“We have Nuggets. We have Pebbles.” alongside Back From The Grave, Teenage Shutdown, Last Of The Garage Punk Unknowns, and many, many more. The fact is that the great garage comp has long been a staple, a door through which many a young and impressionable mind has passed into the world of fuzz, one that pulls together some of our favourites while twisting our ear to catch a song we’d never before heard. Ah, yes, we can’t all hold the master key to the gritty garage gates.
This is raw, exciting music with tons of attitude – fuzz guitars, swirling organs, wailing harmonicas, thumping drums and tough vocals are plentiful.
In the mid 1960s, teenage rock ‘n’ roll groups proliferated throughout the USA, often inspired by ‘British Invasion’ bands such as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and The Yardbirds as well as US styles including surf, blues and folk rock. Most towns and cities had local scenes revolving around dance parties, clubs and ‘battle of the bands’ contests and many of the bands here were regional royalty but never broke nationally.
Key bands featured include The Seeds, The Sonics, The Standells, The Shadows Of Knight, The Thirteenth Floor Elevators, Love, The Electric Prunes, Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band, We The People and ? & The Mysterians.
“Pushin’ Too Hard” does exactly that and is a great collection for it. Any label worth their salt putting together this set, one that, like Nuggets before it, captures those that broke through with those that bubbled under, would never leave off the pillars of the original scene. Of course, we get The Seeds. How could we not with the set named after one of their classics? They show up twice on the first CD, first with the unedited version of “Pushin’ Too Hard”, a version dug up and released on 7″ in 2012 on Ace Records, and then later with the first take of “Out Of The Question”, from their 1967 “Future” album. Hearing it again, rougher around the edges, it’s clear where The Cynics were picking up the mantle from when the 80s revival rolled around. It’s these types of nuggets that instantly make the collection worth a trip.
The crossover with Lenny Kaye’s seminal compilation, especially the 1998 extended set, is inevitable, so we get songs like “Wooly Bully” (Sam Sham & The Pharaohs), “Liar Liar” (The Castaways), “Too Many People” (The Leaves), “I Ain’t No Miracle Worker” (The Brogues) “One Track Mind” (The Knickerbockers), “Mr Pharmacist” (The Other Half), “Diddy Wah Diddy” (Captain Beefheart), and The Rational’s version of “I Need You“. Many of these tunes were, after all, Billboard Top 100 hits on their original release as the sound of suburban teenage boredom spread from the garages to the streets. And quite frankly, I could listen to 96 tracks over three CDs of The Choir’s “It’s Cold Outside” every day of the week. They rub shoulders with other such classics like Love’s “My Little Red Book”, their version rightfully included over any of their amazing originals as a true artyfact of the scene. Not only was it the song that played a massive part in getting the band signed to Elektra, but also one of the songs that spawned the proto-punk style.
Sprinkled in amongst them are other gems by some of the most well-known bands of the scene, great additions for the casual listener and also for those who want some of their favourites in one place. We get an extended version of The Standell’s “Rari” and “Barracuda“, The Sonics’ You Got Your Head On Backwards“, and ? & The Mysterians’ Girl (“You Captivate Me”). And of course, no such set would be complete without a dose of the Elevators. The inclusion of the single version of “Tried To Hide“, originally released as a b-side on their “You’re Gonna Miss Me” single, shows again how well curated this set is, as we also get the a-side in its original early Spades’ version. It’s the inclusion of rarities like this, and others such as the Autumn version of The Mojo Men’s “She’s My Baby“, that sets this compilation apart from those that have gone before. No longer must we rely on a ripped-to-YouTube version.
Aside from the classics, there is gem after gem to discover here, tracks that will lead you down a rabbit hole of discovery. Stand-out ones for me are The Fire Escape’s version of “Love Special Delivery”, originally recorded by Chicano Rock band Thee Midniters, and the fantastic garage-soul of The Sparkles’ “Hipsville 2.9 BC”, written by Don Turnbow during his time at Acuff-Rose Music. Roy Junior’s version of his “Victim Of Circumstance” also makes a great addition. There are also a host of tracks that, here, get their first official UK release, such as The Bedlam Four’s stomping 1967 single, “No One Left To Love”, and The Blue Beat’s 1966 single, “Extra Girl”, a track that shimmies on a more jangle garage groove, that link between the British Invasion, early psychedelia, and a soulful pop coming through.
The chronological order of the songs also gives a great insight into how the garage sound progressed from its inception as the British Invasion took hold. Opening song Justine by The Rangers shows that what started as a ramped up and wild traditional rock ‘n’ roll, the kind of proto-punk sound birthed by bands like The Trashmen, swiftly splintered into a multi-layered genre. As it rolls on we get more Freakbeat sound on tracks like The Free-For-All’s “Show Me The Way”, while songs like The Hustlers’ “If You Try” show that the kids were also looking out from their garages to the Laurel Canyon sound of The Byrds and incorporating it in with their fuzzed up sound.
Over the 94 tracks, “Pushin’ Too Hard” is encyclopaedic in its presentation. Of course, there are classics and ones that any garage fan will know, but there is more than enough to make the compilation 100% essential for any fan.
The psych influence sidles up clearly with bands like The Seeds, The Elevators, The Electric Prunes, and The Unusuals, while bands like Chris Morgan & The Togas were still harking back to a more 50s-inspired vibe, marrying the past and then present wonderfully.
The Fat Angel Sings 