Roadrunner – JR. WALKER & THE ALL STARS***

(I’m A) Roadrunner/How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)/Pucker Up Buttercup/Money (That’s What I Want)/ Last Call/Anyway You Wannta’/Baby You Know It Ain’t Right/Soul Darling/Twist Lackawamma/San-Ho-Zay/ Mutiny

Junior Walker & The All Stars featured driving sax tunes tailor made for dancing at house parties. The well known title track single reached No. 12 in the UK and No. 20 in the US. Also included is the US No. 18 hit How Sweet It Is. (US:64)

“This is another one of Junior’s rough but lovely albums, featuring his 'gritty but pretty' style of playing and singing. Here he also takes on the work of his fellow Motowners such as Marvin Gaye's How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You and Barrett Strong's Money. The former is fine but he really rocks out on the latter in two parts and, like good artists should, he turns it into something all his own.”

“It is clear what was the function of the record. Several of the tracks have party noises and the lyrics and vocal interjections are peppered with the dance crazes of the time. If the music lacked surface sophistication, it certainly made up for it in honkin' sax, atmosphere, energy and feeling, plus it was brilliantly played, with a gospel-like fervour. I would guess it enlivened many a soul party in the sixties.”

“Now this is music. I remember rocking out to this song in the 60s at house parties and everybody danced.”

“These guys were in the pocket so hard, magic in this track. You can single out every instrument and it's nailing it on its own. Put ‘em all together, now that's soul.”

“One of the best. When music was made with real instruments and real people singing.”

Revolver – THE BEATLES*****

Taxman/Eleanor Rigby/I’m Only Sleeping/Love You To/Here There & Everywhere/Yellow Submarine/She Said She Said/Good Day Sunshine/And Your Bird Can Sing/For No One/Doctor Robert/I Want To Tell You/Got To Get You Into My Life/Tomorrow Never Knows

Despite increased competition The Beatles continued to maintain their dominance of the popular music scene. Revolver is a magnificent album, jam packed with distinctive and timeless songs. The double A side single Yellow Submarine/Eleanor Rigby was No. 1 in the UK. At the time, both the public and the pundits thought it would be impossible for the group to better this album, but they were to be proved wrong. (US:1 UK:1)

"A mind boggling collage of perfect song craft and sheer sonic joy, Revolver, like its predecessor Rubber Soul, stunned the pop world when released in 1966."

"This album is really one of the best ever released. Every song is listenable and loveable. It features some of the most advanced music The Beatles ever released, with the songs in many different styles."

"This is the most unbelievable example of self-caused, more or less independent musical evolution the world had ever seen."

"In my opinion, this is the greatest album in the history of the universe. All of the various aspects of the group that made them so awesome converge here. We have George and his sitar, we have guitar rock, we have the strings, we have the gorgeous and sorrowful ballads, we have the absurdly catchy Lennon pop, and most of all, we have genius."

"This is one of my favourite albums ever. The 'poppiness' blends perfectly with the experimentalism. The Beatles definitely continued their reign as the best song-writers of the 20th Century with Revolver. Every song shows their tremendous range of musical talent. Not only was the music amazing, but Revolver was a technical masterpiece as well."

“When considering a truly great album, I feel that it is necessary to consider songwriting, musicianship, production, palatability, originality, creativity and how well it holds up over time. This has it all.”

Psychedelic Moods – THE DEEP***

Colour Dreams/Pink Ether/When Rain Is Black/Its All A Part Of Me/Turned On/Psychedelic Moon/Shadows On The Wall/Crystal Night/Trip No.76/Wake Up & Find Me/Your Choice To Choose/On Off Off On

Psychedelic Moods by The Deep earned its place in musical history as the first album to include the word psychedelic in its title. This innovative genre would become the dominant popular musical style of the late sixties.

“Considered to be at the very vanguard of the expanding psychedelic movement in 1966, this is an acquired taste; most listeners either love it, or hate it. I have found it has grown on me over the years. The music is primarily garage driven, with minor Dylan influences. The production is rather spartan, yielding a thin, almost folky sound.”

“One of the more exciting psychedelic records I've heard, partly because it was one of the first and most of the moves you hear here are happening for the first time. Some might find it corny, it's that early psychedelic style of describing everything floridly and colourfully, but it's rather beautiful in its naive experimentation.”

“A truly visionary work. Hard to believe that this album was made when it was. It isn’t as psychedelic as I had anticipated, but is still very enjoyable. However, the vocals aren't very good and many of the lyrics make no sense to any sober person. Psychedelic in its moods, but not that much, it has more of a garage feel plus some folk influences. A must listen for any fans of rock music particularly the sixties.”

“Psychedelic Moods has attained cult status as one of the definitive examples of the then newly emerging 'psychedelic sound'. The album was intended to provide the listener with a simulated acid trip, replete with fuzz guitar, flute, backwards guitars, banjo, washboard, xylophone, wild sound effects, and love making. Songs such as Trip #76, Psychedelic Moon, Pink Ether, and Colour Dreams explored the hallucinatory agony and ecstasy of a twelve hour Technicolor dream.”

“There's something interesting about nearly every song on this low-budget effort from The Deep. I don't listen to much garage and normally prefer albums recorded a couple years later in the post-Pepper period, but this one is an exception, a collection of garage songs with unusual sound effects, psych rock plus a few haunting acoustic tracks. Not everyone will like it, and on close examination a critic could probably tear it apart.”

Portrait – THE WALKER BROTHERS***

In My Room/Saturday’s Child/Just For A Thrill/Hurting Each Other/Old Folks/Summertime/People Get Ready/I Can See It Now/Where’s The Girl/Living Above Your Head/Take It Like A Man/No Sad Songs For Me

Big in Britain during the mid sixties, American vocal trio The Walker Brothers second album Portrait was their most commercially successful. None of their albums charted in their home country. (UK:3)

"Second UK album was their most commercially successful, reaching No. 3, yet its quality was quite erratic. Like some other pop/rock LPs of its time, it suffered from an apparent strategy to appeal to a wider demographic than those that typically bought pop/rock records. Only recommended for serious fans."

"Some of the most beautiful ballads I've ever heard are on this LP, lushly orchestrated and sung to perfection. It's hard to believe that Scott was only 22 when this was recorded, there's so much maturity and depth in his voice."

"I have always been a fan of these guys. A lot of people nowadays will never have even heard of them. They have missed the wonderful quality of Scott's voice."

"It's magnificent. From the opening heartbreak track, In My Room, you cannot fail to be mesmerised by the blend of John and Scott Walker's voices. Scott has the mellow maturity of a much more experienced singer, handling complex lyrics and melodies easily. If you want purity, Summertime, which is incredibly fragile in its presentation, is the most perfect blend of two voices anyone could wish to listen to. The breakup of this trio, and the fact that Scott Walker no longer records, is one of the great losses to the music world."

"A vast improvement upon their first album, the material being more consistent, and also because Scott's voice dominates it, and he was in great shape. The arrangements are more 'Spectorian' than ever."

Nancy In London – NANCY SINATRA***

On Broadway/The End/Step Aside/I Can’t Grow Peaches On An Apple Tree/Summer Wine/Wishin’ & Hopin’/This Little Bird/Shades/The More I See You/Hutchinson Jail/Friday’s Child

Nancy Sinatra moved to London to record her third 1966 album release, Nancy In London, criticized by some as being rather staid compared to her hip Los Angeles sessions. (US:122)

“This album's crown jewellery is Summer Wine. I don’t like the duets so much, but on this one Nancy and Lee are amazing together. This is still a very good LP from pop’s first female bad girl superstar.”

“This album proves Nancy's sensational musical ability and versatility. Each track tackles different genres and Nancy glides through each with tremendous ease. On Broadway, the lead-off, is a bright and brassy '60s gem, which is followed by the soft The End. Within these first two tracks we hear Nancy's incredible abilities, switching from loud, bright vocals to a more delicate, softer arrangement.”

“This was Nancy Sinatra's third album. Instead of recording in Los Angeles as she previously did, she travelled to London to make this album. That proved to be a mistake. Instead of recording with hip young Los Angeles session musicians, she recorded with middle aged (or older) orchestral musicians. Of course, these older gentlemen were talented musicians, but their style was wrong for Nancy. There were some good songs recorded at these sessions, but they are relatively 'lifeless' when compared to her other recordings.”

“Don't let the first two tracks throw you. This album is still classic Nancy even while she does Barbra style tracks such as On Broadway. The End is a beautiful ballad but the album gets fun by Step Aside. I Can't Grow Peaches On A Cherry Tree is a swingy tune that does have a bit of a London feel. Wishin’ & Hopin’ is such a good song, and this may not be the best version, but Nancy makes it her own.”

“Remember, the pop ideological conflict going on in the 1960s, whether it be mods versus rockers or hipsters versus the squares. Well, on her third outing, Nancy Sinatra veers more to the squares corner, as evidenced from the openers, On Broadway and The End. Lots of horns and strings there. A change of style for Nancy, but made wonderful by her singing them so well.”

Sunny – BOBBY HEBB***

Sunny/Where Are You/Got You On My Mind/Yes Or No Or Maybe Not/Good Good Lovin’/Love Love Love/A Satisfied Mind/You Don’t Know What You Got Until You Lose It/I Am Your Man/Crazy Baby/Bread/For You

Nashville born Bobby Hebb specialised in light breezy soul tracks epitomized by his big hit single Sunny which peaked at No. 2 in the US and No. 12 in the UK. Despite some positive reviews the accompanying album struggled in the charts. (US:103)

“Having scored a massive international hit with the exceptionally cool single Sunny, it was only natural that Bobby Hebb would be given an opportunity to record a supporting album. Unlike most this one is surprisingly impressive. Equally interesting, the set doesn’t come off as a traditional soul album being too diverse for such a generic label. Gifted with an exceptionally versatile voice, Hebb took capable stabs at pop, blues and even Motown-styled soul. That said, the underlying feel was soul. The title track was the standout but the entire LP is worth hearing.”

“Sunny is such an amazing song, covered by hundreds of artists, but the original version is the one which shines the most. What about the rest. Well, I must say that they’re rather disappointing and boring. Most of the songs are a bunch of bland soul pop songs backed by those horrible and dated female vocals bawling behind. There are a couple are interesting songs, but all the rest are more or less disposable.”

“Bobby Hebb enjoyed a few months of fame with the singles Sunny and A Satisfied Mind. The first caused quite a stir with its soulful arrangement and Hebb's deft vocals, but it was the follow-up that revealed his sensitive folk side.”

“A lot of soul LPs in the mid-60s weren't that good. Usually you'd have the hit single, and maybe one or two good tracks and a bunch of second rate covers. This is not the case here. This album is filled to the brim with original songs that stand out and could have been hits on their own. There are a couple of clunkers, but the good outweigh the bad.”

“It's a little on the poppy side but still pretty good. Not a lot of grit but there is a certain innocence to it that is appealing. If you like soul that sounds like it was aiming for a white audience, this is your stuff. Groovy finger clicking soul sounds and a few deeper slower numbers, but nothing slushy or dreary the way quite a lot of them were then, but subtle growers.”

It’s Time – THE GUESS WHO***

Alright/And She’s Mine/As/You Know He Did/Baby Feelin’/Clock On The Wall/Don’t Act So Bad/Believe Me/Seven Long Years/One Day/Gonna Search/Guess I’ll Find A Place

It’s Time was the debut album from the Canadian pop rock group The Guess Who consisting of several own compositions and a few covers. It would be three years before their big hits would start to roll.

“This first LP by the well known Canadian band is worth listening for Clock On The Wall, a perfect garage pop song. Rest of the album is very correct and energetic garage pop.”

“Its Time is the hardest rocking album of their early years, and the first to feature Burton Cummings as second lead vocalist and keyboard player, and also the final recordings with original leader Chad Allan. This collection fits nicely in any garage-rock collection. From the opening bars of Alright, this album shows The Guess Who as a hungry band, with new blood to show off, adopting a harder R & B edge.”

“One of the many bands making derivative records such as this, The Guess Who were by this point one of the best of such acts, both as musicians and writers. If that sounds like damning with faint praise, it's not meant to. Even if this isn't as original as the best British and American groups of the time, or indeed as The Guess Who would later become, it's still respectable and at times quite exciting.” ,p> “The original material shows the band's songwriting skills growing in leaps and bounds, but their influences are still obvious. This album clearly shows the struggle between the pop influences of Allan and harder edged R & B from Cummings. It's Time is a must have for every Guess Who fan.”

“Though this Canadian LP was issued under The Guess Who name, the group still hadn't quite completed its evolution from its prior incarnation as Chad Allan & The Expressions. Indeed Allan himself was still in the band during sessions for the recording, writing one of the tracks, Guess I'll Find A Place. But a couple of covers excepted, almost every song was written by Randy Bachman. Even more crucially, much of the material went in a decidedly harder-rocking direction than what the group had previously cut, with newcomer Burton Cummings injecting a raunchiness into the material on which he sang lead vocals."