2. "Cathy Come Home"- Twilights (5/5). We all need some pure pop injections, don't we? This Australian outfit does its part with this happy little pop song; it sounds ordinary in the verses, but some really nice hooks appear in the bridge that it takes the song to another level. Don't worry, it's not as quaint as �Stop � Get a Ticket� off the first Nuggets.
3. "Circles"- Les Fleur De Lys (2/5). Of all the Who songs you can cover, why did Mssrs. Lys choose this forgettable affair? It sounds pretty identical to the Who original, but actually weaker: at least the Who's version had Pete's cute falsetto backing and some Moon-wild drumming. Not these guys. I pass.
4. "Get Down From the Tree"- Matadors (4/5). The band name implies they're from Spain, but they're really from Czechoslovakia!! Even more amazing is how they pulled this off under Communist oppression at the time. It's a great example of spirited garage rock, but the production's really erratic, so not quite 5 stars. Historically, I might give it a 5, what with the concurrent Prague Spring and everything.
5. "Cry in the Night"- Q'65 (3/5). This B-side to "Life I Live" is nowhere near as provocative. It's just a decent Stones take-off, the likes of which we haven't seen a lot on Nuggets II. Not much else I can say.
6. "Changing the Colors of Life"- Los Chijuas (4/5). Finally, Nuggets II showcases a rock group from Mexico! Los Bravos doesn't count, cuz the lead singer was from Germany. Care was taken in each part of the song: the 'warning' verses, the pop chorus, and the wonderfully light bridge. It's not really authentic Tex-Mex, but folk rock with ever-so-slight native touches. Muy bueno.
7. "Social End Product"- Bluestars (3/5). Another protest song. Another mediocre outing from New Zealand. Little things save it from being in the same category as "Sometimes Good Guys Don�t Wear White." The lyrics are more intelligently-crafted, the nursery-rhyme melody in the chorus is kinda cool. But that's all I can pick out from this selection.
8. "Crawdaddy Simone"- Syndicats (5/5). I had to give this one a 5, you see? It starts out as a normal R&B song, builds up over time, and goes completely berserk in the middle. Pretty impressive for 1965, and very impressive for a song that was supposedly knocked out on the spot in the studio as a B-side. It's not my favorite on here, but my awe and respect won't let me give it a 4 or a 3.
9. "Don't You Remember?"- Sound Magics (5/5). Awwww, what a sad song. I could just call this generic and leave it at that, and the lyrics and melody are certainly that, even when it goes up for the chorus. But something tugs me, it must be the genuinely sad delivery, or the great harmonies or the cool Dutch accent these guys don't try to cover up. Either way, I love this poppy tune.
10. "It�s My Pride"- Guess Who (3/5). Wha, this and not "Shakin� All Over"?? Even if the Who had a better version of that on Live at Leeds, I'd still prefer it over this mediocre tune. It falls in between 1965's "Shakin" and their popular peak at 1969-70. That dork Burton Cummings is aboard, but isn't too annoying. But this song is really forgettable.
11. "Magic Potion"- Open Mind (5/5). Nuggets II's equivalent to "Journey to the Center of the Mind," this would be. They're both top-notch slices of hard rock over druggy lyrics; the main difference is while "Journey" had Ted Nugent's guitar wailings, this has a really kick-butt wah-wah section. And the call-and-response is too cool for words. Just don't ask me which one is better. Please.
12. "You're Driving Me Insane"- Missing Links (3/5). Crikey, another bunch of wild Australian blokes! They were so engulfed in desperate/sexual attitude on this rave-up that they forgot to bring a good melody along. They play it allright, I guess. I just need more than sexual tension.
13. "Who Dat?"- Jury (4/5). Who dat? Who dat say they gon' beat the Saints? OK, this is some more Canadian garage rock, not an ode to the perpetually bad New Orleans football team. I really don't know why I'm giving this a four. It's got all the typical garage-rock trappings and such, but the trivial melody kinda grew on me. Maybe it's better than the other Canadian offerings on this box set. Still, lookitthat 4.
14. "A Midsummer Night's Scene"- John�s Children (4/5). Hi John, welcome back! Come on in! How are your Children doing? These guys have another fascinating/repetitious tune here, almost an updating of Shakespeare. Even the song is structured so that every verse and chorus could be an iambic pentameter!!! Not all of the lines are pentameters, but still. Oh, almost forgot the incessant 'petals and flowers' backing. How could I?
15. "Listen to the Sky"- Sands (4/5). Sure sounds like the Beatles circa 1967, no? This song isn't really psychedelic, instead it tells a fateful story of a soldier who died in battle. After two verses, the band recreates the Battle of Britain by playing Gustav Holst's "Mars," a fact I wouldn�t have known without the liner notes. It's about war, but it's more storytelling than protest. Although the Battle of Britain and Holst are lost on uncultured me, it still gets a 4.
16. "How to Find a Lover"- Mockingbirds (3/5). Man, these hardly sound like the same cats who had that perfect "You Stole My Love." Graham Gouldman didn't write this, good thing too. This sounds exactly like a Herman's Hermits tune, circa when they tried to be more than a novelty/cover band. Like "Just a Little Bit Better." It's catchy pop and all, just a letdown. Maybe they should have recorded Gouldman's "No Milk Today" before HH took it.
17. "Days of the Broken Arrows"- Idle Race (4/5). More Lynne for ya! Whereas "Imposters" could have been done by any psychedelic-pop group, this better foreshadows Electric Light Orchestra. I can see this bouncy/serious tune done in the orchestrated manner as the rest of the ELO catalogue. I do like Lynne's occasional falsetto forays too.
18. "By My Side"- Elois (3/5). Another simple rave-up here. They basically try the same R&B melody in several tempos: first fast, then slow, and finally even faster than before! That's the song in a nutshell, and it came out in 1967 of all years! Get with the times man!
19. "Path Through the Forest"- Factory (4/5). Sometimes all that needs to carry a song is atmosphere. Case in point here, as these dudes focus on mixing psychedelia with getting lost in a dark, mysterious forest. The vocals are truly faraway, I can�t really tell much of what he's saying. But like I said, it's all about atmosphere. Spooooky.
20. "Love Hate Revenge"- Episode Six (4/5). Haha, coeds! The girl in this group is credited with organ and vocals, but I'm not sure if she's the high-pitched person in the chorus; sounds more like a guy's falsetto. Anyway, the song itself is really cool: you got the voodoo vibe going, and a chorus that cannot be beat. Only problem is it deserves a better ending, not just the cool chorus over and over until fadeout. C'est la vie.
21. "Pictures of Matchstick Men"- Status Quo. I have this one already! Rather than put the song in this context, my comments on this one can be found here.
22. "The Train to Disaster"- Voice (3/5). Make no mistake, these guys play their asses off, and it shows in solo sections. But the song itself is repetitive and the melody isn't great. These guys hailed from some cult that preached the Apocalypse, and I'm trying not to let that dubious fact affect the rating. That would be Bias City right there.
23. "Sad"- Playboys (3/5). OK, I have to pull out the old clich� 'Beatlesque' for this song. Cuz these guys sound like they're going for that in the harmonies and hooks. Doesn't really work, the hooks aren't much to speak of. Plus, how many times can one say 'sad' in one song? Okay, we get it, the guy is sad!! Bring out Timebox, cuz then 'gone is the sad man'!!! Get it??
24. "Slaves Time"- Slaves (2/5). Little known fact: 19-year-old Arnold Schwarzenegger plays rhythm guitar for this Austrian outfit! OK, it�s false. But that lie is more interesting than the song itself. One riff over and over, unintelligible declarations, no progression whatsoever. Is this their theme song? If so, that's a bad sign indeed.
25. "You Can Be My Baby"- Red Squares (5/5). Liner notes say these guys are from Denmark, but they were really transplants from England. Either way, they do score with this fun pop track. The production pretty much sucks, and the verses don't sound promising until the airy harmony shows up. Then the chorus throws out every hook in the book, it seems to never end, and I love it. Fun fun fun. Way to go guys.
26. "I Wish I Was Five"- Scrugg (4/5). Another 1967-influenced song a la "It's a Sin to Go Away"? Yeah, these guys come up with a complicated melody, weary-nostalgic lyrics, and even a string section (sellouts!). It's pretty, but not outstanding like the aforementioned "Sin." Maybe it's a tad too depressing. He wishes he was five, cuz 'sometimes it's not so good bein' alive.' Chin up, Scrugg!
27. "Glendora"- Downliner's Sect (5/5). Cool! The stomping-beat and the familiar melody might not sound too impressive. But these guys mix it up with goodies: lyrics about mannequins (actually, this was originally a Perry Como song, no joke!) and out-of-place female backing vocals which I can't find in the liner notes! And yes, it's catchy as all get out! Good to see that they left one of the best tracks for last on this CD.