Nuggets - Original Artyfacts From The First Psychedelic Era 1965-1968
The original Nuggets was released as a thirty track double album in 1972. Compiled by Jac Holzman, founder and president of Elektra Records, and Lenny Kaye, guitarist and rock historian, it documented the sound of American teenagers trying to emulate The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds, Them or any one of the other bands that constituted the British Invasion that swept all before it in the USA of 1964.
These forgotten garage punk bands (as they became known) were all but forgotten, even in 1972.
They had in common, their youth, their enthusiasm and their general lack of anything but the most basic musical competence, all of which meant that they were perfectly paced to produce the most delectable three minute blasts of rock'n roll the world has ever seen.
The album achieved an almost mythical status in the Britain of the mid 1970's and helped inspire an underground cult of people who believed that rock music was better off without synthesisers. All it then needed was for The Ramones to light the blue touch paper.
The original vinyl release has long since been deleted, but now we have the 118 track, four CD complete with colour booklet box set version with more retro-punk classics that you ever knew existed.
Hence you too can thrill to the sound of the Count Five's Psychotic Reaction or the Standells' Dirty Water and listen to Oh Yeah by the Shadows Of Knight and finally work out, after all these years, from where David Bowie really did steal that riff for Jean Genie. Oh and it's even got Louie Louie; what more could you want?
Yeah down by the river
Down by the banks of the river Charles
Ah that's what's happening baby
That's where you'll find me
Along with lovers, muggers and thieves
Ah but they're cool people
Oh I love that dirty water
Oh Boston you're my home
PS: Although actually the Standells were from Los Angeles, but a minor geographical detail like that should never get in the way of a good song.