Review by Bruce Eder
So you think that good Australian '60s rock & roll began and ended with the Easybeats, eh? This 31-song CD will make you think again and open some ears about some parallel development of garage-punk music as well. If the Ramones had come from Queensland instead of Queens, NY, they'd have been listening to and wearing out copies of Peter Briggs and the Vikings' "Some Other Guy," Tony and the Shantels' "On My Mind" on Go!!, or Scope Records' release of the Explosive Minds' version of Pete Townshend's "The Kids Are Alright." Apart from a couple of numbers by the Rondells that feature some decent Beatles/Searchers' style harmony singing, the sensibilities here are raw and to the point -- barely-in-tune guitars strummed hard, and vocals by guys who know what they want, and much of it surprisingly melodic as well, but tough. Most of it is more American-sounding than just about any British rock & roll of the era, and every cut is worth hearing more than once. Moreover, it's doubly astonishing when one appreciates that a significant percentage of this disc's cuts either made the Australian charts or came really close, and sold serious numbers in that market -- that may also explain why the Flamin' Groovies have had such an easy time transplanting themselves Down Under; they're of a piece with the stuff on this CD.
1. The Deakins - Look And Learn
2. Tony & The Shantells - On My Mind
3. The Other Ends - Come On, Baby
4. Peter Briggs & The Vikings - Some Other Guy
5. The Henchmen - Rockin' Robin
6. The Rondells - Talkin' 'Bout You
7. Terry Dean - It's You
8. The Clique - Stop, Look And Listen
9. The Rondells - Carol Ann
10. Billy Adams - Slow Down Sandy
11. The Clique - Love Me, Girl
12. The Henchmen - Can't You Hear Me Callin'
13. Billy Adams - Alone
14. The Other Ends - Without You
15. The Chosen Few - Is This A Dream
16. Terry Dean - Git It
17. The Last Straws - A Woman Of Gradual Decline
18. Billy Adams - Shirley Lee
19. Young Once - For No One
20. Thee Caper - Too Much, Too Much
21. Laurie Angelo - I Got You Girl
22. Bobby & Laurie - You Are Gone
23. Young Once - Before I Go
24. The Last Straws - One Fine Day
25. Billy Adams - Looking For Love
26. The Last Straws - I Can't Stop Loving You, Baby
27. The Chosen Few - Let Me Down Easy
28. The Rondells - I'll Be Gone
29. Laurie Angelo - Prettiest Girl In Town
30. The Explosive Mind - The Kids Are Alright
31. Billy Adams - All-Time Loser
Thank you muchly.
ReplyDeleteThank You Dmitrich !
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for the post.
ReplyDeleteMany thanks, Dmitrich!
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