The Standells - The Best Of The
Standells
The Best of the Standells Review
by Heather Phares.
1984's The Best of the Standells
remains one of the best compilations of the proto-punk group's output,
collecting their classic "Dirty Water" as well as "Sometimes
Good Guys Don't Wear White," "Barracuda," and "Why Pick on
Me." It's true that nothing else matches "Dirty Water"'s impact,
but the rest of the Standells' songs reaffirm what a solid and occasionally
inspired band they were. "Try It," their theme song for Riot on
Sunset Strip, and "Mainline" riff on the raunchy, sullen image that
their hit created, while "Have You Ever Spent the Night in Jail" is
still subversively funny. "Medication"'s droning, druggy love song
could very well have been an influence on Jason Pierce's work with Spacemen 3
and Spiritualized, and "Black Hearted Woman" also sounds both of and
ahead of its time. The group's psychedelic forays, such as "All Fall
Down," now sound more dated than their surly, straight-ahead rock, but are
still enjoyable. 1998's The Very Best of the Standells is also a good
collection, but The Best of the Standells is worth seeking out.
Tracklist:
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Great stuff! Thanks!
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