January's Picks

1. JACKIE MITTOO-"Black Organ"
It's hard to pick a groovy organ track by Jackie Mittoo from the 60's/early 70's.  This is probably the one I'd go with from the CD comp of his stuff on a CD I scored a used copy of called "The Keyboard King At Studio One".  Funky organ indeed!

2. THE CLASH-"Hateful"
"London Calling" is, bar none, my fave non-mod band LP from 1979.  The tracks on it take me back to a period where I'd just begun to get into "new" (ie non 60's) British bands and the playground in 8th grade before the soul crushing, physically and mentally abusive period called high school. "Hateful" allows me to gloss over it all with rise tinted glasses because it made me realise that no matter what happened back then I always had The Clash.

3. THE HOLLIES-"All The World Is Love"
The B-side of  "On A Carousel", this is '67 trippy Hollies at their finest, with raga backing vocals, layers upon layers of harmonies and minimal musical backing letting their amazing vocals carry the whole thing.  The '66-'67 period has and always will be my favorite Hollies era and it's no better exemplified by this track.

4. THE DENTISTS-"I'm Not The Devil"
Discordant, lo-fi jangly sounds from Medway, U.K. home of the Prisoners, Milkshakes and Daggerman. From their debut LP "Some People Are On The Pitch, They Think It's Over, It Is", which is really over due for a proper reissue.  Yes the vocals are perhaps a tad too Smiths influenced (don't get me started on "them") but it's not too "indie" to be lame and not too "80's" either with just enough "60's" inspiration to make it work.

5. THE WHO-"The Rock"
Santa brought me the "Quadrophenia" box set and it along with all the goodies included in it, the disc sound amazing, Townshend's synths mix perfectly with Entwistle's brilliant horn arrangements trapped by Moon's powerhouse drumming, that for once, is disciplined and tight!

6. THE AUTUMN LEAVES-"Magic Red Raincoat"
The second 45 by this Twin Cities (that's Minneapolis/St. Paul to our non American readers) is without a doubt perhaps the finest 7 inch ever from that period known as the 90's.  From it's jangly/raga guitar licks, wiggy recorder (or is it a flute?) noodling and it's overall cool 60's vibe it never lets me down. It's also available on their debut CD "Treats And Treasures".

7. THE STOCKING TOPS-"I Don't Ever Want To Be Kicked By You"
A brilliant slab of late 60's Brit girl groups sounds that's easily akin to the Flirtations Deram era output and lovingly unearthed by RPM for their "Dream Babes 8: Stockingtop Pop" CD.  Hipped to me by my Twin Cities (which is where again?) pal Keith Patterson, this 1968 number has stellar arrangement by John Paul Jones and was written and produced by Kenny Lynch.  Brilliance, sheer brilliance!

8. TINTERN ABBEY-"Vacuum Cleaner"
I never tire of '67 Deram psych/pop sounds.  Without a doubt, as I've often touted from my little soapbox here, this one of the finest moments of British 60's psychedelia ever!!!

9. THE MIGHTY AVENGERS-"Hide Your Pride"
This is an obscure rocking slice of U.K. 60's beat on Decca from 1964, the first of their four singles on that label and the only one NOT to feature a Jagger/Richards composition on the "A" side (the others were "So Much In Love", "Blue Turns To Grey" and "Walkin' Thru The Sleepy City").  Oddly the lead singers phrasing is dead on with head La Lee Mavers!

10. THE KINKS-"Shangrila"
I love The Kinks, along with Bowie's 60's catalog, The Small Faces and Georgie Fame they're in the dead heat for my #1 fave 60's band.  There are so many good tracks that speak to working class stiff's, and being a working class stiff who's somehow managed to masquerade as middle class this number is not far from my heart and head, especially in these trying economic times.