Psychedelic States: Indiana in the 60s, Vol. 1

by Psychedelic States: Indiana In

Overview

Gear Fab's Psychedelic States series, which collects vintage 1960s garage rock singles on a regional, state-by-state basis, is extremely valuable in an archaeological sort of way, since these rare 45-rpm artifacts afford an interesting glimpse into the music of a specific time, place, and demographic, and in a larger context, allow for a region-to-region comparison of the similarities and differences in the garage band phenomenon. That's the scholarly way to look at these collections. Musically, however, most of these singles are badly recorded, poorly performed, and cliched and derivative at almost every level, which, of course, is probably why they're so prized by collectors. This volume, which spotlights the Hoosier State, abounds with badly recorded, rhythmically challenged bands that scream and fuzz-chord their way through crude songs with a take-no-prisoners attitude and little else going for them. In other words, it's an utterly fascinating glimpse at a time in the U.S. when every garage on the block seemed to have a band rehearsing in it, a glimpse at a true suburban folk movement where owning an instrument was at least as important as knowing how to properly play it and nowhere close to as important as the need to simply make noise. Nothing here redefines Indiana as the epicenter of rock & roll in the 1960s, and nothing here was even so much as a regional hit, but this collection (like the others in this series) has all the charm of a truly bad horror film, the kind where you can't help but root for the monster to destroy everything in sight. Highlights? It's hard to say. The Endd's shaky, tottering "Gonna Send You Back to Your Mother" from 1967 is spooky and oddly haunting, even infectious in a creepy way. The Chevelles' "Just Once in My Life," also from 1967, bounces along on a simple yet effective melody. The Serfmen's "Cry" from 1964 is a fascinatingly ragged hybrid of "Louie, Louie" and "Twist and Shout." The Jades' "Come Back" from 1967 is simple and solid, and might even have been a hit if it weren't so derivatively generic, which makes one wonder even more why it wasn't a hit. Again, this collection will probably mean more to historians and collectors than it will to anyone else, and none of these singles could be deemed essential by any stretch of reasoning, but by sheer accumulation these raw, ragged sides show that there was indeed something happening, Mr. Jones, even in Indiana. ~ Steve Leggett

Product Details

Release Date:	07/18/2006
Label:	GEAR FAB RECORDS
UPC:	0645270022026

Tracks

1. Gonna Send You Back to Your Mother  -  Endd
2. I'm Not Your Brother
3. I Just Want You
4. Show You Love  - Bob Folger  -  Tikis  - Rick Workman
5. It Just Don't Rhyme  -  Chosen Few
6. Tale of a City  -  Wild Ones
7. Run Babe
8. Just Once in My Life  -  Chevelles
9. You're So Square
10. Baby Come Back
11. Bye Bye Baby
12. Second Choice  -  XL's
13. You Didn't Try to Call Me  -  Basooties
14. My Imagination
15. A Necessary Evil
16. Cry  -  Serfmen
17. I Can't Stop It Now
18. I'm Not That Way at All  - Paul Sheehan
19. Burn Up
20. I'm Gonna Leave You
21. Get Off My Back  -  Blues Inc.
22. You Made a Fool of Me
23. Come Back  -  Jades
24. Foolin' Around with Me
25. Don't It Make You Feel Like Cryin'?  -  Endd  - Russ Sanders
26. Think of Livin'
27. All About Life  -  Country Blues Project  - Ken Macy
28. Come to Me  - Bobby McDonald

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Endd   Primary Artist
The Blues Inc.   Primary Artist
Chosen Few   Primary Artist
The Tikis   Primary Artist
Wild Ones   Primary Artist
Country Blues Project   Primary Artist
The Serfmen   Primary Artist
Basooties   Primary Artist
XL's   Primary Artist
The Jades   Primary Artist
The Chevelles   Primary Artist
Brad Bauder   Organ
Rick Workman   Bass,Vocals
John Cascella   Keyboards
Jackie Hamilton   Bass
Carl Storie   Vocals,Percussion
Dave Webster   Drums
Bob Folger   Guitar
Pat Loo   Guitar
Larry Anderson   Bass

Technical Credits

Mike Nicoloff   Performer
Steve Benham   Performer
Rick Workman   Composer
Nooney Rickett   Performer
Dave Dunne   Performer
Kent Dunbar   Performer
Tom Poole   Performer
Ken Macy   Composer
Bobby McDonald   Composer
Paul Sheehan   Composer
Bob Folger   Composer
Russ Sanders   Composer
Dave McKown   Performer
Greg Nicoloff   Performer
Roger Maglio   Liner Notes