Search - Various Artists :: Garage Beat '66 5: Readin Your Will

First decent garage album since Back From the Grave series

Oscar Tame | NH United States | 01/02/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I haven't heard any other CD's in this series yet, but if I had to pass judgment based on 'Readin' your Will', I'd say that this is right up there with the legendary (and still best series of all) Back from the Grave.

There are a lot of obscure tracks on here that don't appear on other anthologies. The sound quality is very good, and the originality of the tunes is great overall.

You really have to be an aficionado of the genre: these are not your typical oldies, nor is this psychedelia (for the most part.)



Garage, or early punk, as it's also known, is a genre unto itself, a sound born out of guitar driven bands that tried to emulate the sound of the Kinks, the Who, the Rolling Stones and so on, and did it with more raw emotion, more energy and more emotion than any of the original bands. They practiced in their parents' and friends' parents' garages, and sometimes their ineptitude shows. You won't find a lack of enthusiasm though, and they energy conveyed is what makes me want to crank this three-chord goodness at eleven, hoping to annoy the neighbors with their easy listening!



This music is anything but boring. Offensive to some, and it might make your ears bleed. But dull, never.

I recommend the Nuchez (Open Up Your Mind), The Human Expression (Readin' Your Will), Silk Winged Alliance (Flashback), and Morning Dew (No More) for guitars that fuzz and drone, and other power-chord goodness.



Ever since the absolute Nirvana of Garage known as Back From the Grave, labels have been producing positively mediocre, dull, uninspired Sixties 'punk'-lite. This, to me, however sounds like the real deal, with a minimum of flower-pop or psychedelia, just mostly rock/rock 'n' roll.

Highly recommended."