ANDROMEDA
The Originals (Angel Air; CD)
     "What, again?" I hear you cry. Well, yes and no. For a band who were essentially a stepping stone between the mod-psych of The Attack and the prog bombast of Atomic Rooster, Andromeda has enjoyed more than its fair share of reissues. This time, however (we're reliable informed by main man John Du Cann), we're hearing the band's lone 1969 RCA album in it's original band-approved ten track format as rejected by the label for being "too long" and in a superior, previously unreleased mix.
     To be fair, it's a cracking album – almost the perfect example of the post-Hendrix/Cream Brit power trio approach to hard rock that thrived in the Universities and converted bingo hall circuit at the fag end of the '60s. There's lots of sledgehammer riffing (Du Cann's Telecaster positively fizzes throughout), some tasteful jazz meandering, a healthy dose of Eastern-flavoured psychedelic decoration and just enough dramatically delivered doom-laden lyrics to keep a smile on your face. Conversely, there's little in the way of the overwrought pomp that weighed down much of the progressive pop scene, an obligatory but brief dip into "Mars" from Holst's The Planets Suite during "Return To Sanity" notwithstanding. These were working class guys, shit hot after years of slogging around the country every night in a beaten-up Commer van and it shows in every sweat-sodden groove here.
     The 'new' mix is clear and slightly lighter to my ears and the missing tracks "Lonely Streets" and "Ocean Song" are both superb. It's a shame therefore that the accompanying non-album single, a fiery re-working of The Attack's "Go Your Way", isn't included, reducing the desirability of this otherwise excellent release.
www.angelair.co.uk
Andy Morten

THE DENTISTS
Some People Are On The Pitch They Think It's All Over It Is Now (Rev-Ola; CD)
     Many readers are already familiar with The Dentists, but more so for their '90s indie-rock output than for this less renowned psychedelic masterpiece. Some People Are On The Pitch They Think It's All Over It Is Now definitely wins the award for the longest album title without punctuation, as well as one for being perhaps the best example of the neo-psych movement of the '80s, in large part because it puts a wholly original spin on things as it combines traditional styles with a contemporary (at the time) flavor. Lead vocalist Michael Murphy sounds quite a bit like Morrisey, but without the faux preciousness that marred (pun intended) some Smiths tunes, and the album's rather dark overtones combined with lots and lots of jangly guitars creates a sound not unlike a meeting of The Smiths and Love. Excellent up tempo tunes like "Flowers Around Me," "You Make Me Say It Somehow," "Tangerine," and the appropriately titled "One Of Our Psychedelic Beakers Is Missing" sit side by side with cool ballads like "Mary Won't Come Out To Play," "Kinder Still," "Everything In The Garden," and the Rickenbacker-drenched "The Arrow Points To The Spot". This reissue appends three bonus tracks, including their classic, oft-comped psych single, "Strawberries Are Growing In My Garden (And It's Wintertime)," and a pretty snappy tune called "Doreen".
     If this album were recorded in 2005 instead of 1985, and the powers that be at Rainbow Quartz got hold of it, the band's John Hancocks would be on a contract before you could say "Tony Bastable". That's how good, and genuine, this disc really is!
www.revola.co.uk
David Bash

DOLENZ, JONES BOYCE & HART
Dolenz, Jones Boyce & Hart (el; CD)
     A mid-'70s Monkees comeback album really should be throwaway material, but I actually quite enjoy it. Released on Capitol in 1976 on the rebound of the previous summer's re-union tour with wunderkind writer's Boyce and Hart replacing Nesmith and Tork the spirit of the '60s is remoulded into a mid-'70s bubblepop confection only let down by the few turgid AOR ballads, a stupid novelty song and a poor version of 'Teenager In Love'. When the band (?) tackles Beatles inspired power pop with the instantly likeable 'It Always Hurts More In The Morning', an update/re-write of 'Stepping Stone' ('You Didn't Feel That Way Last Night (Don't You Remember)') or the closest The Monkees could get to hard rock ('Moonfire') the results are rather good. Closer 'Sweet Heart Attack' even takes us back to the sound of Headquarters admirably. Okay, there is the rather unmistakable mid-'70s production throughout and a few major mistakes along the way to contend with, but Dolenz's singing is the best of his career and some of the songs are bona fide Monkees classics. Honestly. If only contemporary American fat power pop bands sounded this good!
www.elrecords.co.uk
Jon 'Mojo' Mills

THE FIRST CLASS
Summer Sound Sensations (RPM; CD)
     Session men-come-group The First Class, navigated by songwriter supreme John Carter (Ivy League, Flowerpot Men, Friends (read the story of psych classic 'Mythological Sunday' in Shindig! #7 – order now via Paypal www.shindig-magazine.com/news.html)), entered the pop charts in 1974 with the nostalgic pop mega-production, and the most memorable record of that summer, 'Beach Baby'. With tongues set firmly in cheek and tunes conjured from the heavens Tony Burrows, Chas Mills, Clare Torry, Neil Lancaster and leader John Carter existed between 1974 and 1977 veering between mid-60s pastiches, country-tinged soft-rock, studio experiments, whizz kid stuff and a wee bit of fromage… The superb 'Beach Baby' (an equal in over the top mid-'70s pop to The Raspberries' 'Overnight Sensation') may have never been matched, but occasional chestnuts like the 20/20 era Beach Boys inspired 'What Became Of Me' and 'I Was Always The Joker', cinematic opus 'Carry On Singing My Song' or the ambitious songs from the unreleased third album which encompassed Dylan, Philly Soul and country are all of a high standard and certainly worth owning. We love this enigmatic, secretive writer's work and as it's been said that I somewhat resemble the early '70s Carter I really have to admire him. Summer Sound Sensations bookends RPM and Rev-Ola's Carter catalogue nicely.
www.rpmrecords.co.uk
Jon 'Mojo' Mills

THE FUN AND GAMES
Elephant Candy (Rev-Ola; CD)
     Definitely file this one under the now common "I'd long hoped for, but never thought possible, the release of this album on CD". Though The Fun and Games were borne from the ashes of the Houston, Texas garage-rock band, A-440, they became arguably the best pop band to ever come out of that city, and although Elephant Candy has long been cited among enthusiasts as one of the best soft-pop albums to have ever been recorded, in truth the album is a somewhat unique hybrid of soft-pop and bubblegum, with most of the tunes written by the legendary Gary Zekley. Tracks like the chart hit "The Grooviest Girl In The World," (gotta love the way lead vocalist Sam Irwin enthusiastically shouts "impeccable taste-ahhh!") and the title track are bubblegum of the highest order, and "Sadie" is a deft melding of Kasenetz-Katz with minor key, Eastern European melodies; it would be all the rage at a Jewish wedding! Others like "Topanga Canyon Road" and the Left Banke-ish tandem "The Way She Smiles" and "It Must Have Been The Wind" will wet the pants of any soft-pop fanatic, as will "Close To Carmel," which is replete with soaring melodies, absolutely exquisite harmonies, and simply amazing arrangements.
     This Rev-Ola reissue appends several bonus tracks, including 45 versions of several of the album cuts, as well as the non-album track "We," another beautiful ballad. The package also boasts the usual fine liner notes by Steve Stanley, who interviewed several members of the band and paints a fine illustration of their development as a unit, and the booklet is much preferred over the long-standing eight-panel format. The only carp is that the order of the tracks has been manipulated, with "The Grooviest Girl In The World," which is the second track on the original LP, leading off the CD. One can see why that decision was made, as "Grooviest Girl" was the "hit", reaching number 78 on the Billboard charts and as high as #3 on the Los Angeles radio station, KHJ, but this is not justification for messing with the integrity of the album. Yes, your CD player does have a program button, but still…anyway, this issue notwithstanding, all '60s pop fans need to own this disc, and we should all thank Rev-Ola for having the good sense and good taste to release it.
www.revola.co.uk
David Bash

BOB GRIMM
Akasha (Private CDR)
     Bob Grimm's full musical story can be read on his website (see below) and samples from this album can also be heard there. American, Grimm recorded an album for the British label / recording studio Morgan in 1970 but which never saw the light of day. Here it is in all its glory and seemingly from the master tapes judging by the sound quality. His wonderful 'It Never Stays The Same' was a key track on the Sanctuary label's Psychedelic Stones Vol.3 comp. That track is included here and all ten tracks are in a similar vein. I say ten tracks, but they are contained on only two track cues, so each side of the (imaginary) LP is contained on a track of its own. This would seem to be a deliberate choice on Grimm's part rather than indifference, but why I don't know. Anyway, it doesn't detract from the very fine and fully augmented singer-songwriter progressive pop of songs like 'I Have To Love You' and the fulsome 'I Have Seen You In My Dreams'. There are also more introspective moments such as the piano and strings led 'Let Me Be A Man', or 'Meditation Seven' and 'My Father's House'. In the round this is a very pleasing album. If this were to find an official reissue label home it would be rightly praised by the pundits. As it is, it seems to be only available through Grimm's website. OK, it is a CDR, and the packaging is rudimentary, but the sound quality is top notch and way beyond what you might expect from a DIY project of this nature. Plus presumably Grimm gets all the money from his labours. If you like orchestrated pop or progressive singer-song writing, this will not disappoint. You may not see it in any other form, and it's a quality item so don't miss it!
http://www.bobgrimm.net
Paul Martin

HOMESTEAD & WOLFE
Our Times: The Goldstar Tapes 1973-75 (Anopheles; CD)
     This vocal group, originally called The Sound of Celebration was renamed after the junction in Cupertino, California, at which the Good Samaritan Methodist church stood and from which the members of Homestead & Wolfe came. This is however, far from a Christian rock album. From the beauty of late 60s soft pop sounding opener 'Slow Down', you know you're gonna love this disc. OK, there's a pedal steel on most numbers (but in the main subtlety used), this is not a country music album ok! Well, except maybe for 'If I Never Show' and 'Rhythm Of The Wind' which are acoustic guitar, pedal steel and Joanne Avery's solo vocal for the most part. There is a comfortable and an altogether familiar and loveable sound going on here. 'King Of The Mountain' is an uptempo beauty whilst 'Love Comes Through My Door' and 'See The Children Die' have a progressive feel that might appeal to period Sandy Denny era Airports fans. Sessions for these mid 70s Gold Star recordings include Al Casey on acoustic guitar and Hal Blaine on drums. 'I Am Cain' is a great mover that has that definite folk-rock (with the emphasis on rock) crossover feel to it. Even more contextually 'out there' is 'Beat of The Drum' which is a good psych rock mover with beautiful group vocals on the chorus and which oddly fit deftly in with the wah-wah guitar. You also get an instrumental version as a bonus track. Although dating from the mid-'70s, these recordings have a definite late 60s feel to them overall. There's a good 14-page booklet that gives the skinny on the group by members of it. This is a good package, made with pride and love. This one will definitely appeal to California soft pop and English folk rock fans alike quite apart from those who just like good pop and good arrangements etc. and have ears open enough to accommodate the idea of pedal steel and sundry country ingredients!
www.anophelesrecords.com
Paul Martin

THE MERRY-GO-ROUND
Listen, Listen: The Definitive Collection (Rev-Ola; CD)
     Although The Merry-Go-Round barely dented the charts outside their native Los Angeles area, they are now considered to be one of the most beloved bands from the '60s pop scene, having a profound influence on several contemporary musicians, most notably The Bangles and Chris Von Sneidern. Their guiding force, Emmitt Rhodes, has deservedly been bestowed the status of pop music icon. Fans have long clamored for a "definitive" compilation of Merry-Go-Round material, and lo and behold it has materialized in the form of Listen, Listen: The Definitive Collection, which features all of the output the band released on A&M Records, including the legendary Merry-Go-Round album, the posthumous American Dream LP (credited to Rhodes), and several non-album tracks.
     The Merry-Go-Round had several things going for them; they were young, good looking, had a very skilled lead guitarist in Gary Kato, a fine drummer in Joel Larson, and a transcendent singer/songwriter in Emmitt Rhodes. They also had the kind of faux British accents that were still chartworthy in 1966, when they recorded the songs for their debut album, and their wedding of Beatlesque melodies with American folk-rock stylings was both unique and skilled. Certainly Los Angeles picked up on this, as they propelled the band's first singles, "Live" and "You're A Very Lovely Woman" to the top of the local charts. Unfortunately the rest of the country (and world) didn't catch on, mainly due to relatively poor promotion by the label, but this fact non-withstanding, the self-titled album was a gem. The aforementioned hits contained within were as disparate as one could expect from a band; "Live" was a catchy, uptempo folk-popper and "You're A Very Lovely Woman" was a baroque ballad worthy of the Left Banke. Other standouts include "Time Will Show The Wiser" which, in one of the more unexpected events in pop music history, was covered on the debut album of UK folk-rockers Fairport Convention, the snappy "We're In Love" and "Where Have You Been All My Life," and the appropriately political "Gonna Fight The War". The American Dream, which was made up of post hoc sweetened Merry-Go-Round demos and Rhodes' solo tunes, was originally released in 1970 (contrary to popular belief, the album was not released in order to capitalize on the success of Rhodes' debut album for Dunhill-it was actually re-released, with a different cover, for that reason). While not quite the standout as The Merry-Go-Round, it sports several good tunes, such as the circular "Pardon Me," the Nilsson-esque "Holly Park" "In Days Of Old," and "Mother Earth," which certainly could have been written by Graham Gouldman without anyone knowing any different. The non-album tracks on this compilation are top-shelf as well, including the delightful "She Laughed Loud," the poignant "Missing You," and the ultra-Beatlesque "Listen, Listen".
     The liner notes by Steve Stanley illustrate the rise and demise of the band, and certainly don't paint a very pretty picture. Life for most of the band members, particularly Rhodes, has been pretty rocky, but happily the renewed interest in the band has once again sparked his muse, as he is both writing songs and recording an up-and-coming Los Angeles band, The Prix. He is also open to a Merry-Go-Round reunion performance; how great would that be??
www.revola.co.uk
David Bash

MIKE & THE RAVENS
Nevermore: Plattsburg, 62 And Beyond (Bacchus Archives/Dionysus; 2-CD)
     Spanning a period of more than 35 years, this two CD set covers the musical "career" of Mike Brassard and his buddy Stephen Blodgett (plus brother Bo Blodgett and various pals) – and as such is virtually a history rock'n'roll. Twangy guitar instrumentals, rockabilly, novelty numbers, Gene Vincent styled rockers, broken-hearted ballads, frat stompers – all interspersed with original radio station sound checks and advertising spots, all great fun to hear. Overall this is a fascinating document of a relatively unknown band.
     There will most likely be a little too much from the pre-beat period on the first CD for many Shindig! readers and the recording quality on the early cuts can generously be described as unsophisticated, shall we say. However, connoisseurs of the music may agree with me that this is a group that had potential and in the right circumstances, with a little bit more luck, could've gone further.
     The early recordings end in January 1963 and recording doesn't take place again for another four years – although song titles like 'Goodbye to Mary Jane' suggest a possible foreknowledge of what was to come… Unless there really was a girl named Mary Jane? Were they stopped in their tracks by the British Invasion or, as legend has it, their parents put a stop to their band activities after these youngsters were arrested for playing rock'n'roll records over the PA on the church steeple in their town of Plattsburg, New York?
     The later sixties and early seventies tracks are slices of great harmony pop and countrified rock which are as good as that of any of their contemporaries. Their 1980s and 1990s solo records and the brand new Mike & the Ravens tunes from 2004 show these now middle aged men have lost none of their youthful verve. These tracks deserve to be heard much widely and hopefully this will be the case now that this release is in the shops.
www.dionysusrecords.com
PJ Crittenden

THE PEARLS
A String Of Pearls (Rev-Ola; CD)
     A couple of ageing birds (being in your early 30s was pretty ancient in the early '70s) who'd done the rounds in various acts since the late '50 are approached by pop producer to work as a duo and record Spector and Motown inspired pop to cash in on the nostalgia wave. The productions are decent and the girls' stab at a mix of "oldies" and soundalikes tailor made for the discotheque floor. Sure, it's throwaway and cheesy, but it'll certainly please certain readers… old girls with demi-waves blasting out pop… it's heaven or hell depending on your taste.
www.revola.co.uk
Jon 'Mojo' MIlls

CHUCK AND MARY PERRIN
Life Is A Stream (Rev-Ola; CD)
     I think the reason I like Life Is A Stream so much is because, in particular the instrumental opener, reminds me of the incidental music I heard on such tear jerkin', sentimental TV shows as Lassie, The Littlest Hobo, The Incredible Hulk and the series and TV movie starring Cliff De Young Sunshine.  Seriously, sirs, this soft pop registers deep down inside and resonates with some long-forgotten sentiments. This is music that recalls my bored childhood summers watching old re runs of American shows… the acoustic, gentle orchestrated music was everywhere in the early '70s and for years I've not realised how much I like it, and why. The cat is now out of the bag…
     Recorded in 1971 and featuring the epic production techniques of Hoyt Jones Life Is A Stream is so representative of the big early '70s sounds it is almost like a ghost. Strings, eclectic guitars, prominent bass and drums, grand piano, horns, woodwind… it's all there, wrapping the Perrin's poetic hippy lyrics and harmonies like purple velvet. This is a wonderful artefact of preposterously rich and heart warming music from the era when there was no such thing as too much. And as the trendier amongst us will know these production techniques really are back in fashion.
     If you're seeking soft pop-folk that will put a smile on the face and bring a tear to the eye look no where else, and for confused grown up kids like me you'll be transported back to your childhood sofa in no time. Sweet, soothing and incredibly enjoyable.
www.revola.co.uk
Jon 'Mojo' Mills

SHAG
Shag (Gear Fab; CD)
     The Shag's 'Stop And Listen' is a garage classic, so I had high hopes for these 1969 recordings. Alas the rural rock, country rock, post-psych hippie sounds I was expecting didn't come to fruition. Instead it's all a little dour and uninspiring acid rock. Although true to the West Coast vibe of the era, Shag sound like a less impressive Christopher, the wailing vocals and meandering guitar passages miss out on the joyfully stoned love and peace styling I wished for and the youthful playfulness of the band's garage era is all but depleted.
http://www.swiftsite.com/gearfab/
Jon 'Mojo' Mills

VARIOUS ARTISTS
Greetings From Monsterism Island (Forever Heavenly; CD)
     Pete Fowler is an artist best known for the striking and unique record sleeves and videos he's created for Super Furry Animals over the last ten years. Here, however, he takes on the role of DJ and leads us through a collection of his favourite sounds as cross-faded through the (slightly annoying) chirrups and birdcalls of the titular island.
     The contents are mostly drawn from the worlds of '60s electronic psychedelia (The United States Of America, White Noise, Silver Apples), Exotica (John Baker, Rob Freeman & The Blue Men, a puzzling three Martin Denny cuts), break-heavy prog rock (East Of Eden, Aphrodite's Child, Manfred Mann) and Californian sunshine pop (The Millennium, Sagittarius, Harpers Bizarre). The only square peg here is current US psych-rock act Dead Meadow whose "Indian Bones" sits awkwardly among such illustrious 30-40 year old company. Their stint as SFA's touring partners undoubtedly explains their inclusion.
     It's clearly the SFA fanbase and its offshoots that this collection is aimed at and as such it works. It's an entertaining and enterprising stab at ingratiating them into the ways of the weird and wonderful world of yesteryear and goes some way to illustrating the lineage back from the Furries' sunshine pop and acid rock aspirations to their original inspirations. For the rest of us it's business as usual with old favourites like The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band's "A Child's Guide To Good And Evil" and Rattles' "The Witch" making their umpteenth appearance in our collections.
     Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs' recent compilation The Trip did exactly the same thing slightly better but this is a step in the right direction as far as exposing the music to the High Street masses goes.
http://www.heavenly100.com
Andy Morten

VARIOUS ARTISTS
Lost Illusions Volume 2 (B Sharp; LP)
     It's round 2 in this German mid 60s beat / garage series and as with Vol.1 it mixes the overly familiar with the less so. Hence we get two of the (Austrian) Slaves sides in 'Panic' and 'Get Out Of My Way', long loved by garage heads everywhere. You also get Lord Crazy's 'Crazy, Crazy' which is always a plus as its basic chant of 'crazy, crazy., oh oh' is supplemented by all manner of Meek-like effects and overdubs. There's some nice garage balladary in the from of The Ghools 'It Will Be Fine' which has a good edge to it. For 'Gloria' Collectors there's another good version by The Vanguards. For me though, the highlight of this set is The Strangers who top and tail this LP. Starter track is 'Hurt It' that is an innocently sung mid tempo moody beat number (sung as 'Hurted' rather than 'Hurt' I think!)but it is the closer 'Time For Me' which really makes you take notice. This is the flip side to 'Hurt' and it sounds at first like a live recording, only the audience are absent, so it must have been a garage practice reel to reel tape or a warm up in a doctor's back room recording studio or some such. In any event it kicks garage butt big time and makes this album worth getting on its own! So for vinyl die-hards, this is a good catch as ever, the mid-60s German beat scene never fails to please and surprise.
www.w-voelkel.de
Paul Martin

VARIOUS ARTISTS
Mystic Males (Pet Records; CD)
     Another batch of winners from the Soft Sounds For Gentle People ermm... people. This time round the focus is solo male performers or 'tripped-out troubadours' as the subtitle has it from 1965-70. If you are familiar with the three previous volumes of Soft Sounds you'll already be salivating in expectation. For the uninitiated, the series concentrates of California and general soft pop singles and album tracks of the late 60s. This volume holds up the series' growing rep with dignity. Gordon Alexander's 'Windy Wednesday' from his Gordon's Buster album is as UK popsike as they come, it would sit well on a volume of Rubble all distant echoed voice and octave self-backing overdub, lovely. I've never heard of Harumi, but if his 'Hunters of Heaven' is anything to go by, you will want to find a copy of his self-titled double LP (with side long tracks apparently). This is a shorter affair, a rather garbled English vocal, but lavishly orchestrated and pops along nicely. Michael Blodgett's 'Fire Engine Sky' is a lovely toy-town pop tune but with an uncharacteristically depressing lyric. Similarly, Sunshine's 'A Sad Thought That Is' is an atmospheric half-spoken number which ruminates on the last words his woman spoke as he walked out the door. Reportedly Sunshine met a sad end himself, but you'll have to read that in the liners for yourself. If you enjoyed the sole popsike album by Mr Flood's Party, you will also enjoy their 45 offering here in a slightly earlier guise of Now, whose 'Déjà vu' is a lovely piece of orch pop. Vince Donofrio's 'Daisy' from '67 is a corking hippy sitar and tabla number, spot on! Teddy Neeley's 'Autumn Afternoon' is a delightful Addrisi Brothers penned number with a 'Japanese' sounding guitar motif that lifts it beyond the lilting ballad it otherwise is. Dick Domane's 'Bad Dream' (on Anders & Poncia's Map City label of all things) rather sticks out here amongst the dreamy summer sounds, in that it is characterised by a belting fuzztone guitar which takes a solo as well and would easily be as at home on a garage comp! Heavier than the rest for sure but just as excellent. Thomas Hill's 'Glider Pilot' is taken from his Mercury label Ingredients album and is another wistful, longing piece of chamber pop (lyrically, think Richard Barnes's version of 'High Flying Electric Bird'). The track selection here is up to the previous standard of the Soft Sounds series, so if you dug those, this one will have to be added! More power to Pet Records collective elbows, they are now the gold standard for American 60s soft pop compilation, now get scrolling on eBay to find the original albums and singles featured here!
petrecords@hotmail.com
Paul Martin

VARIOUS ARTISTS
New Rubble Volume1: My First Day Without You (Past & Present; CD)
New Rubble Volume2: Speaking My Mind (Past & Present; CD)
     Now that Radioactive are at the helm of Past & Present, something of the original quality seems to have returned. A new series using an old (and instantly recognisable) title may be just the thing to kick off a new project but does it work? Well Volume 1 might just as easily have been called That Driving Beat Vol.6 because in essence (but with ten less tracks than that series usually sported on each volume) that is what it is. At the bottom of the rear tray track list, it is gleefully boasted 'introducing Cleanbeat the local sound of mid-60s Britain'. This, Nick Saloman informs us in his introduction (yes they've got liner notes again as well!) is not fuzztone guitars and dirty blues harp playing but '…the sound of Mecca dance halls all over Britain on any given Saturday night.' Clean, sharp, beat by local bands. OK then what's it sound like? The majority of these ditties have not been reissued before as far as I can tell. The twenty track set kicks off with the flip side to Welsh group, the Llan's $100 rated CBS single from '66 'Anytime'. It's A side 'Realise' was comped on That Driving Beat Vol.1 and both sides are worthy in beat currency. Most of these titles date from 1966, but a few such as The Hi Fis' 'I Keep Forgetting' are from '64. Oddities like the Rockomars' 'All In Black Woman' are a fetishists dream, whilst The North Stars 'Eenie Meenie Minee Mo' laments the ever expanding spectrum of demands on the singers meagre wage from his girlfriend and the cost of living, essentially the Classmates 'Payday' (on That Driving Beat Vol.2) revisited. Nice slice of life stuff it is too. Amongst others, standouts include The Blue Rondos rousing 'I Don't Want Your Loving' Yem & The Yemmen's 'Black is The Night' and The Roger James Four's 'Leave Me Alone'. The only two well known names present are The Mockingbirds ('I Can Feel We're Parting') and The J&B (AKA The State of Mickey & Tommy's debut single previously comped on a more recent CD only volume of Chocolate Soup), 'Wow! Wow! Wow!' The only problem I have with this volume is the inappropriate cover art that has no 60s or beat connections at all. Otherwise, a good effort for a debut in a series.
     Volume 2 is a good collection of 45s from what liner writer Jamie Romer (and many 60s fans) call 'prog-psych'. This a retrospective label for those artists and albums which sought to become more experimental as the 60s faded into the 70s and before the juggernaut that became progressive rock fully took hold. So the time line is c.1968-72. In this period a lot of interesting underground singles were released in the UK. In fact at least half if not more of those featured on Speaking My Mind have made their debut on other ahead of their time comps like the long defunct See For miles comp 'Progressive Pop Inside The 70s' or more recently the Queen Victoria Record label's Here Lies Ebenezer Goode and Space Girl And Star Man. If you have these, then there are only going to be a few titles on this comp to tempt you. If you don't however, do plunge in - it's all good stuff, nothing turgid, I assure you! Kick off track, The Rats 'Dragon Child' is a killer example, good pacey number and a $50+ rated 45 already. Taiconderoga's 'Speaking My Mind' has been comped on one of the last volumes of the Incredible Sound Show Stories series, but it is such a killer track (as is it's flip, not included here) that no-one is going to mind. Other welcome guests include Rescue Company No.1's 'It's Only Words', Nancy's 'Hesitiation', The Montanas (no not them!) 'Dr Nero', Raw Material's 'Traveller Man (Part 1)' and Walrus's horn rock led 'Who Can I Trust' (watch out for the CD reissue of their 1972 self-titled Deram LP on the US Black Rose label). Yes, you get the obvious inclusions Open Mind's 'Magic Potion', though I haven't listened to that one for so long, it seemed new again! Rare Bird's 'Hammerhead' is also a track that at first sounds horribly dated (if that's still a relevant term these days), but has seeped into my subconscious and I now really like it. Anyway, 18 good and rare underground 45s heard in a row is not a bad thing at all. A thumbs up for both these volumes and I do hope they are indicative of more to come.
www.radioactiverecords.com
Paul Martin