Volume 1: Groovy British Blue-eyed Soul, Beat, R&B, Hammond Movers
Volume 2: Beat, Pop-soul & Freakbeat From Europe 1966-1970
Compiled from vinyl sources exclusively, as they say, by collectors for collectors, both of these comps seem like perfect soundtracks for an imaginary mod all-nighter.
On the first, British based volume, the prevailing vibe is a horn-driven, blue-eyed soul stomp, best represented by the fuzzy opener by REALM, the following organ-isation by the Liverpudlian bunch DETOURS, as well as some better known entries such as GEORGIE FAME’s Somebody Stole My Thunder or MIKE STUART SPAN’s Invitation written by Mike D’Abo for them, before their freakbeat daze.
Other highlights include the Zombie-ish Animalism by JOHNNY DEVLIN, the sweet-sounding upbeat blue-eyed pair by WARREN DAVIS MONDAY BAND and THE KOOBAS, CHRIS KERRY’s almost garagey r’n’beat, RAY CAMERON and DAVE ANTHONY’S MOODS, with their Lindsay Muir-like jazzy grooves, while PENNSYLVANIA SIXPENCE’s popsike, though also horn-driven, seems like a slight conceptional, while most welcome, detour.
The second, Euro-volume, might seem a bit more varied stylistically, but is just as sure to keep your hipsters shakin’ and your cuban heels shimmy.
The ones that seem to have been setting my own trends, would be the always reliable bunch of Swedes, with TAGES, here featured with an early piece of r’n’beat, OLA & THE JANGLERS, delivering a garagey Motown sound, SHANES’ Chris-Craft No. 9 is a Sloan/Barri-like piece of pop confectionery that is a “must NOT to avoid”, while THE MASCOTS’ freakbeat-ish mod “creation” is a sure “winner”.
Equally freaky, and MODern, are the contributions by SCIENCE POPTION, THE LORDS and JACQUES DUTRONC, while LOS SALVAJES’ horn-powered blue-eyed garage punk, is another one worth the mention.
So, if something else hasn’t already, this should be good enough to “set the trend” for your next night out.
[Released by Nutshell 2005]
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