Return Of The Walrus
Ok, get up and get ready to get down with the latest installment of.. yeah, what is this series called?
Rip Records? Kill R'n'R? Sixties Garage Punk? Or just nothing maybe.
TRIGGER WARNING!
If you can't stand ultra-crude shit-fi, then stay clear.
This is not for the squeamish.
These bad puppies has been weeded out from their better-sounding siblings just because the fantastic qualities in the music gets lost if it stands too close to something better produced/recorded/pressed or whatever.
Well not everything sounds like Captain Dueseldorph (featured here).
It depends on your preferences, I 'spose.
Anyhoo, this has led to me having to lower the over-all volume. Don't ask me why. Just crank up that knob. Oh, and crank up the volume too.
I pulled a lot of stuff from Crude PA Vol. 1 (won't be revamping it anyhow) and Oil Stains Vol. 1 (won't revamp that one either).
Marauders - Just Times Between Us
"Remember that summer.."
Marauders kicks off this set with some bizarre driving up-tempo super-twangy surf ballad.
This is a pretty wicked 45, the flip is graced by the just-as-crude but even more bad-ass Warning (find it on the excellent Garage Punk Unknowns Vol. 8.)
The songs starts a little wobbly and dry and uhm, "dramatic" - ploinkploinploink - and then makes itself known to everybody in the room. Oh and the lead-guitar twangs itself into a frenzy, the guitarist is battling his instrument like it was a boa constrictor.
Things get a little hairy (at 2:40 to be exact) when he ventures from the original hook and start to solo a bit. Feels like watching an untrained baby giraffe walking a tightrope over the niagara waterfalls with no safety-net.
But after some serious nail-gnawing you see him reach the safety of the other side of the song.
No one died today.
(Granite City, IL) '66
Heads 9518
Intrepids - Run From The Sun
"...into the darkness of guilt and shame"
Some pretty bitter stuff being served here by the Intrepids.
Throaty singer, spindy organ, yammering choir and an overall well-played tracks.
The singer pretty much blasts his cheating and abusive girl for three minutes and then he's out.
Says Bolt:
Associated Recording Studios acetate - PA/NY 196?. Fantastic unreleased demo cut from a band allegedly from PA but recorded in New York in the famous Associated Recording Studios.
(Meanville, PA?) '6?
unreleased demo
Faces In The Crowd - Clouds Of Doubt
"You might have won if you stuck it out.."
This song makes me smirk. One gets the feeling that the singer's father has had some wise words to tell his son, who in turn have been so touched and inspired that he wrote a small poem and a folky ditty of his newly acquired wisdom.
But it is very sincere and almost sad.
Like the singer missed the inspiring point of the talk, and just took it as an "i'm fucked" and ran with it.
Apparently came in a picture sleeve which I haven't seen.
(Cleveland, OH) Sep '66
Del-Nita 60941
Savages - Quiet Town
"they say it's bad but we all know, it's the place were we can go at night.."
Real spooky bit here presented by the incomparable Savages (of The World Ain't Round fame).
I'm not going to dwell on this classic group too long.
But if you didn't know - Savages released an album in 1966 and three 45s (all great and pulled from the album).
Now - this was recorded in 1965, but can you hear the psychedelic qualities?
Or "cinematic" might be a better choice of word.
Because when I listen to this song, I silently float together with them, slowly observing the surrounding in the quiet town.
I feel like we are unknowingly dead ghosts drifting into this misty place all while its citizens shuts the windows and bar the doors.
(Bermuda) '65
Duane 1049
Blues Inc. - Tell Me Girl
"tell me babe, do you care..?"
A soft-spoken organ-driven ballad with a slight taste of Zombies. The singer must have shut himself inside a closet and curled up in a blanket.
(Fort Wayne, IN) Oct '66
Phalanx 1026
Half Beats - Should I
"no more will I wait for you, no more will I cry for you.."
A pretty nasty folk-rocky girl put-down with some glorious falsetto voices in the background, underlining the hopelessness in our protagonists situation.
He doesn't even sound sad, he's more sarcastic and fantastically bitter.
No saccarine here it is just plain wicked. The raw power of the song still holds water since Cheater Slicks covered this in 1995.
But they still don't find the biting sarcasm the original singer harbored.
And how could they? True teenage angst is inimitable.
(Chicago, IL) 1966
International Recording Co. acetate
Shan Dels - Please Stay
"that's all I've left to say.."
English is not my main language - as you might've guessed by now..
So I'm not sure but it sounds like the singer is trying to sound like he's from London or something.
Anywayz, Shandels recorded a bunch of so-so 45s - 4 of 'em - from '65 to '67.
They later morphed into Dry Well and recorded another 45 in '68 (find it on Relative Distance - hm, I might just revamp that..)
This was their first 45 and features the wonderful instrument cordovox. There not enough cordovox in sixties garage punk. You can get more of that medicine on their third 45 Shades Of Blue found on Nobody To Love on the excellent Teenage Shutdown series.
(Long Island, NY) '65
Showcase 404
Thorns - This Is The End
"I'll die without your love, to me this is the end.."
Do you remember Thorns INSANE I want you from The Dead And Forgotten?
Well, here's the (almost equally tense) flip.
I feel a strong surge of Zombies here too. A fantastic song and a fantastic acetate 45.
(Philadelphia, PA)
Sound Plus Studios acetate
Strawberry Tuesday - Return Of The Walrus
"I'm gonna get it, I'm gonna get it.."
Let's get stupid and get ourselves a fuckin walrus.
I feel this has a strong kinship to Mr. Zeppelin Man and (We All Love) Peanut Butter.
You can hear the snickering during the guitar solo so I'm not sure they're 100% serious with this tall tale.
But that does not matter one second, the only thing that matters is that this is epic supreme and you will probably hear it anytime soon at the in-crowd bar.
I don't think Strawberry Tuesday reached further from the stars since they pretty much disappeared after this. It was released on a LP sampler called Reading 1968. I haven't heard that album, but if it sounds anywhere near this masterpiece, I must seek it down.
(Reading, PA) '68
Empire Records WWR 868-586
Bright Image - People In The Town
"it's been so many, so many years have passed...."
Poor kid. Woman gone, he don't know where, people stare him down and constantly asks him where the heck she's gone. Sadists.
Jangly folk-rocker with some of the best use of wah-wah I've ever heard.
(Philadelphia, PA) Mar '70
Amigo 114
Starfyres - Captain Dueseldorph
"if you're ever down by the sea, take a look for me and Captain Dueseldorph.."
Get ready for some fizzling garage sounds!
C'mon, surely you must know this? One of my absolute faves - ever!
It wiggles, it wobbles, it makes you feel completely drunk outta your mind.
Of course - the shit-fi allure in this comes on like greek mythology sirens but that's not all.
It's heavy as FUCK, filled to the brim with atmosphere and even if the instruments are slightly out of tune, every note hits just where it's supposed to.
And it's not in your face. It is there - if you're lookning - but it mostly just floats in and out of the surface of reality like a submarine.
The flip is the hot punk No Room For Your Love, and you can find it here.
(Lansford, PA) '67
Burr 1001
Invictas - Do It
"i can't see we could ever be together even though you mean a lot to me.."
I don't know why I added the "a go-go" suffix, but accidents happen. I try to be as thorough as I can, but sometimes I fuck up. Which gives me greater understand for mis-info on old comps, and greater appreciation for the work Warren & co put behind his/theirs contributions to this comp-scene.
They really set the standard high.
Invictas released four fratty 45s (three on the Sahara label, and one PS on Bengel) from '65 to '67 and then fizzled away somewhere. Who knows where.
A really hard-rockin' soulful rocker with a glorious hook.
Love the ending.
(Rochester, NY) Jan '66
Sahara 110
Lost Ones - I Can't Believe You
"you always told lies, brought the water from my eyes.."
The Lost Ones makes sure the party don't stop with this ultra-crude pounder. Awesome drummer who probably played at the college marching band.
You can hear some dude callin some "oh no" and some "awww" and some "oh yeah" in the background.
Ace guitar solo.
(the back cover says "i don't believe you" - fuck!)
(Sarver-Butler, PA) '66
Mersey 002
Insane - I Can't Prove It
"I love you girl.."
Insane puts this set in yet a higher gear and rush in on the scene with some more pounding drums and wailing guitars and just rocks out for a full three and a half minutes. A lot a soloing and tomfoolery which must've been a hoot to dance to at the local hop.
(Terryville?, CT) Jul '67
Alien Associates 201, 347
Them - A Girl Like You
"with a love like ours we can turn our backs on the people, and the rules"
This is one of those songs that must have existed forever in the dna of the universe.
Everything is just perfect.
Pure perfection.
I can't write anything more about it.
Flawless.
Argh, such a romantic juvenile delinquent winner.
Ugh..
(Cincinnati, OH) Dec '64
King 5967
Immigrants - 225 Blues
"here's my hand, dear
I'm giving you my final adieu.."
Immigrants were a bunch of kids from various places around NY who went to collage in Kansas.
They recorded an album full with not-too inspired covers, but this one is a downer bomb.
225 Blues sounds like Rolling Stones circa '64 played on too low rpm.
And that is fantastic, one of my faves on this set.
(Salina, KS) 1966
Starburst Recordings – SRA 9837
http://www.mediafire.com/file/d4cmh8dkp7ou53z/033_Return_Of_The_Walrus.zip/file
