From The Beginning – THE SMALL FACES****

Runaway/My Mind’s Eye/Yesterday Today & Tomorrow/That Man/My Way Of Giving/Hey Girl/Tell Me Have You Ever Seen Me/Come Back & Take This Hurt Off Me/All Or Nothing/Baby Don’t You Do It/Plum Nellie/Sha La La La Lee/You’ve Really Got A Hold On Me/What’cha Gonna Do About It

From The Beginning was a spoiler album from Decca released after The Small Faces had bought out their contract and moved to the Immediate label. Contains their five Decca UK top twenty hits, together with some mostly unreleased material. (UK:17)

"Pretty decent odds-n-sods 'revenge' release by Decca aimed at competition with Immediate's Small Faces LP issued around the same time. Some tracks (very few) are repeats from Decca's Small Faces issued in May 1966. Most are rehearsal tracks and covers. If you like The Small Faces, this makes a nice (and not too superfluous) addition to your albums."

"The good news is, most of the tunes are originals, and the better news is, many of these are really originals, showing that The Small Faces had finally reached that stage when putting your name in the credits list signifies more than taking somebody else's melody and writing new lyrics for it. My Mind's Eye is one of these 'true' originals, it boasts some catchiness of its own, and shows that the boys are quite ready to swerve into psycho-pop mode exactly the way the new year of 1967 requires everybody to do. Most of the other songs are relatively slight but at the very least, they're always enjoyable and memorable."

"This hybrid album combined five Decca hit singles, with nine previously unreleased tracks. Although it's classed as a compilation, and has been dismissed as a cheap cash in by Decca after The Small Faces were sold to the Immediate label, you can make a strong case that this is a bona fide album and an overlooked vibrant minor classic of garage rock. Among the nine unreleased tracks were five new Marriott-Lane originals, and four disposable covers that still have a certain garage rock verve and vibrancy that sit comfortably with the other tracks."

"Most people who have any interest in The Small Faces prefer the Immediate output but listening to the Decca years you cannot ignore how dynamic, tight, melodic and powerful The Small Faces were as a young British R & B band. Steve Marriott's voice is impeccable."

Friday On My Mind – THE EASYBEATS***

Friday On My Mind/River Deep Mountain High/Do You Have A Soul/Saturday Night/You Me We Love/Pretty Girl/Happy Is The Man/Make You Feel Alright (Women)/Who’ll Be The One/Made My Bed Gonna Lie In It/Remember Sam/See Line Women

The Australian pop group The Easybeats achieved an international hit with the single Friday On My Mind which reached No. 16 in the US and No. 6 in the UK. The accompanying album did less well and they would enjoy only limited chart success in the future. (US:180)

“Their first album since leaving Australia, writing one of the best songs ever and arriving in the UK, surprisingly saw no step forward for The Easybeats. None of the playing on this is a cut above the average garage band/beat group. The instrumentation is sparse with minimal over dubbing - the two immediate follow ups to the classic Friday sounded like average mid sixties filler and deservedly sank without trace. River Deep is a good garage style take on the song. Not one hot track here apart from the hit.”

“With this album they take a step up from the rather generic garage/beat music of their earlier albums and manage to come up with some really catchy and energetic pop rock. Still kind of generic, but definitely a step up in quality from their early years. The characteristic staccato riffs are still in place.”

“Nothing on here quite measures up to the title track. As with anything coming out of the beat/garage barn, the joy is in the attempt. And these Aussies sound downright ecstatic. River Deep Mountain High is a prime example, straight off the top. In no way does it rival any of the more serious versions.”

“The title track was a great single, and succeeded in luring me to get the album. Well, it's certainly not a poor album, but it lacks diversity and definitely pales in comparison to the big hit.”

“Really good mod and psychedelia influenced rock from this Australian band touted as rivals to The Beatles upon their entrance into the music scene. Not as varied as The Beatles but with more focus on the guitar work. The title track is the best and is one of the finest rock songs ever recorded. Other highlights include River Deep Mountain High, Saturday Night and You Me We Love."

Fallen Angels – FALLEN ANGELS***

Room At The Top/Love Don’t Talk To Strangers/Your Friends Here In Dundersville/I’ve Been Thinking/It Might Have Been Easier To Stay At Home/Most Children Do/Introspective Looking Glass/I Don’t Wanna Fall/No Way Out/Painted Bird/Mother’s Homesick Too/You Have Changed

The self titled debut album from the Washington DC psychedelic garage band Fallen Angels. It features a lot of experimenting with pop styles and a variety of musical instruments.

“I've listened to these guys with never-ending pleasure, singing along enchanted by their groovy playing, hip-poetic lyrics and experimental production.”

“All the songs are solid, with a few big standouts. You could call it psych pop or garage, but the best way to put it is that the songwriting always stays a bit off kilter, but with nice melodies all over the place. Quality lyrics throughout, too. And they manage to stay away from overboard effects and orchestration.”

“A sadly overlooked album by one of the era's standouts, their debut is totally overshadowed by its legendary follow-up. Were this their only release, it would have been entirely commendable.”

“It's a little difficult to accurately pigeon-hole this, but it is often touted as being pop/psych. I have my reservations about that, but for lack of anything better, I'll go with it, though garage/psych would apply equally well. There is mild use of horns and significant use of psych effects. This is one of those albums that if you are forced to individually rate the tracks, they don't fare too well. But listening to the album as a whole, they all seem much better, and will often leave you humming some of them later in the day.”

“On first listening I thought this album was no more than good, though with some great moments. This is a real grower however and I now personally rate it amongst the best psych albums of the 60s. Their second album is even better.”

“The group could lay down a groove with the best of them but on this LP they favour song craft over noodling. Jack Bryant’s moody vocals and the album’s interesting production tricks catch the ear first, but the group’s energetic drive, personal lyrics and catchy melodies will win you over in the end. The band's garage roots are evident, but with various psychedelic touches to make for an interesting listen.”

Emotions – THE PRETTY THINGS***

Death Of A Socialite/Children/The Sun/There Will Never Be Another Day/House Of Ten/Out In The Night/One Long Glance/Growing In My Mind/Photographer/Bright Lights Of The City/Tripping/My Time

Emotions was a transitional album from The Pretty Things between their R & B roots and their later move into psychedelia. It features some commercial pop, plus some orchestration that was not to all fans taste.

“The first side features stellar sixties pop. Most tracks carry an extremely stripped bare sound. The orchestration is a matter of taste, for me not too disturbing, but on most tracks it adds no extra value to the sound in general. Still Emotions is a recommended sixties sleeper for those with an affection for the softer side of beat/pop/R & B.”

“If this wasn't by The Pretty Things it would have been utterly forgotten. Its 60s pop by a band who didn't do pop and weren't suited to it. The lead singer is embarrassing in places - except on Tripping, the only bluesy song.”

“At the time the band got pushed in a direction they didn't want to go. This brief transitional period had its uses though. Rather than the rough R & B at which they were so brilliant, the times dictated the need to craft more sophisticated songs, which came to full fruition on their late 60s stuff. This album reflects that transitional period. At the time, I found it a major disappointment, but now, with hindsight, it's an interesting release.”

“This album is comparatively highly produced, commercial driven pop, featuring some use of horns, and with good period flavour. Though this is not in keeping with the sound the band had been attempting to cultivate, it is enjoyable just the same.”

“Emotions was radically different from the previous two albums, which were more or less typical British R & B. They had already shown that they were very skilled songwriters, but with Emotions their musical ambitions led them into orchestral experiments. The album has often been criticized for being ruined by these strings and brass arrangements.”

"Emotions was unfortunately sandwiched between two classic Pretty Things eras; the early R 'n' B era and the psychedelic era. But the record company overdubbed some dreadful orchestration, and the result is a bit of dog's dinner.”

Casino Royale – SOUNDTRACK*****

Casino Royale Theme/The Look Of Love/Money Penny Goes For Broke/Le Chiffre’s Torture Of The Mind/Home James Don’t Spare The Horses/Sir James’ Trip To Find Mata/The Look Of Love Instrumental/Hi There Miss Goodthighs/Little French Boy/Flying Saucer First Stop Berlin/The Venerable Sir James Bond/Dream On James You’re Winning/The Big Cowboys & Indians Fight At Casino Royale/Casino Royale Theme

Casino Royale was a spoof Bond movie starring David Niven and Peter Sellers. Music by Burt Bacharach with contributions from Dusty Springfield and Herb Alpert. (US:22 UK:35)

"Burt Bacharach does an absolutely magnificent job of bringing the music together for this film. The title song Casino Royale performed by Herb Alpert and The Tijuana Brass is non-stop excitement and over the top with thrills. The Look Of Love by Dusty Springfield is romantically wonderful and captivates the listener every time. Le Chiffre's Torture Of The Mind and Money Penny Goes For Broke are truly inspired tracks as well. Everyone should own this soundtrack, buy it now."

"Compositions by Bacharach, main titles played by Herb Alpert and The Tijuana Brass, The Look Of Love by Dusty Springfield, and some shaking, grooving and spying bits of music all along. This is easy listening, baby but, as always when Burt is in charge, with refined, varied and exquisitely sophisticated arrangements."

"The Look Of Love is the stand out from the album, but the rest of the Bacharach tracks are perfect for this perfectly cheesy Bond parody."

"This is not the 1960s of Haight-Ashbury, Jimi Hendrix, and Grace Slick; it is instead the playboy tuxedoed 1960s swinger: hip, sophisticated, and playful. And Bacharach not only does an over the top riff on the score, he also cleverly gives the whole pastiche a surprisingly retro feel. The orchestrations are top notch, and very espionage evocative. Plus you get Dusty Springfield crooning what could be the most sensual mainstream pop song in history."

"As soon as you listen to the main theme, performed by Herb Alpert and The Tijuana Brass, you know straight away this music is anything but serious. Burt Bacharach's zany score perfectly complements the James Bond spoof Casino Royale. What makes this music successful is that is it the exact opposite of what you would expect in a real Bond film."

Are You Experienced – JIMI HENDRIX*****

Foxy Lady/Manic Depression/Red House/Can You See Me/Love Or Confusion/I Don’t Live Today/May This Be Love/Fire/3rd Stone From The Sun/Remember/ Are You Experienced US version Includes Hey Joe/Purple Haze/The Wind Cries Mary and excludes Red House/Can You See Me/Remember

Are You Experienced was the scintillating debut album from the world's most celebrated guitarist Jimi Hendrix. Original British release unfortunately omitted the UK top ten singles Hey Joe, Purple Haze and The Wind Cries Mary, now included on CD reissues. (US:5 UK:2)

"It's difficult now to understand how revolutionary this music sounded in 1967. Nothing quite like it had ever been done before; it became the sound of a generation and spawned a thousand imitators of the Hendrix style, none a patch on the unique original. Hendrix raised the bar on what could be done with an electric guitar, and has never been surpassed or equalled." "These songs pound, smash, crack, whirl, cringe... they're totally unbelievable. Here Jimi's only purpose was to display all his talents as a guitarist."

"Jimi plugged in his instrument, and revolutionized hard-rock, guitar mastery and gritty psychedelia. You've never heard a guy more equally equipped with soul, swagger and prowess. This is truly a landmark recording, and one which everyone must own."

"In 1967 rock music changed forever, at a very fundamental level. Rock went from being a mostly pop medium of jingly accessible three minute tracks meant to please young ears and make the record companies money, to being a true form of artistic expression, and is so doing it became rock." Purple Haze."

Absolutely Free – THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION*

Plastic People/The Duke Of Prunes/Amnesia Vivace/The Duke Regains His Chops/Call Any Vegetable/ Invocation & Ritual Dance Of The Young Pumpkin/Soft Sell Conclusion & End Of Side 1/America Drinks/Status Back Baby/Uncle Bernie’s Farm/Sun Of Suzy Creamcheese/Brown Shoes Don’t Make It/America Drinks & Goes Home

Some artists are adored by the public but panned by the critics. Others are indulged by the music pundits but shunned by the punters. Zappa and the Mothers come into the latter category. Their 'humour' and musical approach are likely to be very much an acquired taste for most. (US:41)

"Absolutely Free is an example of 60s social satire. It's probably a lyrically important album for the icons in Zappa's conceptual continuity. The tension between being a 'plastic person' associated with the social machine and 'calling any vegetable' and having a mindless rapport with nature drives the subject material for Absolutely Free. As with a lot of his work with the original Mothers, the satire is particularly dry. There are strong messages, but their dry delivery makes them come off more surreal than humorous, as in the case of The Duke Of Prunes. In other cases, like Uncle Bernie's Farm, the lyrics might even be construed as preachy or aloof."

"This album is where Zappa finally gets to show his personal style, segueing tracks together with blasts of noise and musique concrete, having reprises of songs, crazy vocals, it's all here."

"At first one really loses one's way through this mess - the vegetable suite is so ridiculously clumsy, with stretches of good melody running throughout all of it but often falling apart to reveal 'horrendous' scream feasts and other excesses, until suddenly the totally stupid combination of doo-wop and hysteria gives way to an even more stupid guitar jam. The second 'mess' is even messier, culminating in the multi-part, all-genre-synthesizing Brown Shoes Don't Make It that looks like Frank taking half a dozen doo-wop tunes, ripping them to shreds and gluing some of these shreds to one another in no special order."

"Zappa went a bit overboard here. This album feels very directionless and random, and not in a good way, with too much focus on the nonsensical lyrics and goofing around and not enough on the music. It's not very funny but tries to be often. I don't know whether it's completely dated or just simply too immature and meandering."