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Standells

Rarities / Riot on Sunset Strip (67) - Big Beat 1993

Tracks: 1. Riot on Sunset Strip / 2. Sunset Sally - The Mugwumps / 3. Sunset Theme - Sidewalk Sounds / 4. Old Country / 5. Don't Need Your Lovin' - The Chocolate Watchband / 6. Children of the Night / 7. Make the Music Pretty - Sidewalk Sounds / 8. Get Away From Here / 9. Like My Baby / 10. Sitting There Standing - The Chocolate Watchband / 11. Love Me / 12. Batman / 13. Our Candidate / 14. Boy Who Is Lost / 15. It's All in Your Mind / 16. School Girl / 17. I Hate to Leave You / 18. Looking at Tomorrow / 19. Don't, Say Nothing at All / 20. Try It [Alt. Vocal] / 21. Rari [Extended]

Comments:

The Standells had through their relatively short career difficulties in finding the group's right expression. The four albums which the band released during 1966-67 reflect this and they are to various entent pretty uneven, not least in terms of direction and choice of repertoire. Most successful is probably the group's second album "Why Pick on Me", which also exists in a version with five bonus tracks all of which can be found on this rarities release, and these actually all be among the best originally unreleased tracks by the group.

The fact that the group was unsure of direction also comes out pretty clearly on this release. There is no doubt that the group was strongest in the raw and punk expression, when their tight playing and melodic approach to the material created some of the best early punk / garage music. Here this is documneted with the title track to "Riot on Sunset Strip" and "Try it". Both numbers can be found on the group's last album "Try it" from 1967. Also, the group's two original rock ballads "I Hate two Leave You" and "The Boy Who is Lost" show the band from their strongest side; strange that these two tracks did not find their way to any of the original albums. Also the track "Our Candidate" which was given to the group by Paul Revere and the Raiders, suits the band fine.

The more garnered "Schoolgirl" and "It's All in Your Mind" seem more bland without being really weak. The same can be said of organist Larry Tamlyn's "Looking to Tomorrow".

"Love Me", which was written by guitarist Tony Valentino and drummer Dick Dodd, seems a little unfinished and does not come out particularly interesting. The group recorded a version of "Batman", no wonder, who didn’t do this those years - nothing new in Standells’ version, though."Try It" has an alternative vocal, which is funny, but the original version is clearly the strongest. "Rari" is an extended version that feels aminute or two too long.

Besides title track Standells contribute to the soundtrack "Riot on Sunset Strip" with "Get Away From Here" - a nice number that does not seem as if it has reached beyond the demo stage, though.

The Chocolate Watch Band, who were another of the most interesting garage bands from this time, give a very Stones inspired 'Do not Need Your Lovin' "and" Sitting Here Understanding ", which sounds a lot like Yardbird's" The Nazz Are Blue "with new lyrics. All in all an interesting release for fans of early American Garage Rock .

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