The Soft Boys: Nextdoorland (Matador Records/2002)

The reunion of The Soft Boys in 2001 was something of a pleasant if albeit unexpected surprise. Band leader, guitarist and vocalist Robyn Hitchcock had worked with all of the ex-Soft Boys in some faculty (either on his solo albums or as his backing band in The Egyptians) since the bands' demise in 1981. This line-up is the same one that had recorded the band's magnum opus Underwater Moonlight. It's fairly safe to say that there is virtually no difference in Robyn's lyrical persona or from what he had been doing just previous to this. And there's little to no effort to imitate the busy arrangements that band had been mining at their outset. If anything these make the songs themselves and the album as a whole far more enjoyable.

Released in 2002 on Matador Records, shortly after the tour and reissue of the Underwater Moonlight

(in celebration of that albums 21^st birthday), Nextdoorland is one of Robyn's better releases from the 2000's. He definitely seems to be rejuvenated to be playing with lead guitarist Kimberly Rew, bassist Matthew Seligman and drummer Morris Windsor once again. The sweet backing vocals or Rew & Windsor are certainly nice to hear alongside Robyn's Syd Barretesque crooning. And it's nice to hear Robyn and Kimberly playing together in a modern context as well. The songs themselves work as a unified whole. “I Love Lucy”, “Japanese Captain”, “Pulse Of My Heart” and “Unprotected Love” being among the stand-out tracks. Outtakes from this album were issued later that year as the EP
Side Three.

The vinyl release was pressed on 150 gram vinyl and came packaged with a 7” single of live versions of “Underwater Moonlight” and “Only The Stones Remain”that were both recorded at the Hollywood Bowl.

This was rated as one of the best albums of the year when it was released and I'll stand by it.

Here's The Video Review:

Special Thanks: Doug Mashkow of New Music Scene.

T.Rex: T.Rextasy: The Best Of T.Rex 1970-1973 (Warner Bros. Records/1985)

T.Rex were one of the United Kingdom's all-time most popular bands. After the Beatles' break up in 1970, the band was virtually the next full-blown musical pop culture phenomenon. The band also ushered in, what became known as Glam Rock. Formed in 1967 and led by the flamboyant Marc Bolan, the band was originally known as Tyrannosaurus Rex and were a psychedelic acoustic-based duo with lyrics inspired by the Lord Of The Rings amongst other things. Eventually producer Tony Visconti tired of writing the full band on the studio track sheets and began simply writing “T.Rex”. Marc Bolan eventually came to prefer this as simultaneously the band began simplifying their arrangements to include electric guitar, bongos and a rhythm section.

It was with this format and the line-up of Marc Bolan on guitar and vocals, Mickey Finn on bongos and percussion, Steve Currie on bass and Bill Legend on drums that the band found commercial and critical success. From 1970 until 1973 the band had a string of hit singles: (i.e. “Ride A White Swan” (UK #2), “Hot Love” (UK #1), “Get It On” (UK #1), “Jeepster” (UK #2), “Telegram Sam” (UK #1), “Metal Guru” (UK #1), “Children Of The Revolution” (UK #2), “Solid Gold Easy Action” (UK #2), “20^th Century Boy” (UK #3), “The Groover” (UK #4), “Truck On (Tyke)” (UK #12), “Teenage Dream” (UK #13)). They influenced a generation of punk rockers in the UK and US and initially a slew of imitators in The Sweet, Slade, Mud and Gary Glitter. They even substantially influenced Bolan's friend & peer David Bowie and pushed him to greater success than he initially had.

Commercial success in the United States remained largely elusive for Marc Bolan and T.Rex. While “Get It On” (renamed “Bang A Gong (Get It On)” in the US to avoid confusion with another song at the time by a band called Chase) hit number 10 on the Billboard Charts. They also had a few other charting hits (Telegram Sam” at #67, “Hot Love” at #72 and “Ride A White Swan” at #76) as well as a turntable hit in “Jeepster” their success was comparatively minor.

T. Rextacy: The Best Of T.Rex 1970-1973 is largely successful in every way. The only thing that I'd change is I'd drop their cover of “Summertime Blues” in place of “Children Of The Revolution” and the reprise of “The Children Of Rarn” in favor of “Cadillac” and you have yourself a perfect 1970-73 retrospective. If allotted more vinyl It'd also be nice to have“Truck On (Tyke)” and “Teenage Dream” on there as well.

Very most highly recommended. 

Here's the video review:

The Seeds: Bad Part Of Town/Wish Me Up/Love In A Summer Basket/Did He Die (Sundazed Music/2013)

Los Angeles, California's The Seeds were a unique 60's band. They influenced bands in the genres of acid rock, garage rock, psychedelia and protopunk. They had a few hit singles in “Pushin' Too Hard”, “Can't Seem To Make You Mine” and “Mr. Farmer”. They're only now finally getting vinyl releases of the retro/revisionist variety. Sundazed Music has released such an item on Record Store Day of 2013. It's a double-seven-inch release of the bands two MGM singles. Recorded as a short-lived quintet at the end of the bands in 1970, the sound is similar to what the band had done on the GNP 
Crescendo label from 1965-1969.

“Love In A Summer Basket” and “Wish Me Up” are blissed-out would-be Summer Of Love concoctions that employ flutes, lazy guitars and Daryl Hooper's keyboards. “Bad Part Of Town” and “Did He Die” sound like early tracks by The Stooges. The latter of which retains an intensity not commonly associated with the late 60's/early 70's. I only wish this line-up had recorded more as than what's been made available (once again after having been out of print basically since their release).

Very highly-recommended!

Here's the video review: 

Chocolate Watch Band: In The Midnight Hour 7" Single (Sundazed Music/2012)

San Jose, California's The Chocolate Watch Band were one of the few bands from the 1960's that punk rockers held in high-esteem. They appeared in the 60's exploitation films Riot On The Sunset Strip and The Love-Ins. The band are comparable to the Syndicate Of Sound, The Electric Prunes and The Standells, only the Chocolate Watch Band were simultaneously more psychedelic and slightly harder-sounding than those bands. Their unique blend of Garage Rock and Psychedelia is just one reason why they still get tons of airplay on Little Steven's Underground Garage.

Released on Record Store Day 2012 on Sundazed Music, this single is a nice coup for fans of the band. Both “In The Midnight Hour” and “Psychedelic Trip” were produced by Ed Cobb and Engineered by Richard Polodor and are outtakes from the bands No Way Out album. I personally highly recommend seeking out The Chocolate Watch Band. This single is just a small taster that I'd suggest to anyone who like 60's Garage Rock and or 60's Psychedelia.

Here's the video review:

Thanks to: Sundazed Music, Jeff Jarema.

Robyn Hitchcock: There Goes The Ice (Yep Roc/2013)

Formerly of The Soft Boys, The Egyptians and The Venus Three, Robyn Hitchcock has been reliably producing his blend of jangly psychedelic folk rock since the late 1970's. Since signing to the wonderful Yep Roc Records in 2004 he's had something of a creative second-coming. This release, which collects all five of Robyn's“Phantom 45's” is a nice two-disc 12” 45 RPM Record Store Day release.

The songs have a whimsical very dashed-off quality to them. Disposable in the best-possible sense.

“To Be Human” - which sounds like it could have been recorded for Eye, “Thank You Time Girl” and the title track – the latter containing KT Tunstall backing Robyn - are acoustic-based tracks. The upbeat “Twitch For Sam Surfer” features Green Gartiside of Scritti Politti on guitar and vocals. “I'll See You” and “After The Bullfight” feature Ex-Soft Boy & Egyptian drummer Morris Windsor. None of this material has been released in a digital format to my knowledge, so this is the most convenient-way of owning this material.

Robyn Hitchcock - whose vocals are a hybrid of his primary influences - Syd Barrett, Bob Dylan and John Lennon - has never been all that easy to recommend. He's beloved by critics (myself included) but to your more conservative average low-information consumer, his voice has always been something of a sore thumb. If you're a Robyn novice, a great starting point would be Fegmania!, Underwater Moonlight or Element Of Light. However for the converted, this release is well worth the time and effort as it stands up well with his newest releases.

Here's The Video Review:

Thanks to: Doug Mashkow of CD Island.