Hush Records Story - Nuggets From The Golden State CD - Import

Hush, a tiny California label, had one of the biggest one-shot garage hits of the '60s, the Syndicate of Sound's "Little Girl." Hush didn't only do rock groups -- they cut some early sides by soul singer Joe Simon, for instance. But this 24-track compilation concentrates exclusively on garage-ish bands that the company recorded in the mid- to late '60s. There wasn't much in the way of a "Hush" sound -- this is just average, or sometimes below-average, '60s California rock from a variety of young groups, all of it (except "Little Girl") rare, some of it previously unreleased. By far the best of the lot are the Brogues, who included future Quicksilver Messenger Service members Gary Duncan and Greg Elmore. All four of the songs they released (and one alternate take) are here, including an Animals-ish garage classic, "I Ain't No Miracle Worker" (covered by the Chocolate Watch Band), although the Brogues' version has already surfaced on numerous other reissues. Besides that, there's a slew of cuts by the Syndicate of Sound, and some by Wm. Penn & the Quakers, the Diminished Fifth, and other unknowns, most in a raw pop-garage vein, none of them especially interesting. ~ Richie Unterberger

24 "Nuggets from the Golden State" from the record label best known for releasing Syndicate Of Sound's 1966 garage classic "Little Girl"; this compilation features this track + cuts by The Brogues (feat. pre-Quicksilver Greg Elmore & Gary Duncan), Wm. Pe

Audio Mixer: Steve Vernon.

Editor: Steve Vernon.