Various Artists - English Freakbeat Vol. 5 (1963-69 uk, more freakbeat treasures)

The English Freakbeat series is devoted to unearthing obscure, non-hit treasures of the British Invasion that are known only to obsessive collectors. Truth be told, many of those treasures were obscure for a reason, which makes these anthologies wildly uneven listening, but there are some gems to be found here. 

The highlights of this 21-song volume include a surprisingly pleasant slice of punk-pop from ex-Beatle drummer Pete Best, "The Way I Feel." Thane Russal's "I Need You" is a first-rate Them imitation; Geoff Goddard's "Sky Man" is a truly inspired piece of Joe Meek-produced lunacy about benign space aliens; and the Greenbeats' Merseyish "You Must Be the One" is undoubtedly the most obscure song that Mick Jagger and Keith Richards wrote in the '60s (no, the Rolling Stones never did get around to recording it). 

That gives you the flavor of the manic variety on hand here. Some of the cuts are shamelessly derivative early British R&B, and others are simply not as striking as the gushing liner notes would have you believe. The CD also includes some extremely obscure productions by Shel Talmy and Joe Meek, as well as an obscure composition by Jackie DeShannon, that in no way approximates the greatness of their famous work. 

by Richie Unterberger

Artists - Tracks
1. The Pete Best Four - The Way I Feel About You - 2:01
2. The Darwin's Theory - Daytime - 2:51
3. The Peeps - Now Is The Time - 2:31
4. The Pickwicks - Hello Lady - 2:32
5. George Bean - Why Must They Criticize? - 1:59
6. Jason Eddie And The Centremen - Come On Baby - 2:25
7. The Untamed - It's Not True - 2:27
8. Geoff Goddard - Sky Man - 2:44
9. The Eggy - You're Still Mine - 2:49
10.New York Public Library - Gotta Get Away - 2:53
11.Chris Sandford - I Wish They Wouldn't Always Say I Sound Like The Guy From The Usa Blues - 2:20
12.The Cryin' Shames - What's News Pussycat - 2:33
13.A Wild Uncertainty - A Man With Money - 2:06
14.The Truth - Baby You've Got It - 2:02
15.Billy J. Kramer - Chinese Girl - 3:11
16.The Impac - Too Far Out - 2:34
17.The Paul Stewart Movement - Too Too Good - 2:52
18.The Greenbeats - You Must Be The One -  1:59
19.Rey Anton And The Peppermint Men - You Can't Judge A Book - 2:16
20.The Four + 1 - Don't Lie To Me -  1:54
21.Thane Russal - I Need You - 2:28

Free Text
Just Paste