2. �Fight Fire�- Golliwogs (4/5). Credence Clearwater Revival had its start here as a regular British Invasion-inspired band. It�s not signature CCR, sure, but you can tell it�s them. The lead singer isn�t John Fogerty; rather, it�s his brother Tom. Not a big difference, he sounds like a Fogerty. What kicks for me is that guitar sound! Ooooh! That and the unexpected rhythm change in the middle. This song would be ordinary were it not for all these factors.
3. �At the River�s Edge�- New Colony Six (3/5). Apparently, this isn�t the sound this band was known for. I guess they went on to make MOR pop tunes later on. Maybe they�re better than this one. It�s got a good groove and use of harmonica, but it goes nowhere. Not much in the lyrical department either. I won�t make any �Mystic Eyes� comparisons, since I never heard that Them tune its supposedly similar to. I�ll just say, �Ehhh, next.�
4. �Jack of Diamonds�- Daily Flash (3/5). Similar to the previous, as its mostly an instrumental performance with occasional vocals. However, I very much prefer the sound these guys have going. It�s a bit fuzzier, and I dig that long feedback intro for some reason. Other than that, it�s more of a showcase of instrumentation than a song per se.
5. �Follow Me�- Lyme and Cybelle (4/5). Lyme is then-unknown Warren Zevon; Cybelle is Zevon�s friend. They put together a nice tune here. Cybelle sounds hypnotized, and Lyme�s counter-vocal complements it well. It�s mainly folk-pop with a touch of psychedelia. It may not be much, but it sure is pleasant. At least it hypnotizes me to, er, follow them. Wherever I may roam. Wait, that�s Metallica.
6. �It�s Cold Outside�- Choir (3/5). I don�t know, the song itself isn�t bad, matter of fact it�s good. It�s just so obvious and predictable though. The chord progressions, the longing lyrics, the modulation at the end, it seems like you�ve known this song for years. Liner notes say this is a Beatles pastiche, but I don�t buy it. �Lies� was much more so, and much better.
7. �Beg, Borrow, and Steal�- Rare Breed (2/5). �Louie Louie� just called, it wants its riff back. *tiddy boom* I'm too much. Any song that uses that riff so blatantly is bound to suck. Just look at Dino, Desi, and Billy�s �I�m a Fool� (a tune by the sons of Dean Martin and Desi Arnaz, and some other guy). At least that had comedy value in its clumsiness, this is just bland bubblegum. One of the worst tracks on this CD.
8. �She�s About a Mover�- Sir Douglas Quintet (4/5). Tex-Mex! Yummy! According to the liner notes, the Quintet were formed in response to the British Invasion. Only connection I can see is its similarities to the Beatles� �She�s a Woman.� That aside, this is pure American R&B-based rock, complete with a prominent organ. It�s catchy and repetitive, but in a good way.
9. �Little Bit O�Soul�- Music Explosion (4/5). Quite a big hit, peaked at #2 in the U.S. behind �Windy� by the Association (yeah I know too much about charts, shut up). No surprise to me, this tune is purely commercially-oriented. It�s bubblegum-garage, with an obvious riff and angsty lead singer. They took an obscure tune by a British group, the Ivy League, and took it to the bank. May put off some, but I likes it fine.
10. �Put the Clock Back on the Wall�- E-Types (5/5). Whoa! Another should-have-been-a-hit. I have no idea what the song�s about, but the structure is unusual and these guys sound enthusiastic. They start off quiet in the verses, move to an awesome sounding Hollies-esque chorus, and go quiet again to chant the title. It just sounds so groovy and fresh, too bad it never hit the big time.
11. �Falling Sugar�- Palace Guard (3/5). Much like �It�s Cold Outside,� with a nice sound and the whiff of �been there, heard that.� They wear their British inspiration on their sleeves here. The harmonies ain�t bad, and the intro sounds inviting. It�s not as obvious as the Choir tune, but its not better by any margin. If at all.
12. �Run Run Run�- Gestures (4/5). One of the only surf-rock songs on Nuggets, it makes its presence felt. First off, the production is professional. The vocals sound very breezy here, bringing out the minor keys that put a dark edge on the tune. Every instrument is played in a top-notch fashion. Not completely unoriginal, but worth 4 points in my book. Almost cracked the Top 40 in 1964. Good job, guys.
13. �I Need You�- Rationals (2/5). Sorry, this Kinks clone does nothing for me. I never heard the original, but I would no doubt prefer it to this. The instrumental backing is faithful, but the lead singer is no Ray Davies. It was recorded in 1965, but not released until 1968. Because it was so out of touch of its time, it flopped. Not that anyone was missing much.
14. �Knock Knock�- Humane Society (4/5). Yikes. This song is disturbing right from the get-go. The minor-key melody and the oft-repeated four-chord guitar riff sets the story. The lead singer is heartbroken over a girl who rejected him, and he keeps coming back. He gets rejected continually, then he snaps. As the tempo picks up, this guy goes psycho and begs and screams for her. Nowadays this guy would get a restraining order. For now, we�re left with this frightening piece.
15. �Primitive�- Groupies (2/5). So it was different at the time. I�m not impressed. A good riff is played ad nauseam, and the tempo craaaaawls. It�s an ode to living primitive, as sung in an unappealing voice. I�ll give it that it sounds ahead of its time of early 1966, but it don�t feed my bulldog. Maybe because I don�t have one. Or else because it�s boring. The tune, I mean.
16. �Psycho�- Sonics (4/5). Here they are again! This time they have a �50s-style melody, more Little Richard-inspired than �Strychnine.� Gerry Roslie stays true to the title, and his screams make your hair stand on end. Especially at the end. It fades out, but Roslie ain�t done. He just keeps blasting away �til the track is no more. I sure hope this only required one take to record.
17. �So What!!�- Lyrics (4/5). How fitting that a band called the Lyrics had a song where the most interesting part is the lyrics. The bluesy bashing beat is solid if unspectacular. What I like are the lyrics, where the guy lists all the good stuff a rich girl has, and ends with a defiant �So what??!!� Way to go, dude; money doesn�t matter. I love that harmonica wailing too.
18. �You Must be a Witch�- Lollipop Shoppe (4/5). What�s up with the band name? It implies bubblegum, but this song is far from that. This guy is totally freaked out over some chick, who�s tempting him like crazy. The rhythm following his apprehension, from kinda shaky to all out freaked out. I like the intro riff, taken from a song I never heard off. Ask the more qualified Starostin if you want to know.
19. �A Question of Temperature�- Balloon Farm (5+/5). Dude, this is one of my favorite songs ever. I�m serious. It weirded me out when I first heard it at age 12, on a compilation we don�t have anymore. The opening guitar riff, those weird vinyl scratches, the steady beat, the floating organ, the guys� icy vocals, spontaneous echoes, I love it all. I haven�t even mentioned the best part: the two-part falsetto chorus: �It�s a question of, it�s a question of, it�s a question of, it�s a question OOOOOOOF!!!� and then Mr. Ice comes back in with �of temperature!� One of the greatest moments in �60s psychedelia. It did hit the Top 40, but I wouldn�t give a damn had it never charted.
20. �Maid of Sugar - Maid of Spice�- Mouse and the Traps (4/5). Not quite as good as �Public Execution,� but it holds its own. It�s basically fast blues-garage, the likes of which could be found on Dylan�s �Tombstone Blues� and whatnot. But Dylan never had cool, fast-picking guitar lines in his songs. Mouse still sounds vaguely like Dylan, but not overtly so. Still, I prefer said �Public Execution.�
21. �You Ain�t Tuff�- Uniques (3/5). Another Texas-style garage boogie with a mean harmonica. Lyrically, it�s another put-down of a chick, and in the style of Dylan too, I guess. Nothing really stands out here, not even the �intelligent� lyrics. I�ll just groove to the beat they supply me with.
22. �Sometimes Good Guys Don�t Wear White�- Standells (2/5). Ack, even worse than �Dirty Water�. The chord progression is tiresome, being done to better effect in other songs (but not the Verve's stupid "Bittersweet Symphony"). Everyone sounds tired, even the formerly sneery lead singer. It�s a protest song in the lyrics, but they don�t have the protest attitude. Next.
23. �She�s My Baby�- Mojo Men (3/5). Before they had a chick in their band and went sissy with Stephen Still tunes, these dudes did blues-rock. Everything sounds nasty and mean, and some lyrics are keepers. Like the one about how she �looks like my father� and �cooks like my mother�. Still, it�s not completely my cup of tea, so I tend to overlook it.
24. �Story of My Life�- Unrelated Segments (4/5). Some more high school rockers. More R&B influences than everything else here, with the stomping drum beat and rhythm guitar. Love that bass noodling too. The lead dude sounds a bit nasal, but that�s okay. Favorite part is the chorus: �I said no! (No!) No! (No!) You can�t buy love! (NOOOO!!!!!)� Lotta fun here.
25. �I�m Five Years Ahead of my Time�- Third Bardo (3/5). Somewhat mediocre sub-Doors psychedelia . It sure feels like 1967, with the exotic guitar and LSD-affected lyrics. But this guy was probably tripping at the time he recorded his vocals, and felt embarrassed after coming down. Maybe if one was tripping while hearing this, he�d really like it. As it is, ehhh.
26. �Mirror of Your Mind�- We the People (4/5). These boys from Tennessee have a good-sized cult following, so I hear. I can see why; not a second is wasted here. The sound here is pre-punk thrash, where the off-tune harmonica/guitar riff is just as biting as the absolutely chaotic chorus. Not to mention the drumming is mixed high, and the vocals are mocking and vicious. Scores for being just nuts.
27. �Bad Little Woman�- Shadows of Knight (3/5). Them again?? Waaah! Actually this is better than their other two songs here. It�s not boring (�Oh Yeah�), nor does it try too hard (�Make You Mine�). Instead, we have the Shads alternating between slow and fast blues tempos, each with skill. The lead singer sounds convincing for once, and the guitar section cooks. Not great, but they finally show some talent besides �Gloria.� Too bad the Wheels version on Nuggets II (the Shads based their version on that one) is even better. Can't win for losing.
28. �Double Yellow Line�- Music Machine (3/5). Stop the presses! Music Machine goes pop! We got a cute organ line and probably the �happiest� vocals these guys can manage. Only the fuzz guitar keeps it from being totally pop. It�s nowhere near as explosive as �Talk Talk�, but I can�t say it�s not catchy. Don�t you cross that double yellow line!
29. �Optical Sound�- Human Expression (3/5). More so-so psychedelia. The shrieking guitar squeals and moist feel are good. The lyrics are typically obscure and druggy. But the lead singer? He sounds like the Monkees� Davy Jones on acid! And Davy would never go off tripping! He�s too busy getting the cute girl! Where was I? Oh yes, �Optical Sound�. Nothing special.
30. �Journey to the Center of the Mind�- Amboy Dukes (5/5). Ted Nugent makes this song. It�s another vehicle for his powerhouse guitar skills, better than their previous entry here. It rips and roars for sure. Lyrically, it�s yet another psychedelic ode. Psychedelia and Ted �N.R.A� Nugent? Talk about your odd bedfellows.