No Way Out – CHOCOLATE WATCH BAND***

Let’s Talk About Girls/In The Midnight Hour/Come On/Dark Side Of The Mushroom/Hot Dusty Roads/Are You Gonna Be There (At The Love-In)/Gone & Passes By/No Way Out/Expo 2000/Gossamer Wings

No Way Out was the debut album from the Californian psychedelic rock/garage group Chocolate Watch Band. Vocals on many of the tracks are by a session singer.

“It just stinks of mediocrity, though No Way Out isn't completely without its charms, Dark Side Of The Mushroom has a pretty cool groove to it, as does Expo 2000. Overall this album was OK, just not a real gratifying listening experience.”

“This isn’t really a 'Chocolate Watch Band' album, since on half the tracks, the lead vocals were handled by a session singer at the management's request. A baffling decision because the singer used would clearly have been more suited to soul music than a trippy garage album."

“Good psych/garage but rates as a minor disappointment. Only four of the tracks were performed by the entire group. A black session singer sings on the others. Some of the interesting psych was put together by the record's engineers without the band's involvement or knowledge.”

“With their hard-hitting, bass and beat driven garage rock, you would swear you were listening to The Stones if you didn't know any better. In between psychedelic instrumentals and studio experimentation are cuts of white hot garage rock. Even the trippy stuff is pretty good, Creepy at times, it is one hazy, rhythm and blues-based psychedelic punk album.”

“Some songs are pure space out and they were added and forced on the band by the band's management, but they are good psych rock instrumentals all the way. I don't know if the band played them live, they are more like Pink Floyd than the rest of the disc which is garage rock with a tinge of psych.”

“A psychedelic/garage band fusion with a little 60s soul music thrown in. The band's range is amazing and the rawness of the recordings keeps it fresh and fun, despite the dark undertone of 60s nihilistic angst which can be felt somewhere in the background. The songs vary between psychedelic floating sounds and bone dry garage rock.”