With a CV that consists of being a co-founder of
Acid Jazz Records, radio DJ, club owner, and general expert on all things mod, it's clear that
Eddie Piller knows his stuff inside and out. After having stewarded compilations of mod music from the 1960s and '80s, he expands his reach a little on
Eddie Piller Presents: British Mod Sounds of the 1960s, Vol. 2 - The Freakbeat & Psych Years. As the title would indicate, the artists compiled within stray from the R&B and energetic sounds of the original mod sounds in favor of a more ornate, trippier, and ofttimes weirder approach. As with many comps of this nature, the track list is made up of big names (
the Who,
the Small Faces -- whose fan club was run by
Piller's mother in the '60s -- and
Traffic); artists who have garnered loads of cred over the years (
the Action,
the Creation,
Tomorrow); and a boatload of obscure bands ripe for discovery. Some of the best songs culled from this last category include
the Accent's folk-meets-metal ripper "Red Sky at Night,"
the Fruit Machine's "I'm Alone Today," and
the End's "Shades of Orange," which makes good use of bongos, music hall trumpets, and super mystical lyrics.
Piller does a good job of mixing and matching groups and sounds, flowing easily from jumped-up freakbeat rockers like
the Micky Finn's "Garden of My Mind" to the Baroque psych-pop of
Warm Sounds' "Nite-Is-a-Comin'" to
the Mike Stuart Span's hard psych "Children of Tomorrow" to the overstuffed pop sound of
Nirvana's "Rainbow Chaser." It sounds like the work of a skilled DJ throughout, and
Piller's background in jazz and soul is reflected by the large number of tracks that have some groove to them. Songs like
Graham Bond's "Love Is the Law" or
Nucleus' stretched-out jam "Song for the Bearded Lady" don't usually show up on collections like this, and it's nice that the playing field is expanded to include them.
Scott Walker doesn't either -- maybe he's too popular -- but his "Montague Terrace (In Blue)" fits like a glove. Especially when it's followed by
the 23rd Turnoff's different take on dramatic psychedelia "Michael Angelo." These kind of juxtapositions,
Piller's ear for a good song, and the overall high quality of the selections make this a respectable entry in the freakbeat-psychedelic comp sweepstakes. It might have rated a bit higher minus some obvious song selections -- does anyone ever need to hear "Pictures of Matchstick Men" ever again and, as amazing as it is, perhaps a more obscure song by
the Who other than "I Can See for Miles" might have been better. That being said, anyone seeking a quick education on what made this era of British pop and underground music so exciting will be well served by dipping into this set. ~ Tim Sendra
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