Psychedelic Disaster Whirl (V/A)

Often hailed by collectors as one of the best compilations of underground 60s garage, Psychedelic Disaster Whirl was limited to just 400 copies, with primitve paste-on monochrome labels and DIY style sleeve art... but don't let the exterior fool you - this really is one of the better releases representing the fuzzier and more psychedelic leaning areas of the cluttered 60s garage market.

Just as essential as Nuggets, and with high quality control standards (unlike many of the seemingly endless garage/psych comps floating around), Psychedelic Disaster Whirl is a brilliant artifact with none of the tepid rock and roll surf/folk rock often mis-labelled as 'garage psych punkers' etc.

Sadly the original vinyl LP is long deleted obviously and most collectors will be very reluctant to part with theirs, however there is a recentish CD reissue available if you google around.

01. THE PLAGUE - The Face Of Time
02. PERPETUAL MOTION WORKSHOP - Won't Come Down
03. THE QUIET JUNGLE - Everything
04. LAST KNIGHT - Shadow Of Fear
05. THE HUMAN EXPRESSION - Optical Sound
06. THE SIXPENCE - In The Building
07. CHILDREN OF THE NIGHT - World Of Tears
08. TWENTIETH CENTURY ZOOT - You Don't Remember
09. SCORPIO TUBE - Yellow Listen
10. THE INEXPENSIVE HANDMADE LOOK - What Good Is Up
11. THE STARLITES - I Can't See You
12. PERPETUAL MOTION WORKSHOP - Infiltrate Your Mind
13. THE STORY TELLERS - Cry With Me
14. THE CARETAKERS OF DECEPTION - Cuttin' Grass
15. THE BOY BLUES - Coming Down To You
16. THE STRANGE FATE - Hold Me Baby

Download 'Psychedelic Disaster Whirl' here:
http://rapidshare.com/files/351917186/VA___The_Original__Psychedelic_Disaster_Whirl__MP3_.rar

The Outsiders - CQ

'CQ' by The Outsiders (Polydor, 1968)

Criminially missed out from the oft-compiled 'Best 60's Psychedelic albums' lists in magazine and online publications, 'CQ' is a cult masterpiece... incorporating a sinister 'rock opera' storyline (as with The Pretty Things' 'SF Sorrow', this was said to have been written pre- Tommy by The Who) punctuated by pounding bursts of acid guitar (check out Ron Splinter's sustained feedback solo in the middle section of 'Doctor'!!).

While their first LP was a confidently raucous half-live collection of beat-pop and strong rhythm and blues (with the Nederbiet twist - frantic 250mph guitar solos and screaming vocals of course), 'CQ' gave them some breathing space to impress their new label (they moved from dutch jazz (!) label Relax to Polydor in late '67 prior to recording sessions starting for 'CQ' I believe) with a wide array of woodwind, bongos, jews harps and even the kitchen sink. This is no hodge-podge hippy-drippy minor cult classic - it may have sold a rumoured 600 copies in it's native Holland (hence three figure prices for clean original copies), but it certainly stands the test of time as a strong set of songs with some wonderfully lysergic intermissions spread throughout.

For fans of The Pretty Things (snotty r'n'b moving into their 'Defecting Grey' sitar/fuzz periods), Love (Arthur Lee's doom and gloom street grit lyricism backed by pop melodies) and the myriad of later groups who apparently 'borrowed' large chunks from their sound (The Lyres, Mystreated, Kasabian etc etc.)

RIP Wally Tax!

To listen to 'CQ' by Outsiders, download it here:

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=35LN27VD

The La's

Well, since this fledgling blog is named after a Lee Mavers composition (well, sort of) - what better way to start than to mention my favourite band ever...

The La's.

A revolving door of four lads who ''shook West Derby'' (errmmm... Half Man Half Biscuit had already taken care of the Wirral, remember... apologies for the poor punnage!), The La's were active from the mid 80's (they signed amid a record label scrum in 1987) until 1991... with one LP and a clutch of singles to show for their efforts... Sporadic one off shows with yet more random line-ups popped up throughout the mid 90's, before a 2005 reunion of sorts seemingly bookended and closed a final chapter on the group.

Lee has since been quoted as being up for yet another project bearing The La's moniker, but sadly despite the skills he holds as a songwriter, seeing through new attempts at getting his music off the ground never quite come to fruition.

There are many videos of dubious origin and source showcasing various rarities/oddities/unrealeased-ities etc etc. And here is one of my favourites... the sporadically performed never finished nor properly titled gem that has been given the assumed title of ''Was It Something I Said'' (due to the repeated lyric obviously...), taken here from a live recording from a 1990 show in Rennes, France.

A simple Em/C/G progression (with the odd scuffed G, A and D minor thrown in towards the end), its a seed of a song with few words, but the tune and feeling are there for all to hear...
It begins to take on an almost reggae feel at times as the chord sequence swirls around and around...

Was it something I said?
Was it something in your head?
Get out your bed, yeah
Come fill your fishing net

Down to the bay, on my lonely way
Put out your love
And...
Come fill your fishing net

Nobody is quite sure if Lee ever got around to finishing it, considering the most recent 'performance' leaked on a hissy bootleg was made back in the late 90's as he ran through his new songreel for Liverpudlian group the Crescent (with a view to them backing him on mooted ''second album'' recordings...)

Notable band members over the years include John Power (Cast, now doing his solo blues project), Peter 'Cammy' Cammell (Guitar - Marshmellow Overcoat and an early version of Cast) Chris Sharrock (Drums - Oasis, Robbie Williams band) Barry Sutton (Guitar - Kung Fu, The Stairs, Mirrorball and various other Liverpool bands), Mike Badger (original founder of the group and it's name, left to form the Onset, and has since done various solo works)

See www.thelas.org for more information on Lee Mavers and The La's...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_La%27s