NUGGETS FROM NUGGETS

Although not quite the core subject of our beloved site, this is the kind of compilation that could fit in the prog-related category, because it is essential for every proghead to understand the evolution of Rock And Roll and the pop realm into ROCK music. This four-CD compilation encompasses everything from late surf-music - which in sorts had become the sole successor of RnR in the dark years (from 59 to 63) and its full rebirth across the Atlantic with The Beatles and Stones.

With Elvis tucked away in the army, JL Lewis disgraced (with his marriage to his 13- year old cousin), Chuck Berry in jail (crossing a state line with a so-called hooker), Cochran and Dean dead, Perkins crippled in an accident, the establishment (lead by the absolutely hateable McCarthyism/cold war effect) thought that they had won the war against RnR rebellion/attitude; The industry was kept tightly under control, just allowed to let teeny-bopper stars sing dumb love songs to occupy the girl's minds and girl bands from Motown (which was less under control - overtly more sexual - because of civil rights unrests). The boys having to content themselves through surf music (there was a fair bit of energy in some of those hits - see the Do The Locomotion for ex) from which scene would come out the Beach Boys who would revolutionize music (along with The Beatles's Sergeant Pepper) with their ground breaking Pet Sounds.

But this was to happen by mid-67 and came a bunch of groups increasingly more adventurous (with Dylan, the Byrds and the jazz freedom as background) and the gradual freedom claimed by the west coast - epitomized by the hippy/psychedelic movement of San Francisco (Haight-Ashbury) and Los Angeles (the famous Sunset Strip) - and to a lesser and bleaker extent the eastern coast with Detroit (aside the Motown phenomena) and New York (with the gloomy, artsy-fartsy avant-garde linked to Warhol). One of the features of these local scenes will be the development of the concept of the album -as opposed to the single that was widely in use until the summer of love.

Between these two eras (end of dark ages and start of Summer Of Love) came a period of transition where bands, through the use of hallucinogenics, increasing technical progress, growing opposition to the Vietnam war and the invention of the pill for the girls, were growing increasingly restless with the music industry. The era is now often referred as garage rock and was about groups that barely were able to play their instruments (sometimes), an need to express their angst and energies through peer recognition and recording singles (albums were out of the question for many of these bands had five or six tracks they ever wrote) and appearing in local shows, where one could see seven or eight of them in a 150 minutes time-lapse.

Although many of these bands on this four Cd collection will be completely unknown (even to this old dog), you may just recognize a few of these songs, whether in their original version or in a later reprise, and maybe actually have one r two tracks somewhere in your collection, but for the major part, those tracks will be an invaluable historical addition to your collection. If most of these tracks are not that interesting per se for the proghead, there are a few gems in the psychedelic rock (which is very close to the proto-prog rock that is of interest to us) and are really laying the foundations of progressive rock. Take for example the Electric Prunes's Too Much To Dream or The Seeds's Pushing Too Hard, or the Amboy Dukes's Please Don't Go etc... This is where it started even before Pet Sounds and Sergeant Pepper.

The compilation does not stop at the major stars of the times, but is content to stay in the Garage/singles band phenomenon and singles in only on the US groups. What the unaware proghead must know is that the principle of this compilation was born in 1972, with an actual vinyl compilation by someone being afraid that all of these garage gems would one day disappear. That man was a seer and that compilation has now seen a second life in this indispensable (and dare I say essential) box-set.

This mind blowing box of treasures is essential for lovers of psychedelic and space rock.

This is a feast of rare gems. Indeed much of this has never been released on CD apart from this set and is as rare as it gets. Half the bands I have never heard of and perhaps never will again, but there's a trove of delights that are worth hearing at least once. I have to mention the bands that stick out among this plethora of artists from the late 60s. The Sonics, 13th Floor Elevators, The Electric Prunes, The Amboy Dukes, Chocolate watch Band, Strawberry Alarm Clock, Love, Golliwogs and The Electric Prunes - simply brilliant psych rock.

The highlights that jump out every time I hear it are as follows:

From CD1: I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night) (2:59) - The Electric Prunes, Pushin' Too Hard (2:37) - The Seeds, You're Gonna Miss Me (2:29) - The Thirteenth Floor Elevators, Psychotic Reaction (3:07) - Count Five, Baby Please Don't Go (5:39) - The Amboy Dukes Tobacco Road (4:42) - Blues Magoos, Open My Eyes (2:45) - Nazz, Farmer John (2:27) - The Premiers, It's-A-Happening (2:47) - The Magic Mushrooms

From CD2: Outside Chance (2:04) - The Turtles, Spazz (2:46) - The Elastik Band, Incense And Peppermints (2:50) - Strawberry Alarm Clock, 7 And 7 Is (2:25) - Love, The Trip (2:03) - Kim Fowley, Strychnine (2:12) - The Sonics, Shape Of Things To Come (1:54) - Max Frost, The Troopers

From CD3: Let It Out (let It All Hang Out) (2:10) - The Hombres, Fight Free (2:34) - The Golliwogs, She's About A Mover (2:25) - Sir Douglas Quintet, Primitive (3:51) - The Groupies, Psycho (2:17) - The Sonics, I'm Five Years Ahead Of My Time (2:16) - The Third Bardo, Mirror Of Your Mind (2:45) - We The People, Optical Sound (2:37) - The Human Expression, Journey To The Centre Of The Mind (3:34) - The Amboy Dukes

From CD4: Are You Gonna Be There (At The Love-In) (2:27) - Chocolate Watchband, The, Wooly Bully (2:21) - Sam The Sham & The Pharaohs, I Want Candy (2:37) - The Strangeloves, Louie Louie (2:45) - The Kingsmen, One Track Mind (2:20) - The Knickerbockers, Codine (2:41) - The Charlatans, Get Me To The World On Time (2:33) - The Electric Prunes, Mindrocker (3:00) - Fenwyck, Voices Green And Purple (1:35) - The Bees

Overall its a psychrockadelic feast like you will never hear. Its difficult to hear from end to end because its so jam packed but this set is still very intriguing and compelling listening. Most of the tracks clock well under 4 minutes, some are under 3 minutes so if you dont like a track its not a painful experience to get to the next one. Theres a lot of throwaway stuff but the set is so extensive that is difficult to dislike this tripped out collection. The tracks tends to grow on you too after a few listens. Some of this stuff is priceless. I loved hearing Creedence Clearwater Revival members before they became famous (Golliwogs) and it was a joy to hear Ted Nugent inhis early phase (Amboy Dukes). Some of these tracks have appeared on compilations such as 'Looney Tunes' (Wooly Bully, Louie Louie) and 60s compilations often feature Let It Out (let It All Hang Out) by The Hombres, but overall these songs are true rarities and worth checking out.

The extensive booklet that comes with the set tells many stories about how the songs were written and give bios of each band with pictures of the members and single sleeves which helps. The set gives a slice of what music was like in the late 60s when acid rock was being churned out. There is no blatantly commercial music really and some is downright bizarre such as the wonderful Psycho by The Sonics and I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night) by The Electric Prunes. It may not be full on prog but here are the birth pangs of prog, before the baby was born and the prog legends were hatched and became the most prolific force of the 70s.