Various Artists - The Essential Pebbles Collection, Vol. 1: The Best of American Garage (60's us, diamonds are forever)

The Essential Pebbles Collection, Vol. 1 serves two functions. The first, fulfilled by disc one, is to distill the first ten volumes of the Pebbles '60s garage rock singles compilation series. The second is a bonus disc full of even more insanely rare material that has never appeared on Pebbles albums or myriad other '60s compilations. 

Considering the staggering amount of material reissued by Archive International, in addition to myriad '60s compilations released by other companies worldwide, casual observers of this phenomenon might wonder what the fuss is all about. The singles compiled by these releases are from an era where local bands' records shared airplay with the major hitmakers. The Pebbles series' most important accomplishment has been to provide a glimpse of the musical life beyond the hits in constant rotation on many oldies radio stations.

Pebbles compiles the best independent-label '60s singles that weren't national hits, but their local reputations have insured that the records trade for high prices on the collectors' markets. Lack of significant sales outside of its geographical region doesn't mean that the records lack polish; tracks like the Motifs' "Someday" demonstrate a mix of Motown and Atlantic soul influences with some of the harder-edged British Invasion group sounds, while the bands from Chicago have a bluesy sound but incorporate other influences as well, like the jagged Zombies-esque organ solo on the Omens' "Searching." 

There was even a Pebbles volume called Ear-Piercing Punk, showcasing the hardest-rocking songs, packaged to appeal to fans of the then-current wave of late-'70s punk. With this look back at its legacy, The Essential Pebbles Collection, Vol. 1 looks backward and forward at the same time, providing listeners with something old and new -- the true essence of garage rock compilations. 

by Jim Powers

Artists - Tracks

Disc 1

1.Preachers - Who Do You Love? - 2:17

2.Grains of Sand - Going Away Baby - 2:10

3.Jujus - You Treated Me Bad - 1:54

4.Haunted - 1-2-5 - 2:26

5.Wilde Knights - Beaver Patrol - 2:20

6.Lyrics - So What!! - 2:50

7.Green Fuz - Green Fuz - 2:02

8.Teddy And His Patches - Suzy Creamcheese - 3:10

9.T.C. Atlantic - Faces - 2:45

10.William Penn Fyve - Swami - 2:56

11.Tree - No Good Woman - 2:38

12.Plague - Go Away - 1:55

13.Gentlemen - It's a Cryin' Shame - 2:32

14.Omens - Searching - 2:28

15.Foggy Notions - Need a Little Lovin' - 2:30

16.Dean Carter - Rebel Woman - 2:38

17.Lost Agency - One Girl Man - 3:03

18.Trolls - Every Day and Every Night - 2:30

19.Starfires - I Never Loved Her - 2:46

20.Beckett Quintet - No Correspondence - 2:31

21.Dovers - She's Not Just Anybody - 1:52

22.Hysterics - Everything's There - 2:07

23.Good Feelings - Shattered - 2:20

24.Breakers - I Ain't Dead Yet - 2:08

25.Uncalled For - Do Like Me - 2:46

26.Gonn - Doin' Me In - 2:47

27.Mile Ends - Bottle Up and Go - 2:11

28.Bohemian Vendetta - Enough - 2:44

29.Keith Kessler - Don't Crowd Me - 2:41

Disc 2
1.Motifs - Someday - 3:00
2.Shays - Brainwashed - 3:38
3.Sinners - Sinnerisme - 2:31
4.Missing Lynx - Hang Around - 2:21
5.Mixed Emotions - Can't You Stop It Now - 2:52
6.Thunderbolts - Heart So Cold - 2:12
7.Strangers - What a Life - 2:11
8.Roosters - You Gotta Run - 2:24
9.Peter And the Wolves - Hey Mama - 2:57
10.Peter And the Wolves - Only Everything - 2:43
11.Sound Apparatus - Travel Agent Man - 3:13
12.Shades - Down the Road a Piece - 2:38
13.Dynamic Nutones - Sick and Tired - 2:21
14.Dry Grins - You're Through - 2:58
15.Hustlers - Sky Is Black - 2:06
16.Other Half - Girl With the Long Black Hair - 3:01
17.Thorns - I'm in Love - 3:26
18.Malibus - I've Gotta Go - 2:23
19.Malibus - I Want You to Know - 2:33
20.Creations - I Want You - 2:40
21.unknown - I Just Don't Know - 2:21
22.unknown artist - Fed Up - 2:24
23.Banshees - I've Had It - 2:20
24.Roy And the Bristols - It's Your Fault - 2:08
25.Terry Dee And the Roadrunners - Some Other Guy - 2:03
26.Unknown Artist - Go Go Girl - 2:01

Essential Pebbles Vol. 2
Essential Pebbles Vol. 3

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