heard these things about The Cowsills and have chosen to believe them, one listen to the their best album, We Can Fly, should change your mind. While the songs can essentially be classified as sunshine pop music, there is a lot of depth here, and you don't have to listen too closely to find it. Each song on We Can Fly is marked by some of the most dizzying, clever, and gorgeous vocal and instrumental arrangements you've ever heard, courtesy of Artie Schroeck, Herb Bernstein, and Charlie Calello. These guys have the knack of making strings, horns, and harp intermingle in such a way as to virtually speak their own language. We Can Fly is also the first Cowsills album on which singer/songwriters Bill and Bob Cowsill take the production reigns, and this too is a resounding success. The album opens with the hit title track, which takes the feeling of carefree to a whole new level, celebrating the simple joys of being alive. The similar sounding 'Grey Sunny Day' does a nice job of musically masking some downer vibes. The Cowsills could do maudlin as well; the beautiful 'In Need Of A Friend' and 'A Time For Remembrance' will definitely coax a tear or two. Though The Cowsills name never comes to mind when one thinks of a 'touring band', their 'Mr. Flynn' is a true-to-life tale of their trials and tribulations on the road. In some ways the most remarkable track on the album is 'Heaven Held', as it might be the most 'British' sounding tune ever done by a late '60s American pop band who weren't necessarily trying to achieve that; its string and vocal arrangements are not unlike those of Grapefruit.
     The sound quality of this reissue is top drawer, and the liners include some nice track annotations by Bob Cowsill. The only black mark on this reissue is the track listing on the back cover; not only is it almost entirely in the wrong order, but the one track they got in the right position, 'We Can Fly', is labelled as the 'mono album version', when in fact it is not. Somebody at Collector's Choice deserves a good whacking! Other than that it was a fine job, and a wise choice to reissue a criminally neglected album by a criminally neglected band.
www.collectorschoicemusic.com
David Bash

JACKIE DESHANNON
Breakin' It Up On The Beatles Tour!(RPM; CD)
     Although this 1964 album (as the title explains) was released on the back of Jackie's 1964 tour with The Beatles, it wasn't a live set recorded on said jaunt. Instead, Liberty cashed in on the Brit Invasion and Jackie's sideline involvement by releasing this compilation of tracks recorded between 1962-'64… 'Needles & Pins' and 'When You Walk In The Room', the classics that anticipated Mersey-jangle and US folk-rock, are of course included, along with forays into Spector-ish pop, MOR and rock and roll, which are all performed with gusto.
www.rpmrecords.co.uk
Jon 'Mojo' Mills

DONOVAN
Donovan (Epic; 4-CD Box)
     2005 has been something of a monumental year for the Don. The bulk of his seminal '60s albums were given the super-duper expansion and reissue treatment (reviewed here) and now we have the long-awaited autobiography The Hurdy Gurdy Man and accompanying box set - remarkably the first ever such collection of his work, 1992's Troubadour double disc set being the last and best career overview.
     Housed in a luxurious purple velour box and containing a beautiful, informative 60 page booklet bulging with superb photos and reminiscences, the set contains three CDs of music covering Don's prolific 40 year career and a DVD featuring a 1970 documentary of Don and his band Open Road bumming around the Greek islands with their guitars, testing new material on the welcoming locals and gazing mystically into dazzling sunsets whilst intoning poetry and anecdotes in that curiously Californian Glasgow lilt. You know the score – Don fans will lap it up, others will scoff at his cosmic leanings and contrived hobo-isms.
     The musical content veers away from the usual box set trick of mixing the familiar with the unreleased (and thereby often leaving a gaping hole in the middle for many potential buyers) by focusing on the strengths of Don's released work. For those seeking more prime-era demos and out-takes, check out those individual album reissues. Disc one takes us from the timeless debut 'Catch The Wind' to Don's late 1966 swinging London apogee 'Sunny South Kensington'; disc two from the garage-y US hit 'Epistle To Dippy' to the five-minute epic 'Atlantis'; disc three from the irresistible 1971 rebirth 'Celia Of The Seals' (actually cut two years earlier) to the obligatory newly-recorded cut, 'Happiness Runs' which stays so close to the 1969 original as to render it virtually indistinguishable, excepting a slight tremor in Don's still crystalline voice. A highlight of disc two is the quartet of late 1967 live cuts from the Anaheim Convention Centre, showing Don at the peak of his pulling power and smack dab in the middle of his return to the acoustic folk style that makes disc two of A Gift From A Flower To A Garden such a joy. The unreleased 1968 reading of traditional staple 'She Moved Through The Fair' gives us an enchanting glimpse into what a true Donovan folk album may have sounded like.
     The real revelation here is the continuing quality of his oft overlooked (oft? Jeez, you're even starting to sound like the guy! - Ed) '70s output. 'Sailing Homeward' from the Andrew Oldham-produced 1974 set Essence To Essence ranks alongside 'Celeste' and 'Lalena' as one of Don's most affecting ballads while 'Your Broken Heart' from the same year's 7-Tease tantalisingly straddles the line between mawkish MOR and profound beauty but always comes out on the side of the latter.
     It's tempting to dismiss the post-heyday work of an artist such as Donovan and, let's face it, there are scores of them whose crass exercises in bloated tastelessness deserve every barbed comment. But here, even on 'Please Don't Bend' from 1994's Rick Rubin-produced 'comeback' album Sutras, it feels like not a day has passed since those heady days of the '60s and '70s.
     One man and his guitar with some beautiful songs to sing.
www.donovan.ie
Andy Morten

EVOLUTION
Evolution (Wah Wah; LP/digipak CD)
     Based in Barcelona, the mighty Evolution was comprised (more or less) of three krauts, Spanish guitarist Antonio Ponce and ace Jamaican organist T.J. Brown. They managed to squeeze these recordings into a frenzied schedule of balling, boozing and gobbling down LSD like candy between late '69/ early '72. And brother, whatta glorious grab bag it is too.
     We're talkin' proto-hard rock blitzed! ('Dr. Vasquez'), punchy purple pilled attack ('She's So Fine', 'Water'), uptown classy 'n' brassy pop-soul ('You Don't Love Me Baby', 'I Must Live') plus some deliriously hefty makeovers of '21^st Century Schizoid Man', 'Get Ready' and 'Fresh Garbage' (so beloved by clued up faces for its major league danceability) all sewn together with scattered eruptions o' fuzz, fierce Hammond swells and Det Ferring's larynx to there. Phew! Cats had talent, baby. Miles of it, in fact.
     Reissued on WAH-WAH, complete with 4 songs extra and pix/info-laden insert to boot.
mailorder@wah-wahsupersonic.com
Rex Thompson

THE FOUR LEVELS OF EXISTENCE
The Four Levels Of Existence (Lion Productions; CD)
     Primitive fuzz rock stuff is kinda endearing. And the funny thing is that even though the fuzz pedal is on full it's really more pop orientated than heavy… The soloing is quite cool, but overdone, and the simple melodies soon wash over you. It's pretty incomparable though and the sung Greek language is an added twist. If you're looking for Greek-Garage-Trad folk-Fuzz-Drone-Avant-Garde-Prog… look no further.
lionproductions@earthlink.net
Jon 'Mojo' Mills

JESSE HECTOR
Gorilla Garage: The Jesse Hector Story (RPM; CD)
     Ah yes… Jesse Hector. Ex-top mod luminary, handsome at 55+, full o' spark, extolling the virtues o' The Jook, Edison Lighthouse(?!) and plaid flared turn-ups cuffed just right. Yes sir, a man of impeccable taste.
     Okay – the nitty-gritty (1970-'74). Lookin' for some long lost, freshly exhumed heavy punk up-heevil by Crushed Butler? No dice. Butcha do get two from Dig The Fuzz's Uncrushed 10" (Now reissued on RPM and reviewed next month - Ed) ya scored back in '98. Some rare Hammersmith Gorillas killas then? Say 'Shame Shame Shame'? 'Fraid not, tho' their familiar 'You Really Got Me' b/w 'Leavin' Home' is here, as is Helter Skelter's super-fat fuzz 'n' distorto glam-gone-garbage double-sider 'I Need You' (previously comp'd on RPM's Glitterbest - naughty) b/w 'Goodbye Baby'. Yeah, lemmee at it!
     Alas, marred by Mr Hectors sneering faux-rockabilly growl to the fore, late '70s punk legends The Gorillas and his early '90s projects J. Hector And The Gatecrashers/ J. Hector And The Sound (who come across like a sort beefed up Mighty Caesars/Headcoats) take up the remainder o' Gorilla Garage. Drag.
     Usual top-notch RPM package, which includes a lavish foldout jammed with extensive liners and wicked band photos.
www.rpmrecords.co.uk
Rex Thompson

HOJAS
Mis Suenos Piden (Lion Productions; CD)
     Although this has been compared to the work of fellow South American pop band We All Together, Uruguayans Hojas are a little more upbeat than the Peruvian's moody semi-psych approach. The 1973 album Mis Suenos Piden presents the band as a relatively straight-ahead pop/rock band, who when things slip can become a tad MOR. However, in general the twin guitar work is quite impressive and the songs relatively enjoyable. The only problem I have is the semi-crooned Spanish vocals. Still, the original songs are interesting and their Spanish take on Badfinger's 'Without You' is far better than it should be. In short, Hojas are a wholesome if unessential piece of the rich tapestry of early '70s South American power pop.
lionproductions@earthlink.net
Jon 'Mojo' Mills

JOSEPH
Stoned Aged Man (Radioactive; CD)
     This excellent album is the product of Joseph (singer and guitarist, Joseph Longeria and backing band) who combine psych tinged rock with a touch of The Doors, Beefheart and Johnny Winter, electronics and a vibrant bluesy/soul edge. It's not as clear-cut as that, but it'll at least give you a guideline. I'm Gonna Build A Line' is actually somewhat cinematic while calling 'Gotta Get Away' snotty, fuzz inflected garage-punk wouldn't be inaccurate.
     As it's all pretty much dance floor friendly this little gem is destined to become a cult classic with everyone from swinging mods through to the cut and paste crew. Definitely one to check out.
www.radioactiverecords.com
Jon 'Mojo' Mills

THE LIMITS
The Earley Daze: 1965-1968 (Luxury; CD)
     There's nothing particularly bad to say about this 22-track collection of Pennsylvanian garage courtesy of The Limits: a young, local band who bashed out primo-Brit Invasion, folk-rock and soul material. None of these recordings were ever released, so for garage archaeologists this will be of interest, but in all honesty The Limits never break boundaries. Plain and simply, they were a pimply-faced pop band. Still, that's not to say that band originals like the gentle Mersey folk-rocker 'He'll Make You Cry' and the later moody psych/harmony-pop of 'The Key', 'I Lost What I Need' and 'Free As the Wind' aren't any good. In fact, they're rather neat. It's just that on this CD the proliferation of cover versions are somewhat uninspired.
http://www.ricklevy.com/thelimits.htm
Jon 'Mojo' Mills

LIMONADA
Limonada (Lion Productions; CD)
     Uruguayans Limonada combine soul, folk, surrealism, latin jazz, comedy and fuzzy psych with what I imagine to be scathing political commentaries… to compare them to Os Mutantes would be too obvious, but there are indeed more than a few similarities; they're just not quite as good or hard rockin'. Imagine Os Mutantes coming from a straighter beat band/garage background and you're halfway there. Nevertheless there're a huge variety of styles spread across the twelve tracks on this 1970 album and it never gets boring. This will certainly become a grower that demands repeated listening.
lionproductions@earthlink.net
Jon 'Mojo' Mills

LIVERPOOL ECHO
Liverpool Echo (Rev-Ola; CD)
     More Mersey-inspired albums have been recorded than you can shake a Beatle Wig at, and no doubt the purists among you will blanche at the thought of yet another one being reissued, but make no mistake: this album by Liverpool Echo is one of the best. The band was essentially the work of Brian Engel and Martin Briley, who had originally teamed up in the late '60s with the band Mandrake Paddle Steamer. A few years later they joined forces with a former member of the UK psych band The Syn (also featuring Chris Squire), Andrew Pryce Jackman, who had recently had some activity as a producer. With Jackman at the helm, Engel and Briley brought on some extra musicians to record Liverpool Echo, which was originally released in 1973 on Spark Records. Unlike most other bands with 'Liverpool' in their handles, Liverpool Echo was not from the home of The Beatles; they were actually from London. The name was chosen to reflect their unashamedly retro Merseyesque sound, and they even went as far as to use a front page of the like-named newspaper as their album cover art! At any rate, Liverpool Echo is a marvellous disc of wonderful early Beatles influenced tunes. The guys had a gift for crafting numbers that were vaguely reminiscent of particular Beatles songs. For example, 'Girl Said To Me' will remind one of 'Slow Down', 'Seems Like Today Will Never End' is similar in structure to 'Till There Was You', 'If I Told You Once' is not unlike a cross between 'I'm Down' and 'Bad Boy', and 'Don't You Know I've Been Lying' puts a slightly different spin on 'I Call Your Name'. All of these are delightful, and far from the usual fare of rip-offs, but the songs on the album which stand more on their own that prove to be the best. The opener, 'You Might As Well Surrender,' wraps a classic Mersey-styled melody over a 'My Girl' guitar line, 'You Know It Feels Right' is spiked by some mournful harmonica, and 'Girl On A Train,' with its alternating ascending/descending chords, is really lovely.
     The liner notes on this reissue, penned by Mark A. Johnston, paint a vivid picture of the band's history. Sadly, there are no bonus tracks herein. The album had been hurriedly recorded by the band in one week, and Spark didn't give the band the studio time to do anything more. However, as many of you know, the saga didn't end there for Martin Briley; ten years later he would sport the big solo hit 'Salt In My Tears,' and he's long been one of the chief songwriters at Sir Paul McCartney's MPL Communications, penning tunes for several superstars. However, Liverpool Echo is surely his most shining moment in the sun. Once again, dame fortune has smiled upon us with another unlikely reissue that only Rev-Ola would have the good taste and sense to do. Bravo!!
www.revola.co.uk
David Bash

EVIE SANDS
Any Way That You Want Me (Rev-Ola; CD)
     A most welcome reissue from Rev-Ola of this 1970 set from Evie Sands, the pop/soul chanteuse best known for recording the original versions of 'I Can't Let Go', 'Take Me For A Little While' and 'Angel Of The Morning', only to then have the glory snatched by other artistes' inferior cover versions. (The Hollies? Might as well have been Freddie And The Dreamers!) (Editor: Awww c'mon, The Hollies are GREAT!!!). It's a really rather epic set of ballads in a southern country-pop-soul style, reminiscent of Dusty In Memphis with the talents of Chip Taylor and Al Gorgoni at the helm, with plenty of tasty guitar licks and fluid bass set against nice strings and acoustic guitars. They've got some pretty wigged out arrangements on offer too ,check out 'Crazy Annie' ,the album's opener with its echo-laden multi-layered vocals wrapped around Sands' tale of Crazy Annie and a boy named Joe. Elsewhere we get classy ballads a la 'I'll Never Be Alone Again', Memphis-style horns in 'Close Your Eyes, Cross Your Fingers' and huge pop choruses in 'Any Way That You Want Me' and 'Take Me For A Little While'. .Oh, and an out and out corker in 'I'll Hold Out My Hand'.
     As ever with Rev-Ola it's lovingly and painstakingly packaged ,with sleeve note contributions from Chip Taylor, Al Gorgoni and from Evie Sands herself. Very nice pictures too.
     Really, really classy and thoroughly recommended.
www.revola.co.uk
Graeme "Snowy Avalanche" Smith

SUNLIGHT
Creation Of Sunlight (Lion Productions; CD)
     This isn't a great record by any means, but it does have a charming, Strawberry Alarm Clock vibe about it and a few pleasing, if hardly memorable, songs. Sure, it's one of those albums that get collectors hot under the collar, but I'd opt for the Alarm Clock's better songs and performances any day. Nevertheless, it's worth investigating if slightly naive late '60s sunshine/pop/psych with an almost raw garage edge appeals. I know many adore it, but it hasn't really registered with me. Why don't you order a copy and make up your own mind?
lionproductions@earthlink.net
Jon 'Mojo' Mills

VARIOUS ARTISTS
Children Of Nuggets (Rhino; 4-CD Box)
     Children Of Nuggets is just what the title would imply: a collection of tunes by artists who were greatly influenced by the garage, punk, psychedelic, and beat music of the mid to late '60s. And what a collection it is; 100 (count 'em) tracks over four discs, complete with the lavish booklet for which Rhino had become known with its original Nuggets boxes. Most of the tunes herein are from the '80s, when the neo-"insert relevant '60s style here"' revival was at its most prolific, although there are a few '70s and '90s tunes added for taste and variety. Compilers Gary Stewart and Alec Palao did an excellent job in picking the cream of the luminaries and lesser-known lights from the crop, but then one would expect that given the experience and good taste of these gentlemen. The best tracks and artists are, of course, too numerous to mention, but among the luminaries are Flamin' Groovies ('I Can't Hide'; 'I'll Cry Alone'), The Barracudas ('We're Living In Violent Times'; 'I Can't Pretend'), The Last ('She Don't Know Why I'm Here'; 'L.A. Explosion'), The Long Ryders ('And She Rides'), The Smithereens ('Strangers When We Meet'; 'Beauty And Sadness'); Lyres ('Help You Ann'; 'Don't Give It Up Now'), The Bevis Frond ('Lights Are Changing'), The Fleshtones ('The Girl From Baltimore'; 'The World Has Changed') and The Fuzztones ('Bad News Travels Fast'). One must also give Palao and Stewart lots of credit for plucking the XTC alter-egos The Dukes Of Stratosphear (their 1987 7" 'Vanishing Girl' may be the best '60s hit that never was), Aussie garage purveyors The Stems ('She's Fine'; 'Love Will Grow'), Sun Dial ('Plains Of Nazca'), and The Vipers ('Tears Only Dry'; 'Cheated And Lied'), as well as for including what may very well be the best song on this entire collection, 'The Trains' by The Nashville Ramblers (who, like The Nashville Teens, weren't actually from Nashville). Also, you gotta give the boys their props for including bands you wouldn't really associate with that Nuggets sound but nevertheless had songs that truly fit, like Screaming Trees ('Transfiguration') and Inspiral Carpets ('Weakness'). This collection also won't let us forget that the girls could rock as well as the boys, as 'It's About Time' by The Pandoras and 'The Real World' by The Bangles can stand as tall as anything else on the box.
     Along with these numerous plaudits come some caveats. Despite what Palao says in his liner notes, there were many bands left off who were just as worthy as those who were included, and some of these exclusions raise specific questions. For example, if you're going to include The dB's, why not their compatriots Let's Active, whose 'Writing The Book Of Last Pages' was more germane to this kind of music than anything The dB's ever did. If The Spongetones, then why not The Subtones, a great German band whose Boys Want Fun LP contained the kind of Mersey-inspired nuggets which also infused garage and psychedelia into the mix. If The Optic Nerve, then why not The Nerve, an even better psych-pop band from the early '90s. Also, if they were going to use two tracks by Teenage Fanclub on Children Of Nuggets, couldn't they have included even one by the equally worthy Velvet Crush? Yes, of course one could raise similar points about any box set, but this situation could have been greatly alleviated on Children Of Nuggets had they not used two tracks by so many of the artists. Had there only been one track to a customer, it would have opened up room for so many other worthy bands. Furthermore, some of the chosen tracks didn't really reflect the character of the box. The two Posies tracks, 'I May Hate You Sometimes' and 'Apology', while clearly great tunes, don't really have much relation to that Nuggets sound. A much better choice would have been 'My Big Mouth', as it has at least a vague resemblance to The Move. Also, the final track on the box, 'Tracy Hide' by The Wondermints, while being an absolutely gorgeous song, has much more in common with Pet Sounds than with Revolver; had either 'Proto Pretty' or 'Global Village Idiot' been chosen instead, the Nuggets ethos would have been much better retained.
     Yes, of course there are licensing, economics, and personal taste issues involved, but let's face it, Rhino Records is to box sets as Michael Jordan is to basketball, and so they must be held to the highest possible standard. When Michael Jordan scored "only" 25 points in a basketball game, he too was given criticism along with the praise. But when it came right down to it his team always needed him, and when it comes right down to it everyone reading this needs to own Children Of Nuggets.
www.rhino.com
David Bash

VARIOUS ARTISTS
Diggin' For Gold Volumes 9 & 10 (Smorgasbord; LPs)
     After a long hiatus they're back with a bang! Two new volumes in this well regarded global garage series. The cover design continues with the gold and black masthead with a b/w band photo with liners on the back sleeve and look as attractive as the rest in the series. Musically, there's a good mixture of garage friendly styles. Both volumes build strongly as they progress and feature some really cool tunes. Vol.9 kicks of with The Pastels' 'Circuit Breaker' that chugs along nicely, threatening to take off into the outer limits but it never actually does. Winning sides include The Sires sultry and moody 'Don't Look Now', the big fuzz sound of Knights of The Roads' 'Color Of Dream' and the garage folk rock stylings of The Piggy Bank's 'Thoughts of You' and The Cutaways' 'Hold Me'. Garage pop comes in the attractive form of Crystal Revelation's 'Life' and The Empty Streets' 'You Gonna make It'. Vol.10 is perhaps marginally the stronger of the two volumes, but I wouldn't want to miss either of 'em. The kick off track here is a strong one; Thee Sixpence's 'Heart Full of Rain' is a fully loaded pre- Strawberry Alarm Clock delight. More killer garage tracks follow in the form of the unpromising sounding Chosen Few From St Michaels whose 'Get In On Life' is a stone-cold classic, great fuzz tone, great tune played stridently and with confidence. Also The Brics' unissued acetate only 'I'm Losing' is a fabulous garage find. Why wasn't it issued at the time?? There's some novelty in the shape of Attila & The Huns whose 'Mojo Cools' is a steal of The Sonics 'The Witch' with different lyrics. There's some real nice kiddie pop too believe it or not; Buddy's Buddies' 'Tell Me What I See' features a kid backed by session musos (see the liners for the full story). Sanz Inc.'s 'I'm Gonna Leave You' and The Insites' 'Nothing Is Wrong With Love' are also worth your ear time. Overall two more quality additions to the series. Prizes both, so at 500 copies each, don't miss 'em!
www.heyday-mo.com
Paul Martin

VARIOUS ARTISTS
One Kiss Can Lead To Another: Girl Group Sounds, Lost & Found (Rhino; 4-CD Set)
     Manna has definitely fallen from the gods in the latest box set from Rhino Records, One Kiss Can Lead To Another: Girl Group Sounds, Lost & Found, a veritable smorgasbord of Girl Group nuggets. Producers Gary Stewart and Sheryl Farber have done an excellent job culling the cream of Girl Group sounds, choosing to emphasize lesser-known songs by well-known artists and completely obscure gems by completely obscure girls, and this approach is what makes the box very special. You've got to give Rhino their props for eschewing convention and not including the usual sprinkling of hits in order to make people "feel secure enough" to buy it.
     Let's get the potentially negative stuff out of the way. Some people, when looking at the track listing, will raise the following questions:

a. how can a comprehensive Girl Group box not include tracks produced by the Girl Group guru to end all Girl Group gurus, Phil Spector?

b. why are there so few Motown tracks?

VARIOUS ARTISTS
New Rubble Volume 3: Watch Your Step (Past & Present/Radioactive; CD)
     While most of us appreciate that Radioactive's appropriation of the esteemed Rubble brand name is at best cheeky and at worst downright scurrilous, there's no denying that the label seems to be looking for a place at the forefront of the current '60s compilation and reissue scene.
     New Rubble Volume 3 (brrr… it still doesn't sit right with me) follows its two predecessors (reviewed last month) by being a strictly generic selection. So after 'cleanbeat' and 'prog-psych' we get '20 superb slices of primal British beat'. Alarm bells are already ringing before I put the disc into the player. Why the hell are these guys so quick to cash in on the Rubble moniker with material that awkwardly orbited, rather than defining the original Rubble ethos anyway? Surely that's what gave Past & Present's own That Driving Beat series its appeal?
     Anyway, putting ethical issues and personal gripes aside for one moment, what we're left with here is a bunch of singles released between 1963 and 1966, selected by fan and expert Nick Saloman, that variously recall early Stones, Animals, Yardbirds and Merseybeat sides, often adorned with crude, rumbling Joe Meek style productions. Sadly, much of the snot and most of the personality appears to have been removed somewhere along the way. For those of you who revel in hearing yet another provincial beat combo muddle their way through 'Boom Boom', 'Midnight Special' or 'Watch Your Step' there's plenty to get excited about here. For those of us who don't there's The Blue Chips' 'Some Kind Of Lovin'' (a splendid dead ringer for The Animals' 'Don't Bring Me Down'), The Toggery Five's moody, Zombies-like 'It's So Easy' and Michael Leslie's tricksy Pete Dello-penned 'Make Up Or Break Up' to maintain some pop thrills.
     The packaging and liner notes are fine, even if the Alice In Wonderland-esque artwork hardly befits the 'primal' nature of the sounds contained within. What is inexcusable however is that several cuts suffer from hisses of nasty digital interference. Let's just hope that the forthcoming Volume 4: Utopia Daydream not only takes us back to the pop-psych territory befitting the series' inspiration but tightens up on the quality control too.
www.radioactiverecords.com
Andy Morten