Of Hopes & Dreams & Tombstones: Beat 'n' R&B from Down Under CD

Of Hopes & Dreams & Tombstones: Beat 'n' R&B from Down Under album for sale Though most people remember ? & the Mysterians solely for their one enduring hit, "96 Tears," the frat-band staple that mixed garage rock with Tex-Mex via a monomaniacal organ riff, they actually laid down plenty of other memorable tracks in their initial lifespan. Most, including the original version of their hit, were, incredibly, unavailable on CD for decades making this 2005 reissue of the band's Cameo-Parkway sides something of a monumental occasion for garage rock collectors. The Mysterians are in their prime here ably mixing blues, soul, and teeth-baring rockers with rough-and-ready aplomb, and the inclusion of a few never-before-heard tracks (including an alternate version of "96 Tears") makes this sharply assembled anthology an absolute must for fans of the genre. Liner Note Author: Jeff Tamarkin. Recording information: Allegro Sound Studios; Dick Charles Recording Service, New York, NY; Michigan; New York, NY; Regent Sound STudios, New York, NY; Shields Recording Studio, Bay City, MI; Talent Masters. Arranger: Jimmy Wisner. ? & the Mysterians: Question Mark (vocals); Bobby Balderrama (guitar); Frank Rodriguez (organ); Frank Lugo, Fernando Aguilar (bass guitar); Eddie Serrato. Personnel: Robert Balderrama (guitar); Frank Rodriguez ...

Of Hopes & Dreams & Tombstones: Beat 'n' R&B from Down Under buy CD music Sundazed's Garage Beat '66 series of mid-'60s garage rock takes much the same approach as hundreds, if not thousands, of such compilations that have been issued since the late '70s. Each volume has an assortment of tracks from all over North America, many of them rare, none of them national hits, and most of the acts known only within their region, if at all. The emphasis is on raw, fuzzy outrage, often inspired by (but not as polished as) the more R&B-aligned end of the British Invasion. It's not as good as the Nuggets box set (in part because it's lacking in pop hooks as strong as those that made many of the Nuggets selections actual hits), and not as good as the best of the many sub-Nuggets comps of '60s garage. It's better than the average '60s garage rock anthology, though, in part because unlike virtually all other such animals, the tracks are mastered from the original sources, and the liner notes include copious commentary on each selection by garage rock authorities. So if you're the kind of fan likely to collect such stuff, although you may well already have items like 006's "Like What, Me Worry," the Fe-Fi-Four Plus 2's "I Wanna Come Back (From the World of LSD)," and the Sparkles' "Hipsville 29 B.C. (I Need Help)" elsewhere, you may well not have them in as good fidelity as they boast here. While the songs do tend toward basic bluesy teen rants, there's room for some eclecticism, particularly in the inclusion of John Hammond's cover of Billy Boy Arnold's "I Wish You Would" from a 1966 single (with Bill Wyman on bass and Robbie Robertson on guitar, and a different version than the one that appears on his album So Many Roads); Matthew Moore Plus Four's garage-folk-rock cover of Buffy Sainte-Marie's "Codyne (She's Real)"; and Words of Luv's version of an obscure P.F. Sloan folk-rocker, "I'd Have to Be Outta My Mind." The no-holds-barred absurdity of the aforementioned "I Wanna Come Back (From the World of LSD)" and the crunching soul-rock-pop of the Sparkles' "No Friend of Mine" stick out as the highlights, however. ~ Richie Unterberger Fever Tree,Sparkles,J.Hammond, Centurys,Five Of Us + Performers include: Fever Tree, The Sparkles, Neal Ford & Fanatics, John Hammond, The Century's, The Executioners, Five Of Us, The Olivers. Personnel: John Hammond, Jr. (vocals, guitar, harmonica); Tony McGuire, Robert J. Sturtcman, Billy Alessi, John McGee, Bobby Alessi, Barry Green (vocals, guitar); Matthew Moore (vocals, harmonica, background vocals); Richard Yeager (vocals, saxophone); Steve Fox (vocals, piano); Bobby Land (vocals, organ); Oliver McKinney, Carl Aldrich (vocals, keyboards); Alex Valdez, Lucky Floyd (vocals, drums); Lee Stansrud, Doc Watson, Danny Houlihan, Marty Gish, Hap Blackstock, Dennis Keller, Ronnie Darling, Ray Fowler (vocals); Eddie Burton, Lou Natkin, Daniel Moore (guitar, background vocals); Dennis Rezendes, Paul Canella, Ed Wasczak, Louie Holt, Michael Knust, Jay Penndorf, Larry Inks, Mike Layden, Ric Eiserling, Robbie Robertson (guitar); Kenny McGee (12-string guitar, background vocals); Dan Dalton (autoharp, tambourine, background vocals); Vic Roybal, Kelly Green, Dick Strojny (organ); Gary P. Nunn (Farfisa); Rob Landes (keyboards); Art Guy, Mike Astor, George Samaras, George Vail, Teddy Byczk, Bob Pelicane, Eddie Roybal, Charles "Honeyman" Otis, Terry Grimm, John Tuttle, Chuck Hamrick, Russ Sturtcman, Larry Brown (drums); Fred Sanders, Jerry Berke, John Kielnik, Sweet Nothings, Bill Peck (background vocals). Photographers: Carl Aldrich; George Samaras; Billy Alessi; Eddie Burton; Dick Stewart ; Andy Glista; John Kielnik; George Miraval; Bobby Alessi; Matthew Moore; Bones Howe.

Of Hopes & Dreams & Tombstones: Beat 'n' R&B from Down Under CD music Gear Fab is at it again on the third volume of their Psychedelic States series, rounding up the last remaining pearls (at least one would imagine) from the oyster that was '60s Florida garage psych and, surprisingly, coming up with yet another pretty solid edition. There is still roughly the same percentage of gold-to-dross as there was on the first two volumes in the series, but volume three is arguably the most listenable collection from beginning to end. The filler is just a little bit more likeable than before, and while there are not many lost masterworks of psychedelia in the order of Neighborhood of Love or Blues Messengers from the previous editions (the Fantastic Group's "Land of Lakes" being one, the Cavemen's unnerving "It's Trash" being perhaps the only other competitor), there is at least half an album's worth of consistently fine garage and pop/rock nuggets. The quality might have to do with the number of holdovers from the original two CDs. For instance, Bernie Leadon and Don Feldner's the Maundy Quintet are back, as is Cosmic Camel (on the deliciously gothic "The King's Winetaster"), the Twelfth Night, the Fewdle Lords, and several others. In addition the great Orlando-based We the People makes their first appearance here (although "My Brother the Man" is a shade repetitive compared to the band's strongest sides), as do the notable Painted Faces. Aside from those conspicuous examples, of course, there is not a lot of what you could label as originality in the music and some of the tunes are frankly rather nondescript, yet such shortcomings are routinely filled with a sloppy aggression and enthusiasm that brings the era back in all its kaleidoscopic glory. As before, the CD is strictly recommended to garage rock devotees, but that considerable group will find a wealth of previously unreleased treasures here that is reason enough for the digging. ~ Stanton Swihart Gear Fab presents their final look at Florida in this third volume of psychedelic treasures. Features lots of undiscovered 1960s bands, including The Cavemen, Dark Horsemen, Painted Faces, Burlington Squires, Dr. T & The Undertakers, Cosmic Camel, Rare B

Of Hopes & Dreams & Tombstones: Beat 'n' R&B from Down Under songs BOARD BOOGIE contains rare Festival label singles by 60's Australian instrumental rock bands. Australia had a very active instrumental surf music scene in the early to mid-'60s, though with the marginal exception of the Atlantics, none of that music has gotten even small international attention. This 30-song compilation of 1962-1965 instrumental surf cuts (with one track sneaking in from 1967) is wholly drawn from the vaults of Australia's biggest independent label of the time, Festival Records. Perhaps because of that limitation, this might not be the ideal overview of the Australian surf genre; the Atlantics, for instance, are not represented. But on the whole it's a good job as the first internationally available Australian surf compilation reissue, though like many instrumental-only comps, those not enamored of the genre itself might find it too much of a good thing for more than an hour at a time. The differences between Australian instrumental surf rock and the California/American variety aren't easy to finger. But generally speaking, Australian groups were far more influenced by the twangy, country-tinged reverb spook of the Shadows, with a somewhat lighter and more precise approach, though it wasn't always lighter and never lacked energy. Thankfully, the compilation emphasizes original material rather than covers of foreign tunes. The results range from good to generic, with occasional harder mid-'60s rock influences from abroad making their way into the picture, as on the Sunsets' "Windansea" (which has a definite Lonnie Mack flavor to some of the riffs) and the Playboys' "The Mean One." It makes a nice change of pace for the surf collector looking for something a little different, though it isn't among the very best vintage surf reissues. The token future big name that can often be found in the small print on such anthologies is future Bee Gees guitarist Vince Melouney, who played with both the Aztecs and the Vibratones. ~ Richie Unterberger This 30 track compilation is jam-packed with some of the best examples of the Australian instrumental rock from the early '60s, all drawn from the country's first & largest indy label, Festival. Features the Nocturnes, Joy Boys, Playboys, Dee Jays, Reson Includes liner notes by Stephen McPartland. Contains 30 tracks. Performers include: The Nocturnes, Joy Boys, Playboys, Dee Jays, Resonets, Vibratones, Aztecs, Surf Riders, Sunsets. Personnel: Bobby Johnson (guitar, drums); Lindsay Bjerre (guitar); Chris Rees, John Purser (drums). Liner Note Author: Stephen J. McParland. Arrangers: Neil McArthur; John Cartwright.

Of Hopes & Dreams & Tombstones: Beat 'n' R&B from Down Under CD music "Punk From Down Under" seems like more of a marketing tag than a dead-on description of the 30 mid-'60s Australian rock cuts on this compilation, all taken from the vaults of the country's Festival label. If anything, that subtitle under-sells the CD, which is plenty energetic, but also a good deal more melodic and therefore memorable than the average '60s punk (i.e., '60s garage) compilation. Australian rock of the time had closer stylistic ties to British Invasion music than '60s American garage did, so what you get here is something that's somewhat rawer and more juvenile than much of British Invasion's mid-'60s mod and freakbeat sounds, yet more tuneful and professional than many U.S. '60s garage bands. No famous acts are here, though several have large-to-modest reputations among international '60s rock collectors, including the Sunsets, the Purple Hearts, the Black Diamonds, and Steve and the Board; others, such as Normie Rowe, Tony Worsley, Johnny Young, and Ray Brown, had some substantial commercial success in their homeland, though this comp focuses on their most raucous material. Some of the sides are just OK, but others are good or close to great, like the Sunsets' surf-cum-mod "The Hot Generation"; Ray Brown & the Whispers' mesmerizing, tough, Merseybeat-ish "Go to Him"; the Black Diamonds' "See the Way," a superb piece of reverberant '60s guitar pop; Robbie Peters' giddy "She Does Everything for Me," surely one of the finest Zombies covers ever done; and Johnny Young's "Good Evening Girl," written by three of the Easybeats but never recorded by that group, although it's easily up to the standards of their better songs. Even the occasional covers of the well-known American or British rockers have original twists to offer, like Worsley's molten rendition of the Birds' "How Can It Be" and Peter Doyle's version of the Spencer Davis Group's "High Time Baby." ~ Richie Unterberger Here's another jam-packed compilation devoted to the unique brand of vintage 1960s Australian garage punk. It includes many classics of the era, and also a good quantity of little-known gems and tracks previously not reissued anywhere. The flavor of the Contains 30 tracks. Performers include: The Sunsets, Purple Hearts, Lost Souls, Showmen, Morloch, Tony Worsley, Peter Doyle, The ID, Fabulous Blue Jays, Russ Kruger, Black Diamonds. Personnel: Lindsay Bjerre, Dave Miller (vocals, guitar); Normie Rowe, Jeff St. John, Glenn Bland, Mike Hadley, Ray Brown , Steve Kipner (vocals); Tony Hamilton (guitar, harmonica); Lobby Loyde, John Robinson , Bill Billings, Malcolm Clarke, Alex Hill & His Sepians , Johnny Green, Peter Best, Terry Paul, Terry Richards, John Cartwright (guitar); Bruce Johnston (saxophone); King James Fisher (trumpet); Laurie Allen, Ian Walsh (organ); Alan Gregory, Geoff Bridgeford, Geoff Smith, Baden Hutchins (drums). Liner Note Author: Alec Palao.

Of Hopes & Dreams & Tombstones: Beat 'n' R&B from Down Under buy CD music Contains 27 tracks of Australian psychedelic rock originally released on Festival Records. The Australian pop-psychedelia scene of the late '60s was more akin to the British pop-psych scene than the American one, though it borrowed from both of those cousins. Really, however, it wasn't as distinctive as either, nor did it have many tunes to rate on par with the best of those from the U.K. or U.S. Nonetheless, this 27-track anthology of Oz pop-psych from 1967-1970 does cover a scene that's rarely been noted by rock collectors or historians, particularly outside of Australia. Licensed from the Festival label (with the exception of a couple of tracks from Clarion Records), there aren't any names that will strike instant chords with the international pop connoisseur, though some of the writers and performers found wide fame in other contexts. Foremost among those is Bon Scott, who, prior to joining AC/DC, sang on the Valentines' "Peculiar Hole in the Sky," which in turn was written by Harry Vanda and George Young of the Easybeats (who released their own version shortly afterward). Vanda-Young also wrote R. Black & the Rockin' V's' "Walking & Talking," never recorded by the Easybeats, though that song's just OK. Other noted writers are behind some of the better tracks. Mick Bower of the Masters Apprentices, one of the greatest Australian rock bands, wrote the Bucket's very Cream-styled "I Can't Help Thinking of You." Graham Gouldman penned his usually classy pop on Normie Rowe's "Going Home," produced by legendary British impresario Giorgio Gomelsky. Barry Gibb authored Jon's anxious "Upstairs, Downstairs," which sounds much like the Bee Gees' own circa-1966 recordings. Overall, though, the songs tend toward the ordinary with a touch of weirdness in material, sometimes with lingering British Invasion, mod rock, and sunshine pop influences. Once in a while a cut does jump out as worthy of attention, like the Executives' dreamy yet disquieting "Moving in a Circle" with its eerie organ and wispy vocal by Carole King (not that Carole King). ~ Richie Unterberger This is volume four in Big Beat's series of Australian music of the 1960s from the vaults of Festival Records. The focus here is upon the psychedelic pop of the late 1960s, when Aussies were discovering the studio, and starting to experiment in both writ Performers include: The Valentines, The Iguana, James Taylor Move, Bucket, Normie Rowe, Peter Wright, The Wild Cherries, Cam-Pact, The 1863 Establishment, Lloyd's World, The Executives, Clapham Junction, King Fox. Personnel: Jim Hannan, Jim Cerezo, Dave Miller (vocals, guitar); Vince Lovegrove, Jim Willebrandt, Ged Willis, Robert Taylor , Gary Sweetman, Jeff St. John, Bill Mahoney, Pete Watson , Dave Rossall, Danny Robinson , Gino Cunico, Keith Glass, Andy Wilkinson, Billy Field, Bon Scott, Carole King (vocals); Paul Radcliffe (guitar, flute); Lobby Loyde, Kevin Peek, Ian Nancarrow, Greg Cook, Dino Annabelle, Rob Heron, Ray Nancarrow, Clive Littlewood, Garry Littlewood, George Christie, Colin Stead, John Robinson , Mike McGuire, Peter Anson, Wyn Milsom, Tony Summers, Stuart Bedford, Barry Worth, Ted Ward, Derek Lewis, Chris Stockley, Ray Burton (guitar); Bruce Johnston (saxophone); King James Fisher (trumpet); Jim Niven (piano); Dennis Warner, Neil Williamson, Les Gilbert , John Brodie, Ian Walsh, Peter Muller, Alan Tarney (organ); Brian King (keyboards); Trevor Spencer, Fabe Wootton, David Mills, Warwick Findlay, Keith Barber , Barry Wilkinson, Chris Pickup, Albert Sawyer, Dieter Glaser, Peter Saunders, Don McCormack , Barry Annabelle, Ray Mulholland, Andrew Evans, Trevor Courtney, Rhys Clark (drums). Liner Note Author: Alec Palao.