Undiscovered Gems of the First Psychedelic Era

Various Artists - "Nuggets, Volume 3: Pop" (1984) - Rhino Records

Hello Friends,

We recently picked up this Rhino Records compilation featuring a variety of poppy treats from late 60's garage/punk bands.  Its a little more commercial-sounding than many of the Pebbles records we've been listening to lately with many of the bands sounding as if they wanted to emulate the super-successful British Invasion bands of the time.  

You can put this record on and probably fool your hipster friends into thinking its an LP of "Apples in Stereo" B-sides!

SIDE A

1. Lies - The Knickerbockers
2. Sugar And Spice - The Cryan' Shames
3. I Feel Good (I Feel Bad) - The Lewis & Clarke Expedition
4. Sunshine Girl - The Parade
5. I Wonder What She's Doing Tonight - Boyce & Hart
6. Turn Down Day - The Cyrkle
7. You're A Very Lovely Woman - The Merry-Go- Round

SIDE B

1. Let Her Dance - The Bobby Fuller Four
2. Can I Get To Know You Better - The Turtles
3. Red Rubber Ball - The Cyrkle
4. Baby What I Mean - Spiral Starecase

5. Time Won't Let Me - The Outsiders
6. I Love You - People
7. October Country - October Country

The Knickerbockers' Beatles-sounding "Lies", The Cryan' Shames' cover of The Seachers' "Sugar Spice" and, of course, Cleveland's The Outsiders' "Time Won't Let Me" are all garage rock classics (and also appear on Rhino's fantastic 1998 4-CD set, Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era 1965 - 1968.)

The Lewis & Clarke Expedition's "I Feel Good (I Feel Bad)" and The Parade's "Sunshine Girl" are kinda fluffy-sounding, with the latter incorporating some pretty good Beach Boys-style harmonies.  Boyce & Hart were better known as songwriters but they had recording career of their own and "I Wonder What She's Doing Tonight" is probably their best non-Monkees hit.

Easton, Pennsylvania's own, The Cyrkle, had two minor hits with the psychedelic gems, "Turn Down Day" & "Red Rubber Ball" (written by Paul Simon), both included here.  They also opened for The Beatles on their 1966 tour.  

"You're A Very Lovely Woman" from L.A.'s The Merry-Go-Round sounds like something that might have been recorded by another L.A. band, Love. Likewise, Bobby Fuller's rockabilly-tinged "Let Her Dance" sounds a lot like The Music Explosion's "Little Bit of Soul."

"Can I Get To Know You Better" by The Turtles sounds like, well, The Turtles.  This song being one of their lesser known hits.

Spiral Starecase's "Baby What I Mean" is forgettable and way too horny (literally!)

The highlight of the record for us is the San Jose band, People, with their cover of The Zombies' early hit, "I Love You." Its like 10 degrees outside and listening to this makes us long for the warmer days of summer, surfer girls, bikinis, beach parties and ice cold beers.

October Country's "October Country" (from the album "October Country"!) closes out the record.  Decent song, but we much prefer their pop-punk classic, "My Girlfriend Is A Witch".

RATING: 4 Kisses Sweeter Than Wine out of 5