Endless Journey, Phase 1

Endless Journey, Phase 1

Psycho 1 UK 1982

Says the Llama:
"The first volume of this LP psych series compiled by (the now defunct) Funhouse Records is a pretty strange affair, featuring an awkward mix of prep rock, '66 punk and heavy psych. Like what market were they aiming for? And why so many covers? A hilarious sleeve of an injection needle flying through space adds more questions to this mystery."

Hehe, the Llama's dry humor never fails to crack me up. He's right on the money, it's a very misch-masch affair. Kinda like Relics but even more confusing. 7 of the 12 tracks are covers. 

Moving Sidewalks does it best with their nuclear annihilation of the Beatles ditty. 

I don't know if you're into that kinda funny stuff but it is truly a jaw-dropping blasphemic assassination, I Want To Hold Your Hand gets hanged, drawn and quartered for all townspeople to see and it's a blast!

Even though that lysegic assauly is impossible to follow, it is still a major letdown to hear Rising Storm stumble their way through a cover of Baby Please Don't Go. 

Then we get treated to Texas pride Outcasts punk their way through Smokestack Lightning.

Oxford Circle's killer 2-sider acid punk never disappoints, and 17 Silver Studded Cadillacs is excellent.

But things starts to drag with Finchley Boys constipated performance. You get relieved when Rising Storm calms things down with a Velvet Underground-y version of Love's Message To Pretty. Don't look back is not too hot tho.

I actually dig Clique's version of Splash 1.

Mystic Tide's roaring Psychedelic Journey Part 1 & 2 is a stroke of genius but gets a bit grating after 9+ minutes of acid punk grind.

Well, if you're into sixties punk, and sixties punk only, this is somewhat of a nightmare.

I thought it was boring when I first bought it but I've warmed up to it now. Finchley Boys are quite awkward but that's ok. 

http://www56.zippyshare.com/v/EtWFOMIi/file.html

Pebbles Vol. 11

Pebbles Vol. 11

AIP 10001 USA 1983

Says the Llama:
(On Pebbles Vol. 10) "A sort of Pebbles phase 2 begins here, the deal being three or four monsters per volume and the rest pretty faceless filler stuff. Real fanatics will get these while others can settle for taping the winners."

(On Pebbles Vol. 11) "The same goes for this one which has fewer cuts as well. Punk/psych with some winners and some losers."

Vintage review:

"Just when you thought "Pebbles" had thrown in the towel, these two platters (vol. 11 & 12) leap into the fray! As usual there's plenty of fab sounds to be found here. A variety of styles are represented, in the great "Pebbles" tradition: folk-rock, pop-punk, psych, and just plain wyld stuff.

Volume 11 probably has the edge with the demented, and thoroughly camp, Milan - the Leather Boy, the Aardvarks' great "I'm Higher Than I'm Down," and the ultra-primitive fuzz of the Modds, with "Leave My House." Best of all is the inclusion of legendary genius Neanderthals, the Barking Spyders - truly crunching godhead stuff!"

- Mike Stax (Originally published in Ugly Things #3, 1984)

Ok so who's right? It's no Pebbles vol. 5 (which is one of the best garage comps evah!) but it packs quite a punch. It does come with a couple of pop-psych tracks and the very-groovy Von Ruden's "hip" version of the Stones' Spider And The Fly. 

But I dig 'em. I might've been disappointed if I bought the platter back in '83 hoping for a veritable punk-fest, but now I can easily swallow Von Ruden's groovy pill and Looking Glass semi-plastic Visions. 

And if you're cool with those then this is a total hoot, a funfilled ride with allsortsa crrrazy "wyld" sounds that turned kids on in '66 and '83. It is just shockfulla cool stuff and covers the usual genres (like Stax said) punk, psych, pop and folkrock (that'd be Aardvarks towering larger-than-life Higher Than I'm Down).

It starts with Milan the Leather Boy's INSANE Leather Boy which burns rubber like a motherfucker, then dips its toes into some poppy psych, slides along a grimy trail of primitive rock'n'roll, digs up some crude top-shelf garage (Modds, Barking Spyders, Third Revolution) and ends it all Milan's high-energy pop-soul-punker You Gotta Have Soul!

It's just sooo much fun to listen to. In fact, the first 12 Pebbles are fun! Fun!! They are fun and nice and gets you in a good mood. The more I think about it, the more I love it.

So I'm sorry Llama. I usually agree with you but this time I go for Stax review.

Oh, and revisionist me corrected the muck-up with Galaxies IV. The original Pebbles listed Don't Lose Your Mind on the back cover but accidentally switched it for the flip; Piccadilly Circus.
Don't Lose Your Mind makes a lot more sense and is a lot better too!

http://www56.zippyshare.com/v/l26OTnC1/file.html

Gathering Of The Tribe

Gathering Of The Tribe

Bona Fide 5913 Germ 1982

Says the Llama:

"Classic druggie psych comp of the kind people rarely make these days. Appears to be designed especially for the pothead market as there are punk ravers closing each side in order to wake you up from your drug haze and turn the record over! Sounds good on acid too, except maybe for the infamous heavy blues 18-minute Josefus track."

Let's go for the throat right away and adress the Josefus track. It is too epically gargantuan to gloss over. It is like trying to explain the dead body in the trunk for a cop. It is totally impossible to not take it into account when talking about Gathering Of The Tribe.

I mean, what the fuck? What in the name of unholy intercourse?? If only it was the last track on the album, but the turd is the goddamn centerpiece!

Sheesh.. Don't get me wrong, I like heavy rock. But for starters; this is a pretty boring heavy rocker. And it's just too damn long. If you're not smoking something equally heavy, that is. 

The other matter is that it really don't belong with these other tracks. I'm ok with Macabre rubbing shoulders with Larry & the Blue Notes, but an 18 minute heavy blues epic sharing the bill with Unrelated Segments? That's just not right.

And even if you happily tap your feet through the 18 minutes of sizzling heavy-blues-hellfire, I doubt you'll revisit it again anytime soon. That is, if your not stoned out of your mind.

Other than that this is a fantastic comp! There is an overall bum-trippy vibe all through.

Slightly demented, gently lobotomized. The album does make more than one trip over the thin line between acid punk and psychedelia, and the Josefus track is a goddamn outrage, but other than that this could be sorted 'tween The Psychedelic Experience, Psychedelic Disaster Whirl and Acid Dreams. 

And its offspring Son Of The Gathering Of The Tribes. I will post that one later. You punk-fiends will definitely like that one better.

http://www19.zippyshare.com/v/vVV0uakH/file.html

The Return Of The Young Pennsylvanians

The Return Of The Pennsylvanians

Bona Fide 16724-66 USA 1983

Vintage Review:

"The front cover states "14 Prime Cuts - No Fillers," but don't believe it. Despite some indispensable classics, this compilation is an overall disappointment. Why Bona Fide chose to release the Loose Enz' previously unreleased "Mister You're A Better Man Than I" (it should have been left in the vault, locked securely) and include the Kindred Spirit's "Blue Avenue" (from 1969!) instead of any of dozens of other singles s beyond me. The Centurys' "Hard Times," and "And I Cried" (check out their fab '65 demos, alos on Bona Fide), plus a couple of others, make this record worth buying, but it is hardly a fair representation of what the state of Pennsylvania had to offer in the mid-sixties. 

If you buy this record please heed my warning: there is a photo of Kindred Spirit on the back cover - don't look directly at it!"

- Ray Brandes (Originally published in Ugly Things #3, 1984)

Back From The Grave had been released when mr. Brandes wrote this review. I don't think one should, or could for that matter, underestimate the impact mr. Warren's new standard had set.

Pebbles were getting boring, AIP were pumping out sub-standard comps that left a lot to be desired audio-wise. A myriad of comps and re-releases were raining down on the ever-famined garage fiends.

A lot was shit, or pressed on crap vinyl, or just plain boring. 

In those days you could actually make a quick buck putting out a comp like this, so some of these old comps carry a certain scent of a quick-buck-made.

But 33 years can work wonders and it is hard not to get charmed by this little album. It can't hold a candle to other comps released in 1983 when it comes to "killers" but.. what can I say.. it breathes. It's not action-packed. And I mean that in a good way. Sometimes you just want to slap on something and don't go into instant party-mode. And it wasn't (then anyway) full of repeats.

I saw someone whining about the artwork - aaaah, stop that shit! The artwork is fantastic! I wish more comps looked like this. Fuck all those computer covers everyone does nowadays. I've even blasted myself for all my impotent covers because this is how a cover should look like!

Do I have any negative criticism? Naaah.. A lot of these tracks are somewhat forgettable - sure. But that don't mean they're bad! What more can I say...? If you're new to the scene you might find it hard to get into it. You shouldn't start here. 

God I'm rambling. You can tell that it's been a while since I posted anything.

Says the Llama:

"This is generally regarded as a sequel to the Penn Unknowns comp though I think there's different people behind them. In any event this one's decidedly inferior with most of the killers already reissued elsewhere."

Yeah I think it's the same guys who put out Gathering Of The Tribes in 1982 that made this (it's on the same label, as is Attack Of The Jersey Teen which I'll upload later), and I strongly suspect they are germans. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

http://www57.zippyshare.com/v/4eyIBqzm/file.html

Welcome back!

Hey everybody!

R.I.P. Tom Kirby

I was very sad to hear of Tom's passing. Tom was the drummer of the classic punkers Tonto & the Renegades. He was a warm soul and an inspiration and very proud and happy of the impact of Tonto & the Renegades. I had the honour to exchange a couple of words with him at the forum and he was always real cool, wise and was always happy to answer any question. Rest in peace buddy. Thanks for the music.

But life is not only sad. I hope you had a nice summer. I know I had. 

I've already revamped a couple of comps and hope to upload some this week.

Dead links? Got 'em! You know you run an old blog when links die but enough new people come to report it.

I'm never to far away to rectify that. And I'm happy to do it.

Open Up Yer Door

Monsters Of The Midwest Vol. 3 

Punk Classics Vol. 3

Punk Classics Vol. 4

I'll be back later with The Return Of The Young Pennsylvanians.

Hey everybody!!

I'm regrouping and taking a break from blogging for a little while. You know how it is. I hope to return to you soon with new comps of my own and revamped old ones.

Hope to see you in a coupla weeks!

Nederbeat 1965-1969

Nederbeat 1965-1969

I have some followers who are new to sixties garage. 

This set is made for them. For those who haven't heard this yet.

I don't know that much about nederbeat, simply because I don't think it is that good.
I dig the classics and that is pretty much all I know. Too much crap to wade through.

That is why I made this set. These 24 tracks is all I need to hear from this scene.

Most of you have heard them all before. But this set is not for you.

I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did putting it together.

http://www16.zippyshare.com/v/wTjUt3fR/file.html