Please feel free to submit a review

This is where you will find all the Boulders, Pebbles, Nuggets and Rubble etc. that is the minefield of Compilation LP’s, please note that track lists change on later CD releases as stuff gets added and chopped with re-releases (it is common for most CD releases to have extra tracks not included on the original vinyl release)

“Stand back I’m not sure how big this things gonna get...!!”

49 Minute Technicolour Dream

1984

Bam Caruso Kiri 027

Track List:

Jason Crest-Black Mass, The Mirage-The Wedding Of Ramona Blair, Caleb-Baby Your Phrasing Is Bad, Kaleidoscope-Flight From Ashiya, The Cymbaline-Matramonial Fears, Finders Keepers-On The Beach, The Californians-The Cooks Of Cake & Kindness, Rings & Things-Strange Things Are Happening, The Fox-Butterfly, Unit 4+2-3.30am, Kaliedoscope-A Dream For Julie, Tempus Fugit-Come Alive, The Misunderstood-Golden Glass.

Review:

This really is one insane compilation. I own about 5 or 6 psychedelic compilations, and this one is probably my favourite. I've found that too many psychedelic compilations contain very un-psychedelic garage rock from the mid 60's, and only a few really psych tracks (the Nuggets box set, for example).

The 49 minute technicolour dream is pure psych, though. The first track, Black Mass by Jason Crest is amazingly powerful....and as difficult as it is to pick tracks from this masterpiece, look especially for the tracks by Kaliedoscope, one of the best psych bands that were around back then. Their track 'flight from ashiya' is brilliant, taken from their equally brilliant LP Tangerine Dream. There's gems from Finders Keepers, The Fox and most especially the dark and uniuqely psychedelic ' Golden Glass', by The Misunderstood. Rings and Things have their little psychedelic anthem on this comp, 'strange things are happening', which hits you with flowery psychedelic vibes as soon as you listen to it. The sound quality of the LP is pretty good as well.

The name of this comp is taken from the psychedelic 60's festival The 14 Hour Techicolour Dream, a 14 hour festival in Europe where bands like Pink Floyd played, led by pyschedelic pied piper Syd Barrett.

Also of interest to this, if you have chocolate soup volume 2, look for the track by The Syn written about this festival, it's insane.

Reviewed by mad_hatter

Adventures In The Mist

1986

Bam Caruso kiri 069

Track List:

The Accent-Winds Of Change, The Poets-Wooden Spoon, Felius Andromeda-Cheadle Heath Delusions, The Plague-Looking For The Sun, The Fairytale-Listen To Mary Cry, Fire-Treacle Toffee World, The Attack-Colours Of My Mind, The Californians-Follow Me, The Fairytale- Guess I Was Dreaming, Felius Andromeda-Meditations, Sauterelles-Dream Machine, The Attack-Lady Orange Peel, The Poets-In Your Tower, Turquoise-Woodstock, Cherry Smash-Fade Away Maureen, The Ice-Iceman.

A Forest Of Gold Tops In The Land Of Oz

1997

Gift Records ‎– GCD1001

Track List:

James Taylor Move - Still I Can Go On, The Bucket - I Can't Help Thinking Of You, Wright Of Waye - You Can't Do It Alone, Wright Of Waye - Penelope Play, Inside Looking Out - Morning Sun, The Proclamation - King Of The Mountain, Chris Malcolm - Hurt, Love And Fire, Pastoral Symphony - Sunshine Is My Sorrow, Clapham Junction - Emily On A Sunday, The Imagination - We Got Fun, Playboys - Black Sheep R.I.P, Playboys - Sad, Inside Looking Out - Long Live Sivinanda, Wright Of Waye - Sun God, Wright Of Waye - Dollar Song, Puppy - Belinda, Puppy - Elizabeth St. Bridge, James Taylor Move - And I Hear The Fire Sing, The Vegetable Garden - Even Stevens, Peter Best - Carousel Of Love, Oak Apple Day plus The Deadly Pair - Moon Shot, The Proclamation - Tea And Sympathy, Mike Furber - Watch Me Burn, Peter Tilbrook - All Mine To Play With, Bobby And Laurie - Every Second Day, Long Grass - Sunshine To Burn.

A Journey To Tyme Volumes 1 & 2

2001

Past & Present PAPRCD2035

Track List:

Volume One:

Unrelated Segments - Story Of My Life, Beckett Quintet - No Correspondence, The Enfields - She Already Has Somebody, The Moving Sidewalks - Need Me, The Painted Faces - Anxious Color, The Ugly Ducklings - That's Just A Thought That I Had In My Mind, Chayns - Run And Hide, American Blues - If I Were A Carpenter, Unrelated Segments - It's Unfair, Beckett Quintet - (It's All Over Now) Baby Blue, The Enfields - I'm For Things You Do, The Moving Sidewalks - Every Night A New Surprise, The Painted Faces - Things We See, The Ugly Ducklings - Just In Case You Wonder, Chayns - Why Did You Hurt Me, American Blues - All I Saw Was You.

Volume Two:

Faine Jane - It Ain't True, Canterbury Fair - Song On A May Morning, The Cryan Shames - Ben Franklin's Almanac, Haymarket Riot - Nine O'clock, The 4 Of Us - I Feel A Whole Lot Better, Thee Midniters - Never Knew I Had It So Bad, The New Breed - High Society Girl, The Roosters - One Of These Days, The Fifth Order - Goin' To Far, Fe-Fi-Four Plus 2 - Mr Sweet Stuff, The Rats - Got To See My Baby Every Day, The Esquires - Sadie's Way, The Poets - Now We're Thru, The Hallmarks - Soul Shakin' Psychedelic Sally, The Outcasts - I Didn't Have To Love Her Anymore, The Rationals - Feelin' Lost.

Review:

Originally released on Phantom in the United States as limited edition (500), numbered single albums, the first being released in 1982, the second in 1984 the first two in this series of what was originally 5 albums are reissued here by Past & Present in a double CD format with the packaging containing artwork from the original sleeves.

What you get for your money is 32 tracks of classic American Garage/Psych with the track list reading like a roll call of psych legends such as The Moving Sidewalks, American Blues, Faine Jade and The Chayns alongside lesser known bands such as Detroit's Unrelated Segments (their track here is wrongly titled It's Unfair, where it should be It's Not Fair) and Florida's Painted Faces. Between 1982 and now much of this has been fairly heavily comped elsewhere but that should not put you off buying this because many of the tracks have not (as far as we know) been comped elsewhere and this is a great compilation album.

Geographically it draws from bands right across America and Canada, The Beckett Quintet from Los Angeles, The Enfields from Wilmington, Delaware, Canada's Ugly Ducklings, Haymarket Riot from Michigan, The Outcasts from Philadelphia (not the same Outcasts as 1523 Blair!!) and the curiously named Canterbury Fair who in fact hail from Fresno, California (and sound like an early English Prog band)!!

The journey starts in Detroit, Michigan with The Unrelated Segments much comped punker 'Story Of My Life'and moves on to Los Angeles with The Beckett Quintet with this 1965 Beat single showing subtle early signs of things to come..
Texan heavyweights The Chayns from San Antonio have both sides of their third single included here (see Epitaph For A Legend for their most famous single..)

Both Punk and Psych fans will dig this comp as there are equal quantities of both genres here and we must mention the excellent American Blues from good 'ol Dallas, Texas with their own unique brand of psychedelia. Included here are both sides of their excellent 1969 single on Karma Records 'If I Were A Carpenter' and 'All I Saw Was You', both being possibly the strongest tracks on Volume One of this comp. Their future band mates The Moving Sidewalks also have their second single included here, originally on the Wand label in 1967, 'Need Me'/Every Night A New Surprise'.

While we are in Texas, so to speak, and certainly worthy of mention is Dallas band The New Breed with 'High Society Girl' which is a great 'SGT. Pepper meets 60's Punk' slice of fun (anybody know a release date on this?)

Just south of the border, from Albuquerque, New Mexico comes The Fe-Fi-Four Plus 2 with Mr Sweet Stuff which we believe was their second single on the Odex label. Their first single was the classic and now legendary (and heavily comped) I Wanna Come Back (From The World Of LSD). From Jonesboro, Arkansas are The Esquires, not to be confused with at least five other US bands with the same name!! who bring an excellent early example of 60's Punk with their 1965 release 'Sadie's Ways' (also available on the 1985 Hipsville Vol 2 comp).

The coolest and most worthy (not on any other comps...) track on Volume Two however just has to be The Hallmarks from Ocean Port, New Jersey with this 1967 B-side, 'Soul Shakin' Psychedelic Sally' that is guaranteed to get your toes tapping, even if it is possibly a bit of bandwagon jumping...

Some trivia that I am sure many of you will already know...members of American Blues Dusty Hill and Frank Beard in a later life became rock legends ZZ Top, along with Billy Gibbons from The Moving Sidewalks.

Lets hope that 3, 4 and 5 are in the pipeline......Lorna???

Reviewed by pOoTer - September 2002.

Changes (The Psychedelic Beat Album)

2001

Past & Present PAPRCD2039

Track List:

Danny¹S Reason - Triangle, C.A.Quintet - Blow My Soul, C.A.Qunitet - Cold Spider, Bedlam Four - Hydrogen Atom, It Was Brillig - Dirty Old Man, Hope - On Times You Can See, Third Wave - Dream, Gestures - It Seems To Me, Hope - One Man, Second Thought - Museum, T.C.Atlantic - Love Is Just, Calico Wall - Flight Reaction, Stillroven - Have You Ever Seen Me.

Review:

To quote "This album documents the wild psychedelic sounds of the 1960s Minneapolis music scene". Indeed it lives up to this statement.

Put out alongside the "UK psychedelic obscurities - We can fly 2" album it shows that the American scene was far more furious and deviant than the British scene.

This album gives you 13 tracks of acidic storm showing how recalcitrant those early bands were, including :-
Triangle by "Danny's Reason". Screaming vocals with "Cramps" style instrumentation.
Two tracks by "C.A. Quintet". The first being Blow my soul, an unoffensive classic psych sounding affair and the second being Cold spider, a tripped out slice of acid dementia complete with superb guitar effects and hard drumming, an absolutely superb brain curdler.

Hydrogen atom by "Bedlam four" Previously known as "The Echomen". A very sought after and consequently expensive 45. An acidic menace of guitar and distortion.

Dirty old man by "It was brillig" another vocal screamer with wild guitar and hard hitting bass.
On times you can see by "Hope" where you float away on a cloud of melancholy, slow guitar and crashing drums, very atmospheric.

Dream by "Third Wave". Heavy blues side of psych, fine guitar strangling going on.
It seams to me by "Gestures". About the most poppy, Brit beat influenced track of the album. Goes nowhere does nothing.

One man by "Hope", not the same "Hope" as before. Big vocals and very room filling music.
Museum by "Second thought" Roll your roof down summertime easiness.

Love is just by T.C. Atlantic. Another psypunk groove that deviates brain crushingly in the middle section and then returns to the main punked groove.

Flight reaction by "Calico wall". High pitched guitar that rips at your inner ear. A fine piece of psypunk. Screaming vocal about a bad plane journey that results in a desperate paranoia of flying.

Have you ever seen me by "Stillroven". Doesn't finish the album with a bang, It's just one of those I've heard that before kinda tracks and you would have done because it was originally done by "The Small Faces" and it suffers even more by the ferocity of the preceding tracks.

A very worth while addition to any collection of garage psych. Highly recommended. Full of get it of your chest angst ridden vocals, fuzz, organ, hard hitting drums and distortion.

*Note* "Due to the unavailability of master tapes slight surface noise may be evident" do not let this deter you from buying it, in fact it gives it a bit of authenticity.

Reviewed by Sir Eel - April 2002.

Chocolate Soup for Diabetics Volume 1 (vinyl)

1980

Relics LSD 1

Track List:

The Voice-The Train To Disaster, The Nuchez’s-Open Up your Mind, Tintern Abbey-Vacuum Cleaner, One In A Million-Double Sight, The Misunderstood-Children Of The Sun, Dantalions Chariot-The Madman Running Through The Fields, The Nuchez’s-BG’s One Eye, The Flies-I’m Not Your Stepping Stone, One In A Million-Fredereek Fernando, The Fire-Father’s Name Is Dad, Tintern Abbey-Beeside, The Fresh Windows-Fashion Conscious, Apple-The Otherside, The Unexplained-A Walk Down Emily Lane.

Review:

One of the first British psychedelic compilations available. Highlights include the second One In A Million single complete with a backwards guitar solo and capturing the band on such a high you can almost feel the energy bursting out; the top side of the only Dantalions Chariot single again with backward effects; both sides to the only single by the legendary Tintern Abbey (if only somebody could find some more stuff); killer guitar work from the Apple; freakbeat from the Fire; Fresh Windows produce a nice 60s period number that hasn't been issued (as far as I know) anywhere else and The Misunderstood with this lovely psychedelic gem, go out and grab the Chocolate Soup CD, you won't regret it.

Reviewed by Jim Mac from Marmalade Skies

Chocolate Soup for Diabetics Volume 2 (vinyl)

1981

Relics Acid 1

Track List:

Mike Stuart Span-Children Of Tomorrow, Wimple Winch-Rumble On Mersey Square South, Fleur-De-Lys-Circles, Craig-I Must Be Mad, Apple-Buffalo Billy Can, The Score-Please Please Me, Winston’s Fumbs-Snow White, Him & The Others-She’s Got Eyes That Tell Lies, Big Boy Pete-Cold Turkey, The Hush-Grey, The Tickle-Subway, Syn-14 Hour Technicolour Dream, State Of Micky & Tommy-With Love From 1 to 5, Paper Blitz Tissue-Boy Meets Girl.

Review:

Another excellent addition to the Chocolate Soup trilogy of comps, this one features a number of fine British freakbeat tunes, including the Excellent Buffalo Billy Can by Apple, the Craig's I Must Be Mad, Circles by the Fleur de lys and, of course, Rumble on Mersey Square by Wimple Winch, among others.

Well worth searching for, if you haven't found these tunes elsewhere.

Reviewed by MusicGuy - June 2003

Chocolate Soup for Diabetics Volume 3 (vinyl)

1982

Relics CSFD3

Track List:

The Factory-Path Through The Forest, Felius Andromeda-Meditations, Wimple Winch-Save My Soul, Fleur-De-Lys-Mud In Your Eye, Australian Playboys-Sad, Graded Grains-Animal Magic, The Accent-Red Sky At Night, Chapter Four-In My Life, The Poets-Wooden Spoon, The Smoke-Have Some More Tea, The Game-Help Me, Mummy’s Gone, Graded Grains-Lucifers Son.

Clouds Have Groovy Faces, The

1986

Bam Caruso Kiri 049

Track List:

The Fairytale-Loveley People, The Kinsmen-Glasshouse Green Splinter Red, The Poets-I Am So Blue, Ice-Anniversary Of Love, The End-Shades Of Orange, Turquoise-Tales Of Flossie Fillet, Pudding-The Magic Bus, The Attack-Neville Thumbcatch, The Accent-Red Sky At Night, The Elastic Band-8 1/2 Hours To Paradise, The Attack-Created By Clive, Two & A Half-Suburban Early Morning Station, Life ‘n’ Soul-Peacefully Asleep, The Poets-I’ll Cry With The Moon, Falling Leaves-Beggars Paradise, Tinkerbells Fairydust-20-10

Datura Dreamtime - Further Psychotropic Experimentation In The Forest Of Gold Tops

1999

Boobs a Lot CD02

Track List:

The Twilights - Devendra, Muszak - Writing Letters To Nowhere, Glass Web - Two Faced Woman, Inside Looking Out - H.M.S. Buffalo, Vyt And The World - Dapper Dan, Mike Furber - I'm On Fire, The Chocolate - I'm An Animal, The Twilights - Take Action, Peter Wright - House Of Bamboo, Glass Web - In A Year Of So, Jeff St John & The Id - Eastern Dream, Vegetable Garden - Hypnotic Suggestion, The Jet Set - Now I Love You, The Limit - Happy Life, Plaster Scene - Love, Travis Wellington Hedge - Hey Bulldog, The Twilights - Blue Roundabout, John Vincent & The In-Sect - Madge's Charity Badges, Doug Ashdown - Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On, Zoot - Three Jolly Little Dwarfs, The Playboys - Black Sheep R.I.P., Dave Miller Set - Why? Why? Why?, Oak Apple Day - Oceans Of Fire, Allison Gros - Naturally, The Atlantics - Light Shades Of Dark Part 2

Review:

Excellent 25 track follow up to the Forest Of Goldtops comp with The Chocolate's primal version of Eric Burden's "I'm An Animal" (The Chocolate were The Creatures of "Ugly Thing" fame), The Glass Web's bright mod psych "In A Year Or So", Doug Ashdown's slowed down and fuzzed out take on "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On", The Atlantics' "Light Shades Of Dark Part II" (The Atlantics were the famous Aussie instro group that later tryed their hand at punk and psych) and others.

I like this comp A LOT - it may even be the better of the two.

Reviewed by mad_hatter

Endless Journey Phase 1

1982

Psycho 1

Track List:

Moving Sidewalks - I Want To Hold Your Hand, Rising Storm - Baby Please Don't Go, Outcasts - Smokestack Lightning, Oxford Circle - Foolish Woman, Oxford Circle - Mind Destruction, Unsettled Society - Diamond Studded Cadillacs, Finchley Boys - I'm Not Like Everybody Else, Rising Storm - A Message To Pretty, Rising Storm - Don't Look Back, Clique - Splash 1, Mystic Tide - Psychedelic Journey Part 1, Mystic Tide - Psychedelic Journey Part 2.

Endless Journey Phase 2

1983

Psycho 3

Track List:

Wind - The Paisleys, It All ends - Finchley Boys, Tonight - Creme Soda, Feelin’ Much Better - Flat Earth Society, Cant Be Free - the Mint, We’re Friends - The Mint, Do you Understand My words - Help, Blow To My Soul - C.A Quintet, Workshop - The Hunger, Cold Spider - C.A Quintet, People Games Play - Faine Jade, Cold Winter Sun - Faine Jade, Trieulogy - Kak, Keep It Heavy - Creme Soda.

Review:

3rd offering from the Psycho guys sees a good mix of US psych kicking off with Wind taken from The Paisleys Cosmic Mind At Play LP. A highlight of the LP being the terrifying acid drenched madness of C.A Quintets Cold Spider, closely followed by the legendary Faine Jade’s - People Games Play.

All of this is eclipsed only by the truly awesome epic that is Trieulogy from California’s Kak, a track that will haunt you for rest of your days on earth.......’I’ve only got one thing left to......thats to die....’

Reviewed by pOoTer

Endless Journey Phase 3

1983

Psycho 19

Track List:

Them - Gloria, Them - Baby Please Don't Go, Electric Rubayyat - If I Was A Carpenter, Clear Light - Sand, Cykle - Lesson To Learn, Cykle - Do My Thing, 49th Parallel - Close The Barn Door, T. Swift & The Electric Bag - Are You Experienced?, Golden Dawn - My Time, Frumious Bandersnatch - Hearts To Cry, Dirty Filthy Mud - The Forest Of Black, Strange - Ruler Of The Universe.

From The House Of Lords

1986

Bam Caruso Kiri 065

Track List:

The Doctor-The House Of Lords, The Sugar Battle-Colliding Minds, The Ice Doves-Stepping Stone, The Glass Keys-Workshop Of My Mind, The Black Atlas-Living Colours, The Attractions-Slow Patience, Sleepeaters-The Last Mile, The Time Machine-Dear Prudence, The Wedding-Summer Evening, Paul Roland-Mad Elaine, The Fading Dream-Father’s Name Is Dad.

Floralia Volume 2

1997

On Off NF 004

Track List:

Moonflowers - Let It Rain, Tribe Of Cro - Implosion, Dunlavy - In Circles, Humus - Brylecreem, Earcandy - Cosmic Space, Wobble Jaggle Jiggle - Keep Yourself In Control, Zen - Spaghetti Eastern, Lo-Fi Sucks! - Get Out Of My Way, Iron Bong - All Day Long, TV Dinner - Sheltering Sky, Bag - The Last Resort, Frolic Froth - Karmic Controlled Planets, Ole Lukkoye - Children, Atman - Theatre Of Mist, Anna Nancher - 39, Kryptästhesie - Brevi Amnesie, S/T - Marsschenleifen.

Review:

With Volume 2 of the 'now approaching legendary' Floralia comps Giampiero Fleba took the interesting approach of inviting bands from around the world to contribute tracks and in doing so has created a 'snapshot of the state of world psychedelia' in 1997. In our opinion this has worked very well and there is an interesting mixture of both bands and musical styles evident here.
Our personal faves were Belgium's Tribe Of Cro with their Gong-like spiralling space rock 'Implosion', the wonderfully cynical and tongue in cheek Wobble Jaggle Jiggle from here in the UK with their curious Garage Punk mantra, Frolic Froth from Mexico City with Karmic Controlled Planets and the beautifully hypnotic Theatre Of Mist from Atman (Poland).

As far as comps go this IS a very good one that we can recommend without a doubt and there really isn't a bad track on it, which is unusual for comps but shows Giampiero's commitment to release great music.

Reviewed by pOoTer

Floralia Volume 3

1999

Wot 4 Records WoT4CD99003

Track List:

Cosmic Gardeners - Moment Opens Moment, Amp - Left It, Korai Öröm - Welcome To The Hippie Future, Tom Kazas - Shadows of White, Ohm - Super Breakout, In The Labyrinth - Sagamartha, Smoking The Century Away - Professing the Non-pasteurized, This Fluid - Joni's Sweet Echo, Acid Mothers Temple and The Melting Paraiso U.F.O - Psycho Karman, Magic Carpathians - First Step into The Mountain, Le Forbici Di Manitu - Division 6, Ectogram - Ochenaid Llseg, Tombstone Valentine - The Web, Alquimia - Floralia.

Review:

Floralia Volume 3, compiled by Giampiero Fleba picks up where Volume 2 left off with a stunning array of sonic delights from around the globe to grace your speakers and ears with. Totally new bands this time (excluding perhaps Anna Nacher and Atman who featured with a solo track on Floralia 2) from all corners of the planet, Germany, UK, Hungary, Australia, USA, Sweden, Mexico, Greece, Japan, Poland and of course Italy.

As with previous Floralia comps the standard is exceptionally high with some great global psychedelia featured here. Cosmic Gardeners is dreamy and eastern influenced, AMP a spacey jam full of effects. A favourite of ours, Korai Öröm from Hungary is an Ozrics feely space jam, Tom Kazas is airy and Floyd-ish and Ohm is a modern day digital Krautrock synth voyage.

Next up are Sweden's In The Labyrinth with their wonderful sitar and tabla 'Sagarmartha' followed by Mexico's strange Smoking The Century Away which is in a cosmic experimental jazz style featuring keyboards and clarinet. 'Joni's Sweet Echo' from Greece's This Fluid is a trippy electronic voyage and perhaps the most well known band here, Japan's Acid Mothers Temple are featured here in collaboration with The Melting Palaiso U.F.O for a frenetic and demented synthesiser and guitar fest of a truly warped nature......"Can you last the distance?"

Another favourite of ours are Poland's Magic Carpathians with 'First Step into The Mountain', a wonderful slice of gentle and haunting psych folk. We shall be trying to track down their latest release Ethnocore 2: Nytu, which from what we have heard is absolutely stunning and VERY different (yes please!!). Le Forbici Di Manitu come across like a discordant Bauhaus on a heavy hit of acid. Tranquility is resumed by the ethereal tones of Wales' Ectogram followed by the interesting sounding Tombstone Valentine who sound very promising indeed.

Floralia 3 finishes up with another excellent track, this time from the Mexican/English Alquimia who produces and plays all the synths and vocals on Floralia, taken from her latest album A Separate Reality.

Reviewed by pOoTer

Fluorescent Tunnelvision - Various Artists

2001

Submergence SUB-0047

Track List:

Disc 1: Circle -Veitsi, F/I - Quantum Foam, Pseudo Buddha - Calling Quexzalcoatl, Zelany Rashoho - ......., Oránj Climax - Offering, Djam Karet - New Light On The Dark Age, Quarkspace - Brainhaze (D.O.B.H#3), Melodic Energy Comission - Ramalite From Vega, Ektroverde - Suru.
Disc 2: Faust - From The Upper Underworld (Little Eavvivando), Volcano The Bear - Strasshand, Escapade - Warningless, Tombstone Valentine - Fleeing From The Perfect Master, Mushroom - Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, Tree Sine - Jump To The Moon, 2012 - Look, Subarachnoid Space - So Near And Yeti So Far.

Review:

My God It's Full Of Stars...Following on from 1999's acclaimed Turn Century Turn: Space Rock & Psychedelia From Around The Globe (Mother West), Fluorescent Tunnelvision picks up very much in that vein featuring Free Form, Avant-Garde Space Rock/Psych and Experimental tracks from bands across the globe, hand picked by Compiler Hadley Kahn (drummer with Escapade). Although the collection of bands here are somewhat incestuous, Oránj Climax features Escapade's Bass player and Circle, Ektroverde and Tree Sine are all related too, this does not detract from a very well picked selection of tunes from around the world. If the extent of your Space Rock exploration ends with Gong and Hawkwind then this is not for you, BUT if your bag is full on sonic exploration then step forward into the darkness...

Finland's mighty Circle open Disc 1 with 'Veitsi', a fine, powerful, hypnotic track very much typical of their sound. What follows is nothing short of excellent as your are fed an endless supply of audio exotica from across the globe via the cold darkness of outer space. High points for me (as well as Circle) were Pseudo Buddha, Oránj Climax and the ultra heavyweight
Ektroverde track 'Suru' (which is more 'Circle' than it is 'Ektroverde').

Disc 2 contains as many ion charged particles as its predecessor, opening with the legendary Faust, one of the big hitters on the original Krautrock scene who have had a long and influential career starting with their self titled debut album way back in 1971. It is good to see original members Joachim Irmler and Werner Diermaier still producing strange and evocative music in the year 2001. Escapade are their usual spontaneous fluid selves with 'Warningless' and American psych/space rock supremo's Tombstone Valentine make a welcome appearance with 'Fleeing From The Perfect Master', 2012 is a long strange trip with 'Look' and San Francisco's Subarachnoid Space close the airlock on this fine comp with the eerie (and tongue in cheek?) 'So Near And Yeti So Far'.

Fluorescent Tunnelvision, the perfect way to sample some of the worlds finest Avant-Garde Space Rock in two easy to swallow discs.....look no further for your dose.

Reviewed by pOoTer - December 2001

Instro Hipsters A Go-Go 2

2001

Past & Present PAPRCD2038

Track List:

The Excursion - Switched On, Joe Loss & His Music - Warpaint, The Midnight Shift - Saturday Jump, The Ray King Soul Band - Dupy/Mercy, Trendsetters Ltd - I'm Coming Home, St. Louis Union - English Tea, The Voomins - March Of The Voomins, The Ray McVay Sound - Revenge, Sounds Nice - Love You Too, Ole Jensen & His Music - Railroader, The Salon Band - Disco 2, Earl Guest - Foxy, Morgan & The Mark Seven - Undercover Man, The Roulettes - Junk, Peter Jay & The Jaywalkers - Before The Beginning, The Reg Guest Syndicate - Underworld, Roland Shaw & His Orchestra - Peter Gunn, The Gun - Rupert's Travels, Zoot Money - Zoots Suite, Jimmy Nichol & The Shubdubs - Night Train, The Mike Cotton Group - One Mint Julep, The Salon Band - Four Wheel Drive, The Purple Fox - Git Some, Julian Covey & The Machine - Sweet Bacon, The Magic Christians - Nats, The Cy Payne Orchestra - The Pround & The Mighty.

Review:

Ok, picture London 35 years ago, the Mods are scuttling away into the shadows, nervously eyeing the brightly coloured babes strutting up and down Carnaby Street, for once upstaged by the emerging new scene that has been filtering in from San Francisco for the last six months, barriers are coming down all over the place and they sense the change. Clothes from Granny Takes A Trip and I Was Lord Kitchener's Valet are the norm and the music scene has been turned on it's head.

Instro Hipsters A Go-Go is packed full of some strange and interesting fallout from this time period, a time when bands indulged themselves shamelessly on 'B' sides and even orchestra's got in the act, churning out some pretty groovy tunes indeed!! Look no further for a wonderful collection of material that will appeal to any collector of the British Pop/Psych scene. Ok, it's not full blown psych and nor is it meant to be, this is good honest fun and DOES have some real gems, you can only wonder as to the 'true' identity of some of the artists involved in this comp as session musicians rub shoulders with mystery artists and orchestra's.

There are some great tracks on here, including the genuine Go-go 'St. Louis Union - English Tea', the Blue-Beat flavoured Hammond-fest 'March Of The Voomins' and 'Morgan & The Mark Seven - Undercover Man' which contains some haunting organ loops that would not sound out of place on an old Pebbles garage comp.

The packaging is nice and lavish, with extensive liner notes and some wonderful artwork and the price cannot be beaten, deserves a home in any serious Sixties connoisseurs collection and you even get a bonus 'Promo' track thrown in to boot.......

"You were only supposed to blow the bloody doors off...!!"

Reviewed by pOoTer - April 2002

Nightmares In Wonderland

1986

Bam Caruso KIRI 026

Track List:

Brain - Nightmares In Red, Focus Three - 10,000 Years Behind My Mind, Pretty Things - Talkin' About The Good Times, Bamboo Shoot - The Fox Has Gone To Ground, Wild Silk - Visions In A Plaster Sky, Mark Wirtz - (He's Our Dear Old) Weatherman, Lemon Tree - William Chalker's Time Machine, Koobas - Barricades, Aquarian Age - 10,000 Words In A Cardboard Box, Pretty Things - Mr. Evasion, Executive - Gardena Dreamer, Chances Are - Fragile Child, Ipsissimus - Hold On, Edwick Rumbold - Shades Of Grey, Penny Peeps - Model VillageTomorrow - Revolution.

Mindrocker Volume 1 (vinyl)

1981

Line LLP 5115

Track List:

The Brogues-I Ain’t No Miracle Worker, Chosen Few-Nobody But Me, Au Go-Go’s-All Over Town, Chris Morgan & The Toga’s-There She Goes, The Knickerbockers-One Track Mind, The Tiki’s-If I’ve Been Dreaming, Mark & The Escorts-Get Your Baby, The Other Half-Mr Pharmacist, The Jefferson Handkerchief-I’m Allergic To Flowers, The Peanut Butter Conspiracy-Time Is After You, The Seeds-A Thousand Shadows, Fire Escape-Love Special delivery, The Lyrics-Wait, Fenwyck-Mindrocker.

Mindrocker Volume 2 (vinyl)

1981

Line LLP 5129

Track List:

Del-Vetts - Last Time Around, Banshees - Project Blue, Saturday's Children - Deck Five, Knaves - The Girl I Threw Away, Pride & Joy - If You're Ready, Sounds Unlimited - A Girl As Sweet As You, Shadows Of Knight - Someone Like Me, Oscar & The Majestics - I Can't Explain, Lost Agency - One Girl Man, Shady Daze - I'll Make You Pay, Family - San Francisco Waits, Cherry Slush - I Cannot Stop You, Trolls - Don't Come AroundFactory - High Blood Pressure.

Mindrocker Volume 3 (vinyl)

1982

Line LLP 5140

Track List:

The Charlatans-32-20, The Charlatans-The Shadow Knows, The Shades-Ballot Bachs, The McCoys-Don’t Worry Mother, The Myddle Class-I Happen To Love You, The Next Five-He Stole My Love, The Everpresent Fullness-Doin’ A Number, The Baloon Farm-A Question Of Temperature, The Shags- Hide Away, The Fifth Order-Today (I Got A Letter), The Shapes Of Things-So Mystifying, The Marauders-Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind, The Gray Things-Charity, The Kords-Boris The Spider.

Mindrocker Volume 4 (vinyl)

1983

Line LLP 5147

Track List:

The Moving Sidwalks-99th Floor, The Moving Sidewalks-What Are you Going To Do, The Moving Sidewalks-Need Me, The Moving Sidewalks-Every Night A New Surprise, The Great Believers-Comin’ Up Fast, Scotty McKay Quintet-The Train Kept A Rollin’, A-440-Torture, Johnny Winter-Birds Can’t Row Boats, The Things-I Don’t Believe It, The Stoics-Enough Of What I Need, The Panda’s-Walk, The Bad Roads-Blue Girls, The Stoics-Hate, Satori-Time Machine.

Mindrocker Volume 5 (vinyl)

1983

Line LLP 5207

Track List:

Lindy Blaskey & The Lavelles-Let It Be, Lindy Blaskey & The Lavelles-You Ain’t Tuff, The Standells-Big Boss Man, Faine Jade-It Ain’t True, The Leaves-Love Minus Zero, The Music Explosion-Sunshine Games, The Music Explosion-Road Runner, We The People-In The Past, Lord & The Flies-Echoes, Matthew Moore Plus Four-Codine, The Soul Trippers-King Bee, The Thyme-Love To Love, The Warner Brothers-Lonely1, Capt. Groovy & His Bubblegum Army-Captain Groovy.

Mindrocker Volume 6 (vinyl)

1983

Line LLP 5212

Track List:

We The People - You Burn Me Up And Down, We The People - He Doesn't Go About It Right, Gas Co. - Blow Your Mind, Felicity - Hurtin', Lyme & Cybelle - Follow Me, Fantastic Zoo - Light Show, Baroques - Musical Tribute To The Oscar Meyer Weiner Wagon, Uniques - You Ain't Tuff, John Fred & His Playboys - Boogie Chillun, John Fred & His Playboys - Something's Going On, Groop - Woman You're Breaking Me, Lost Souls - Simple to Say, Jamie Lyons - Stay By My Side, Randy Fuller - It's Love, Come What May.

Mindrocker Volume 7 (vinyl)

1983

Line LLP 5222

Track List:

Mark IV-Hollow Woman, The Bad Seeds-King Of The Soap Box, The Surprise Package-Out Of My Mind, The Playboys Of Edinburg-News Sure Travel Fast, The Rising Sons-Candy Man, The Rising Sons-The Devil’s Got My Woman, Larry Williams & Johnny Watson with Kaleidoscope-Nobody, The Sparrow-Twisted, The Sparrow-Green Bottle Lover, The Denims-I’m Your Man, The Fugitives-Mean Woman, Dick Wagner & The Frost-Sunshine, The Sparrow-Tomorrow’s Ship, The Sparrow-Isn’t It Strange.

Mindrocker Volume 8 (vinyl)

1984

Line LLP 5235

Track List:

Bushmen - Baby, Bushmen - What I Have I'll Give To You, Family Tree - Prince Of Dreams, Family Tree - Live Your Own Life, Newports - The Trouble Is You, Fantastic Zoo - This Calls For A Celebration, Poother, Unlimited - Tastee Freeze, Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs - Summertime Blues, Joey Paige - Roll Over Beethoven, Minitmen - Smokin' In The Boys' Room, Headlyters - You'd Better Come Home, Beeds - Run To Her, New Yorkers - Again, Saturday's Garbage - The River Of Styx.

Mindrocker Volume 9 (vinyl)

1984

LMLP 5265

Track List:

Others - I Can't Stand This Love, Goodbye. Others - Until I Heard It From You, Others - (I Remember) The First Time I Saw You, Stained Glass - My Buddy Sin, Stained Glass - We Got A Long Way To Go, Liverpool Five - New Directions, Stone Country - Wheels On Fire, Bedforde Set - Girl, Go Run Away, Bluethings - La Do Da Da, Bluethings - Doll House, Bluethings - The Orange Rooftop Of Your Mind, Bluethings - Twist And Shout, Bluethings - You Can Live In Our Tree, King Bees - Lost In The Shuffle.

Mushroom Music Monoliths - The Gathering Of The Psyches

1999

Swamp Room Records

Track List:

The Monsters - Acid Dreams, Mark Lee - Shakers, Takers & Candlestickmakers, Eatable Love & Fliegenpilz - ?, Roy & The Devils Motorcycle - The Man, Mother Superior - A War Is Gonna Come, The Grip Weeds - Better World, Elanco - Seabreeze, Dead Moon - Running Scared, Cactus Cooper - Hold On To The Homegrown, Madra Gora Lightshow Society & Nik Turner - Floating At The Gate Of Dawn, Uli Trepte’s Move Groove - Groove Along With Dong, Mind Kiosk - Orange Juice & Chicken Soup.

Perfumed Garden Volume 1

1984

Psycho 6

Track List:

Factory-Try A Little Sunshine, Eyes-Youre Too Much, Syn-Grounded, Nimrod-The Bird, Smoke-Sydnet Gill, Birds-No Good Without You Baby, Shy Limbs-Reputation, Game-It’s Shocking What They Call Me, Frame-Doctor,Doctor, Mandrake Paddle Steamer-Strange Walking Man, French Revolution-nine Till Five, Vamp-Floatin’, Syndicates-Crawdaddy Simone, Sands-Listen To The Sky.

Review:

Side A:
We kick of with the Factory (they were originally known as the Souvenir Badge Factory) with their "Try A Little Sunshine", which is a great song, with an emotional vocal line and some great guitar work. It's from 1969.

Next is The Eyes, with "You're too much" which has a raw sound and a repetitive melody line, not recommended. They were from the Ealing area of West London. It's from 1966.
Time for The Syn with their "Grounded" it's kind of psychedelic R&B song, the drummer is awesome. It's from 1967.

Next is Nimrod with "The Bird" which is a typical slice of British psychedelia I guess. It starts with sticky vocal line and then evolves in some great musicianship, with great guitar playing and flute solo's, strange but o so good! It's from 1969.

The Smoke with "Sydney Gill" is a great psychedelic pop-song with all the trappings of genre to my ears (they pull some weird tricks out of their piano), great stuff.

Next are The Birds with "No Good Without You Baby" not really my style. It's an R&B song played without convincing the listener ok it has a frantic guitar solo but it's not worth the bother.
Next are the Shy Limbs with "Reputation", love this one it has a real 1967 feel to it (it's from 1969) and reminds me a bit of Procol Harum's "A whiter shade of pale", but I like this one better, play loud!

Side B:
We kick of with The Game and their "It's shocking what they call me", which has some dirty sounding guitar's and really bad vocals, not recommended. It's from 1967. Next is Frame with "Doctor doctor" a kind of mod pop-song, it's from 1967.

Time for some great music with Mandrake Paddle Steamer and their "Strange Walking Man". It's a great slice of music, fantastic melodies and vocal parts. The end of the song is quite unusual with a strange tempo change in the end of the song, great! Play loud. It's from 1969.

Next is French Revolution with "Nine Till Five" is not my kind of music so I skip this one.
Next is Vamp with "Floatin', this one really sounds like everyone involved in the recording was seriously stoned, the song is a bit too laid back in my ears.

The Syndicats were a North London R&B band and on acid I guess. Chuck Berry had a great influence on the band according to their sound. It's from 1965.

We close this record with The Sands and their "Listen to the sky" this starts as a nice pop-song and develops into a more psychedelic musical haze, with sirens, and lots of feedback and some progressive leanings, great stuff, play loud!

Reviewed by Joël van Roode - June 2002

Perfumed Garden Volume 2

1984

Psycho 15

Track List:

Kult-No Home Today, Eyes-When The Night Falls, Poets-Baby Dont Do It, Ace Kefford Stand-For Your Love, Ruperts People-Reflections Of Charles Brown, Thane Russal + Three-Security, Deviants-I’m Coming Home, Fleur De Lys-Liar, Kult-Mister Number One, In Betweens-You Better Run, Glen Athens + The Trojans-Let Me Show You How, Gary Leeds + Rain-Francis, Les Goths-Turn Over.

Perfumed Garden Volume 3 (CD re-issue)

1995

Reverberation

Track List:

Longboatmen - Take Her Anytime, Miller - Baby I Got News For You, Goths - Out Of The Sun, Shyster - Tick Tock, Majority One - Get Back Home, Groundhogs - Sad Go Round, Herbal Mixture - Please Leave My Mind, Pete Scully & The Orchard - Evil Woman, Adam's Recital - No Place For Lonely People, Cedars - For Your Information, Wolves - Lust For Life, Actress - It's What You Give, Reign - Line Of Least Resistance, Barry Mason - Over The Hills And Far Away, Boeing Duveen & The Beautiful Soup - Which Dreamed It?, Andwella's - Dream - Felix, Serendipity - Through With You, Rupert's People - Hold On.

Pop Sike Pipedreams

1987

Bam Caruso Kiri 025

Track List:

The Mode-Eastern Music, Wimple Winch-Marmalade Hair, The Parking Lot-World Spinning Sadly, The Pretty Things-Defecting Grey, Keith West-Kid Was A Killer, Shotgun Express-Indian Thing, The Executive-Tracey Took A Trip, Wimple Winch-Lollipop Minds, The Talisman-You Break My Heart, The Pretty Things-Walking Through My Dreams, Bo Street Runners-Love, Sons Of Fred-Sweet Love, Wimple Winch-Bluebell Wood, Idle Race-Knocking Nails Into My House, Spencer Davies Group-After Tea, Gordon Waller-Rosecrans Blvd.

Pretty Smart Way To Catch A Lobster

1986

Flicknife SHARP035

Track List:

Voodoo Child-Lost In Heart, Underground Zero7 Light Years, Gwyllym & The Rasberry Flavoured Cat-These Boots Are Made For Walking, The Spooks-Oh Yeah, Underground Zero-Aimless Flight, Voodoo Child-Voodoo Child, Gwyllym & The Rasberry Flavoured Cat-gloria, Webcore-Son Of Man.

Psychedelic Experience Vol 1, The

1996

MYSTIC-6

Track List:

Astros - Space Walk, Premiers - Get On This Plane, Fantastic Zoo- Lightshow, Flower Power - You Make Me Fly, One Mile Ahead - Contribution, Picture - Evolution, Apple Glass Cyndrome - Someday, Kollektion Savage Lost, Apparition - Apparition, Brass Toads - In The Back Of My Mind, Black Rose - Love Handles, Troy - Amnesia, Tommy Jett - Groovy Little Trip, Twilighters - Nothing Can Bring Me Down, Inexpensive Handmade Look - What Good Is Up, Jason Merrick & The Finders - I'm Not What You Are, Johnny Thompson Quintet - Color Me Columbus, Scorpion - I'm Only Human, Embryo Infinity Rebirth - Walls, NGC45 - Skippin Thru' The Night, Stu Mitchell - Acid, Tommy & The True Blue Facts - I'm Back.

Review:

This collection really reflects the earliest of garage psychedelic sounds - kinda corny but that makes it all the more endearing to true inner-astronauts! I value this collection, it's a must for one who collects anything trippy.

Reviewed by Mindy Togonon, Berkeley, California

Psychedelic Experience Vol 2, The

2000

Mystic 8

Track List:

Decades - On Sunset, Higher Elevation - Odyssey, Monocles - Psychedelic, Waters - Mother Samwell, Trespassers - Come With Me, Cave Dwellers - Meditation, Castaways - Just On High
Dirty Filthy Mud - Forest Of Black, Element - Open The Door To Your Mind, Elopers - Music To Smoke Bananas By, Inner Light - Long Journey, Purple Underground - Countback, Mirror's Image - No Lovin' Man, Jokers Wild - All I See Is You, Doppler Effect - God Is Alive In Argentina,
Essex St. Journal - Progression 256, Sherman Marshall - Realization Of Life, Unsettled Society - 17 Diamond Studded Cadillacs, Quiet Jungle - Ship Of Dreams, Knightsbridge Quintet - Sorrow In C Major, Raving Madd - Boundaries, East Side Kids - Close Your Mind, Ed Powers - Mourning
Trane - One Way Street.

The Psychedelic Experience Vol 3

2001

Mystic 15

Track List:

Captain Crunch & The Crew - Nowadays People, Stonemen - In The Evening, Beggars Opera - Escape,
Famen - Hurry, Finnegan's Wake - Situation Sad, Peabody Hermitage - Something So, Peabody Hermitage - Fear, Them USA - Her Kind, Logic Circuit - Motocross, Golden Grass - Elastic Soldier, Golden Grass - I'm Crying, Mirrors Image - No Lovin' Man, Electric Company - Scary Business, One Of Hours - Psychedelic Illusions, Stonemen - Faded Colors, Jimmy White & The Relations - Diamond Coated Banana Bush.

Psychedelic Illusions : The Psychedelic Experience Vol-3

1999

P & C Mystic Records

Track List:

Logic Circuit - Motorcross, Steve Akin - I'm Trippin Alone, Perpetual Motion Workshop - Won't Come Down, Section Five - Pusher's Route, Wild Things - Another, Colored Ink Drawing Inferno - The Inferno, Finnigan's Wake - Situation Sad, Electric Company - Scarey Business, Kensington Forest - Bells Crosstown Bus - Enchanted Island, Lawson and Four More - Halfway Down The Stairs, Hinge - Idols Of Your Mind, Tears - People Thru My Glasses, Grapple - Ethereal, Genesis Flyght - Triffle Cerivia Elastic Prism - Time Change David Santo - Rising Of Scorpio, Missing Lynx - Behind Locked Doors, One Of Hours - Psychedelic Illusions, Renaissance Fair - In Wyrd, Scorpio Tube - Yellow Listen, Jimmy White and The Relations - Diamond Coated Banana Bush, Pompeo Stillo and The Companions - He Was A Guitar Player And Now Plays Machine Gun,

Review:

This is a great little compilation. It's packed with 25 psychedelic artifacts from the scene in the USA. Although I haven't heard volumes 1 and 2, I'm sure they're just as interesting.

For highlights on this compilation, look for Steve Akin's "I'm tripping alone", who informs us of the heaviness of doing LSD alone, and Wild Things "another coloured ink drawing", who didn't fool anyone with their hidden message...especially as they lost it and started yelling "ACID!" halfway through the song. Presumably none of these bands ever had more than one or two singles. For some of the bands, that's understandable. A lot of the volcalists can't sing in tune, but curiously that doesn't detract from their fuzzy guitar solo's and phantasmagorical lyrics (i knew I could find somewhere to include that word!).

There's definently some very cool lysergic vibes waiting to be discovered and experienced over and over again on this comp.

Reviewed by Mad Hatter.

Psychedelic Snarl, The

1984

Bam Caruso Kiri 024

Track List:

Wimple Winch - Atmospheres, The Mirror - Faster Than Light, Caleb - Woman Of Distinction, Martin Cure & The Peeps - Its All Over Now, Living Daylights - Always With Him, The Misunderstood - Never Had A Girl Like You Before, Open Mind - Cast A Spell, The Dakotas -Spider and The Fly, Wimple Winch - Rumble On Mersey Square South, Open Mind - Magic Potion, The Living Daylights - Lets Live For Today, The Craig - I Must Be Mad, Unit 4+2 - I Will, The Hush - Grey, Wimple Winch - Save My Soul, The Mindbenders - The Morning After.

Review:

First compilation release from Phil Smee’s legendary Bam Caruso label and quite possibly the best collection of British Freakbeat ever assembled on a piece of vinyl. If you do not know what Freakbeat is or you just want the definitive article then get your mitts on this.

Thankfully some nice people decided to re-release much of the Bam Caruso ‘Rubble’ collection back in 1999 so tracking one down should not be too hard.

We on the other hand, have the original vinyl release, ha ha!! (in fact we probably have the entire Rubble collection on vinyl) which has nice sleeve notes. The Snarl opens with the awesome Wimple Winch’s ‘Atmospheres’ which is quite simply (as is most of their stuff) years ahead of its time.

Other highlights on the A-side are The Misunderstood, The Open Mind’s Cast A Spell (stunning), the excellent Spider and The Fly and finishing up with the truly fine Rumble On Mersey Square South, again from Wimple Winch. I dont know what people thought of these dudes back then but they were certainly pushing back the boundaries of music with heavy fuzz guitar and powerful drumming, topped with demented lyrics. Side-B starts with one of the most awesome psych tracks ever recorded, The Open Mind’s ‘Magic Potion’ which is a blistering heavy psych journey through searing guitar and a monstrous drum beat that will stay with you till the grave. Taking no prisoners, you are now subjected to The Craig’s ‘I Must Be Mad’...........YES they are, but this is a truly great slab of breakneck British Freakbeat that is about 5 years ahead of its time. Grey by The Hush is another insane Freakbeat classic followed by a truly mental wigged out psychout that could only be created by Wimple Winch...Save My Soul.......Yes they ARE in need of help, but we think its too late to save them.

Never has there been a compilation LP so crammed with jewels that it is fit to burst, yes this baby is certainly snarling.

Reviewed by pOoTer

Staircase To Nowhere

1986

Bam Caruso Kiri 070

Track List:

Bulldog Breed-Portcullis Gate, Virgin Sleep-Secret, Tintern Abbey-Vacuum Cleaner, 23rd Turnoff-Michaelangelo, Human Instinct-A Day In My Minds Eye, East Of Eden-Northern Hemisphere, World Of Oz-Peters Birthday (Black & White Rainbows), Denny Laine-Catherine’s Wheel, Tintern Abbey-Beeside, Human Instinct-Pink Dawn, Timebox-Gone Is The Sad Man, People-Glastonbury, The Outer Limits-Help Me Please, World Of Oz-Like A Tear, Warm Sounds-Nite Is A Comin’ Smeta Murgaty.

Review:

The Rubble series continues with volume 12. This volume features the works of the Deram label (sister label to that of Decca). Highlights include Tintern Abbey with both sides of their legendary only single; The Human Instinct provide two stunning songs including the superbly titled 'A Day In My Minds Mind'; the wah-wah pedal works from Bulldog Breed; The World of Oz come up trumps with two numbers including the Indian flavoured 'Like a Tear'; backwards tapes galore from Timebox and Warm Sounds end this compilation with their final single in true manic style merging both sides together as surely intended. All in all, you'd be pretty pushed to get a better Rubble volume.

Reviewed by Jim Mac from Marmalade Skies

Swamp Room Happening 2000

2000

Swamp Room Records

Track List:

Bevis Frond - Cant You Hear My Mind, Mind Kiosk - That Was Then But This Is Now, Velvetone - Falling Star, Joe Bloeck - Transatlantic Love, The Alchemysts & Simeson - 21st Century In Car Entertainment Firearm Blues, Liquid Visions - This Aint The Summer Of Love, Hal 9000 - Afraid to Be Alone, Hank Ray - Gunsmoke, Mandra Gora Lightshow Society - Point Me At The Sky, Lucky Bishops - We Are Genius, Liquid Laughter Lounge Quartet - Hate You, The Perc - Blind Faith, Thee Ultra Bimboos - Pussycat Drive, The Satelliters - My Hack On You, copy Cocks - Carting Line, Spids Noegenheads - Unknown Track, Solovyev - Endlosloop.

Texas Psychedelia From The 60's

1986

Eva 12057

Track List:

Love-It’s the marlin baby, The Iguanas-Leaving you baby, The Iguanas-I can only give you everything, The Iguanas-Black suit, Mechanical Switch-spongeman, Mechanical Switch-Everything is red, The Sons Of Barbee Doll-psychedelic seat, Yesterdays Obsession-The phycle, Those Guys-Lookin’ at you behind the glasses, Satori-1000 micrograms of love, The Conqueroo-I’ve got time, The Conqueroo-1 to 3, The Bourbons-a dark corner, The Bourbons-of old approximately.

The Waking Dream

1985

Psycho 35

Track List:

Palace Of Light-Return To you, Palace Of Light-Safer, Palace Of Light-Bitter Seal, Mood Six-You Don’t Know Me, Mood Six-Far Away, Sleep Creature & The Vampires-Fade Away, Sleep Creature & The Vampires-Calling Out Your Name, Sleep Creature & The Vampires-Hilltop Land, Green Telescope-Turnin’ Out, Green Telescope-Can’t Step Off The Path, Green Telescope-I’m A Living Sickness, Magic Mushroom Band-Magick Eye, Magic Mushroom Band-Wide Eyed And Electrick.

That Driving Beat Volume 2 (rare freakbeat 1964-1966)

2001

Past & Present PAPRCD2036

Track List:

The Deejays - Midnight Hour, The Outlaws - Shake With Me, The Cherokees - Dig A Little Deeper, The Quakers - Im Ready, The Transatlantics - Louie Go Home, The Shevells - Come On Home, The Beat Buddies - Pins In My Heart, The Jay Jays - Baldheaded Woman, The Pack - Things That Bring Me Down, The Regents - Bye Bye Johnny, Brian Diamond & The Cutters - Shake, Shout & Go, The Classmates - Pay Day, The Whirlwinds - Baby Not Like You, The Zephyrs - Shes Lost You, The T-Bones - How Many More Times, The Loose Ends - Aint Gonna Eat My Heart Out Anymore, James Royal - Work Song, The Hi-Numbers - Heart Of Stone, Carter-Lewis & The Southerners - Skinny Minnie, The Mark Leeman 5 - Gather Up The Pieces, Gary Walker - She Makes Me Feel Better, Haydocks's Rockhouse - She Thinks, The Sassenachs - That Dont Worry Me, The Redcaps - Funny Things, The Firing Squad - Bull Moose, The Hellions - Think It Over, The Slade Brothers - Peace In My Mind, The Dukes - Try To Understand.

Review:

Following hot on the heels of last year's That Driving Beat Volume 1 (now sadly sold out....so be quick with this one!!) comes Volume 2, packed to the gunwales with more undiscovered slices of British Freakbeat Rarities recorded between 1964-1966 and lovingly 'comped' by Nick Saloman (Bevis Frond). As with other Past & Present releases what you get is a quality product, complete with liner notes, detailing where possible the respective artistes.

For your hard earned cash you get no less than 28 tracks and the trainspotters amongst you will be amazed to see that some real big hitters from the next decade were cutting their teeth here making Freakbeat. The Outlaws feature Ritchie Blackmore at what must have been a very young age, Jim Capaldi and Dave Mason feature in The Hellions (later of Traffic). Also Jimmy Page in his days as a session musician makes an appearance in Carter-Lewis & The Southerners.

Trivia aside this is indeed a fine comp with some great songs, our personal favourites were Brian Diamond & The Cutters and The Loose Ends (which could almost pass on a Garage comp!!).

It's a safe bet to say that you can trust anything these guys release to be top quality, to the point where you just buy whatever they put out, knowing that you are going to get a quality product, rather like the good ol' days of Bam Caruso.....

Reviewed by pOoTer - April 2002