Pebbles Vol. 1

Originally released in 1978 by a small Australian record label, the first volume of the Pebbles series is one of the quintessential platters of obscure 60s garage rock. The songs here are rough, rowdy, and raw, bashed out by pimple-popping teenagers with a surplus of passion and youthful agression. The set boasts some of the most revered garage rock tunes ever- The Litter's "Action Woman," for example, is widely considered to be one of the greatest 60s punk tunes of all time. Which makes perfect sense when you consider the fact that its a brutal, cathartic masterpiece, brimming with manic energy and sexual frustration. The Preachers' rendition of the classic Bo Diddley tune "Who Do You Love" is a grimey, thuggish, violent masterpiece, decked out with some caveman vocals and a mencaing, roaring melody. The Haunted's "1-2-5" is the epitome of slinky, greasy rock n roll, and "Going Away Baby" by the Grains of Sand is a hyperactive barn-burning organ-bashing extraviganza. The Outcasts' "I'm In Pittsburgh" is pure, double-time proto punk, and the Wild Knights' "Beaver Patrol" is fantastically filthy. There are also a few flat-out weirdos: Kim Fowley's "The Trip" is a wonderfully sleazy psychedelic rant, and The Elastik Band's "Spazz" may very well be one of the most insensitive songs of all time- and it's still great. The JuJus' "You Treat Me Bad" features some fantastically odd lead vocals and a great, driving guitar line. The Soup Greens contribute a hilarious cover of Bob Dylan's "Like A Rolling Stone" which bears almost no resemblance to the original. But never mind that- with its driving, "Louie Louie" style chord progression and sing-along vocals, it's still a great song. The Gonn's "Blackout of Gretely" and the Sparkles' "Ain't No Friend of Mine" (both of which were included as CD only bonus tracks) are two of the loudest, rawest, and meanest garage tracks ever. There are a few somewhat unspectacular tracks: "Potato Chip" is an obscure track by the relatively well-known Shadows of Knight, possibly released as a promotion for a potato chip company, which features a spoken word "interview" with the band followed by a weird song about the titular snack food. The interview, which is obviously scripted and features the band cracking some terrible jokes in a bored monotone, is interesting for kitsch value and not much else. The song itself is weird, dull, and worthless. Positively 13 O Clock (a doppleganger for Texas' Mouse and the Traps) turn in a fun but largely forgettable cover of the Count Five's "Psychotic Reaction," and the Split Ends' "Rich With Nothin'" is a decent but unnecessary number that I could really give or take. Also, the packaging itself contiand a couple of truly boneheaded errors: Two of the songs listed as being on the CD (The Wig's "Crackin' Up" and "I Need Love" by the Third Booth) are left off of the disc. The compilers also left off the Squires' excellent "Going all the Way," even though it was one of the highlights of the vinyl edition. Nonetheless, this is an excellent garage compilation, and a key purchase for any fan of 60s obscurity....

Track List

1. Letter - Action Woman

2. Preachers - Who Do You Love

3. Floyd Dakil Combo - Dance Franny Dance

4. Outcasts - I'm in Pittsburgh

5. Grains Of Sand - Going Away Baby

6. Ju Jus - You Teat Me Bad

7. Haunted - 1-2-5

8. Soup Green -Like A Rolling Stone

9. Wig - Crackin' Up

10. Positively 13 O'Clock - Psychotic Reaction

11. Kim Fowley - The Trip

12. Elastic Band - Spazz

13. Split End - Rich With Nothin'

14. Shadows Of Knight - Potato Chip

15. Wild Knights - Beaver Patrol

16. Sparkles - Ain't No Friend of Mine

17. Gonn - Blackout Of Gretely

18. Third Booth - I Need Love

19. Weed - It's Your Time

20. Surprise Track

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