Boys Versus Girls: "Pebbles Volume Two" Versus "Girls in the Garage Part Three"
It's been awhile since we looked at "Girls in the Garage", the series that kicked off this journal, and I've also neglected to feature much of the Pebbles series. So, to remedy the situation, we'll pick up right where we left off with both collections, pitting them against each other in a no-holds-barred battle of the sexes! Which compilation will come out on top? Let's find out!
Girls in the Garage Part Three
The album cover is NSFW, so have a picture of The Liverbirds instead!
1. The Liverbirds - "Why Do You Hang Around Me?" - Opening up the ceremonies are the queens of Merseybeat themselves, The Liverbirds! Their love of Bo Diddley always seemed to give their Beat songs a slight Blues-y feeling, and this one is no different. A solid tune, although not one of my favorites of their work.
2. The Liverbirds - "Diddley Daddy" - And here's a shout out to the classic bluesman Bo Diddley himself, with a cover of one of his numbers. It's got a nice bit of blues grit to the guitar playing, but at heart it's still a dancehall Merseybeat song.
3. Patti's Groove - "It Won't Last Long" - This one has already been featured in this journal, back when I announced that I'd be looking into Post-Punk and Rockabilly. It's still as fun and energetic as ever!
4. Plommons - "Last Train to Liverpool" - I believe these girls were from Sweden... regardless, they've got the Liverpool fever that came over most everyone back during the British Invasion! This is a solid and charming Garage-Pop number.
The Plommons!
5. Mandy and the Girlfriends - "Money" - Mixed in an odd fashion, the volume of the lead vocals and the drums overpower everything else, including the barely present guitars, electric organ, and background vocalists. Still, the snarling proto-punk vocals are easily the most interesting part of this take on Barrett Strong's Motown classic, so it all works out!
6. Jenny and the Statesiders - "Putty" - Nice! With a great heavy backbeat and catchy vocals, this is one of the strongest tracks so far. The guitar break was pretty fun, as well!
7. Tone Benders - "Little Black Egg" - A weird song that is sweet and sloppy at the same time. The master that it came from must've been pretty faded, because I can't make out just what the vocalists are saying...
8. Jacqueline Taieb - "7:00 a.m." - The English language version of the French original "7 Heure du Matin", which was featured on "Girls in the Garage Volume Two". It's just as awesome as the original, and I actually kind of prefer the way this version sounds.
Jacqueline Taieb, once again!
9. Cake - "Baby That's Me" - A pretty straightforward Garage-Pop number. It's the normal bubblegum fare of the day, but for some reason it's kind of creepy sounding. Especially the strings near the end.
10. Minnie and the Kneebones - "Me and My Miniskirt" - I couldn't find this song as it's labeled on the CD, but I
did find a version by Karen Young and the Knee Caps. Maybe they mislabeled it? Anyway, the version I heard was a Garage Pop number with sweet vocals and the occasional Psychedelic guitar riff in the background. It's a tribute to the miniskirt, which was all the rage in the world of 1960's fashion.
11. Surfer Girls - "Draggin' Wagon" - This is a blatant knock-off of Johnny B. Goode, with the lyrics changed to be about surfin' and drivin' around in woodys. Heh, I kind of like it!
12. Kay Bell and the Tuffs - "Surfer Stomp" - Awesome! This is an incredibly infectious twangy and wild surfin' tune, and it drips energy! I love it!
Kay Bell!
13. Jean Robinson - "Weekend Blues" - Another very odd track. This one sounds like it was heavily influenced by the teen melodrama Pop numbers of the 1950's, yet it has the rough fuzz of low production values layered over it.
14. Feebeez - "Walk Away" - The compilation returns to 1960's style Garage Pop, with this simple Beat number about breaking up.
15. Sham-ettes - "Big Bad Wolf" - A sort of Blues-y Beat song, this one is actually pretty solid! I like the electric organ that kicks in during the chorus.
16. Debs - "Sloopy's Gonna Hang On" - Probably made in response to the lighthearted classic "Hang on Sloopy". It's actually got a surprisingly heavy backbeat, and the guitar solo is fantastic (just like in the original)!
The Debs' 45!
17. Society's Children - "Mr. Genie Man" - Heh, it was only a matter of time before a fuzz-drenched Psychedelic number popped up! This one is kind of all over the place and isn't very solid, however it's energy gives it a sense of charm.
18. The Pussycats - "Dressed in Black" - Returning from Part Two, The Pussycats bring a a very clean and classy cover of a Shangri-Las number to the table.
19. Jeff and the Atlantics Featuring Cathe - "I'll Find Him" - I really like the tune of this one, even if the vocalist seems a little out of their element in a Blues-y Beat song. I'd love to hear this track covered some day. Anyway, the real stand-out here is the drumming, which is very loud and steady.
20. The What Four - "I'm Gonna Destroy That Boy" - Most vintage all-guy Garage Rock bands loved to play songs about their conquests, and this Garage Pop classic by the all-girl What Four was one of many to turn the tables on them. With a name like "I'm Gonna Destroy That Boy", you'd expect it to be pretty wild, but it's actually fairly straightforward (although the lyrics are still really fun).
The What Four!
21. The Girls - "Rocket for Girls" - Space Rock time! This is a groovy track about a bunch of girls taking a rocket into outer space, beckoning the listener to come along with them.
22. Stacy's 5th - "This Thing" - A haunting Vocal-Pop ballad with fantastic vocals and backing harmonies.
23. Angel and the Devines - "Octopus" - Finishing off the album is another 1950's influenced Garage Pop number, this one with a few Psychedelic sound-effects and Beach Boys-esque backing harmonies.
Though not as rough and impactful as the first entry in the series, and not as varied and memorable as the second, the third does a good job of looking at obscure Pop and Beat-style groups, with a little bit of the surfin' sound thrown in for kicks. It's a solid compilation, but there's a lack of any stand-out or otherwise iconic songs. The girls are off to a good but somewhat shaky start... let's see if the boys can pass them by and take the lead!