Excellent Introduction to the Freakbeat Scene
04/30/1999
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Somewhere between Mod, Psychedellic and Soul lies the land of Freakbeat-and baby, it's s wild land indeed. While maintaing the R&B sound of earlier British acts like the Small Faces and John Mayell, there is an abandon in the songwriting that, for lack of a better word, could only be called Punk. This volume stands out for the simple fact that many of the singles contained here have fallen through the cracks of even the most devoted 60 British-Beat collector. Bands like the Answers, the Attraction and the Ways & Means finally get their much desereved due. A nice bonus for Kinks fans are the long-lost Ravens (Dave Davies) recordings. Add a rare german-only track from quintessensial Brit-Psych-Pop boys Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tisch and you have a recording that fills some gaps for the serious collector. For the novice, however, some of the tracks may be a bit too challenging at first listen. The sound quality is hit or miss on most tracks and, in many cases, there is a good reason some of these 45s have been long burried. (Novice Mods/Beat fans would be well served by picking up any of the Deram/Decca "Scene" series or the EMI "Abby Road" series) Dispite these short commings, this volume is one of the best in the English Freakbeat series (surpassed, perhaps, only by volume 2) and well worth the price of admission for Beat fans of all ages."
British "garage" rock
12/12/1999
(4 out of 5 stars)
"As a fan of American garage punk (c.1964-68) I wanted to hear what their British contemperies sounded like. The UK "Freakbeat" may not be as loud (or intence) as what was happening in US garages but it is more melodic and, let's face it, more talented! This music, which overall sounds like a less professional version of early Beatles & Stones, doesn't really foreshadow punk rock. But it does predict the British power-pop & Mod revivelism c.79-80. A good CD for "underground" music historians."
Track Listings (25) - Disc #1