Reviews The Music Machine Video Biography (Produced by John Hudgens.  Available here) Produced by John Hudgens, The Music Machine Video Biography is a low budget documentary on Sean Bonniwell’s legendary and groundbreaking band.  Comprised primarily of on-camera talking head footage of Bonniwell detailing his and the group’s formation and successes, the film clocks in at a too-short 50 minutes.  During the brief running time, however, Bonniwell does an admirable job of hitting on the band’s high notes. The Music Machine was Bonniwell, Mark Landon, Ron Edgar, Keith Olsen and Doug Rhodes but, although recent footage of a 2008 “reunion” includes shots of Landon, Edgar and Olsen, only Landon provides an interview.  Other than a brief interview with the guitarist of The Ghastly Ones (whom, if I recall correctly, doesn’t even have his name displayed), nobody else associated with, or influenced by, The Music Machine is involved. Like the band’s songwriting catalog, the brunt of the burden for the film therefore falls on Bonniwell, and he doesn’t disappoint.  Now 70-years old, he comes across as extremely likable and his recall is impressive.  Some of the stories he relays involve the band’s transformation from The Ragamuffins into the clad-in-black, one glove-wearing Music Machine; playing with The Byrds; a very humorous account of the Machine’s first post-‘Talk Talk’ live appearance while arriving to a huge crowd; performing as the first white band ever in a soul club; and trying to evenly divide the band’s earnings. In addition, the film includes four vintage 1960’s complete performances: ‘Talk Talk’ and ‘Masculine Intuition’ from American Bandstand (unfortunately, the footage isn’t properly synched with songs); another performance of ‘Talk Talk’ from an unidentified show; and ‘The Eagle Never Hunts The Fly’ from Shebang. The low-budget of the film is obvious:  To perhaps fill in gaps, current day black and white footage of a man putting on a black glove, and later carrying a guitar while wearing the glove, is inserted) and Bonniwell’s interview footage alternates between in-frame and extreme close-up.    Ultimately, the $34 price tag is too costly for the end product, but anybody with an interest in one of the greatest bands of the ‘60s will no doubt find much to enjoy.  It would be nice if a full-fledged documentary of the group was completed but, seeing as that most likely will never happen, The Music Machine Video Biography does provide enough stories, vintage footage, and especially Sean Bonniwell to please fans. Hawaii A Go-Go by Tom Tourville Subtitled The 50's - 80's Rock, Pop, & Contemporary Hawaiian Singles/45 Record Discograpy, Hawaii A Go-Go is the 16th regional discography that Tom Tourville has authored.  As he proclaims in the Introduction, his books are a "labor of love" and Hawaii A Go-Go comes across as just that.  Like Tourville's other books, this volume would have, without question, been better served by utilizing the skills of a professional editor (perhaps the "50's - 80's" instead of the correct, "'50s - '80s" in the subtitle already tipped you off) but, regardless, Tourville's enthusiasm shines through, and the book is very clean and well laid out, resulting in quick search results for a particular band or single. Unlike other volumes, the "garage band" quotient is fairly low in Hawaii A Go-Go and as a result visitors to this site might choose to skip this edition.  In addition to the discography, there are features on '70s recording artist Dick Jensen, Hawaii Movie & TV Releases, The Bob Bertram Story, Masako, Maori Artists & Show Bands, and The Lewis & Clark Expedition (not the Colgems recording group).  Anybody outside of Hawaii will most likely not be familiar with any of the topics of those features, but it's the actual Hawaii 45 discography that is the book's bread and butter anyway.  Many obscure singles are listed and there is a wealth of photos of those 45s.  That's not to say the listings don't result in some confusion.  For example, the Copper Nickel is classified as a (4) which, according to the "Time Span" in the Acknowledgements section, means they recorded in "1979-Beyond."  The individual listing for the band's two Flair 45s, however, are followed by 71' (sic), which we presume is the year of release.  So...which is it? The Club Land Singles Releases section is also curious, as it is a partial discography of 45 releases by non-Hawaiian bands that performed on the island, including The American Revolution and Paul Revere & The Raiders.  A listing of acts might have been a better idea, as what purpose does a two record Paul Revere & The Raiders discography really serve?  Tourville's books have been criticized in garage rock collector's circles in the past for inaccuracies and for the author's penchant for "hot horn bands," but in all fairness where else is this information available?  Mike Markesich's upcoming comprehensive Teenbeat Mayhem book will no doubt make this and similar titles obsolete for garage rock collectors, but for record collectors in general Hawaii A Go-Go is a servicable resource documenting an otherwise not too documented scene. Echoes In Time (Available here) Available as an "extra" on the Museum L-A's (Lewistion-Auburn, Maine) Echoes In Time DVD, 'Garage Bands Of The '60s' is a 10+ minute look at the local music scene of, naturally, the 1960's.  Filmmaker Bill Maroldo interviewed members of five of the area's top bands, and provides a nice capsule of each group's career highlight.  In addition to comments from Will Anderson, author of When Rock & Roll Rocked Maine, Nick Knowlton (Terry & The Telstars, of the great 'Reasons' 45), Dave Brissett and Bob Roy (Moon Dawgs, 'Wild About You'), Jeannie and Richard Martin (Travelers), Roger Blais (Innkeepers) and Ronnie Morin and Eddie and Paul Boucher (Royal Knights) all provide insight on what is what like playing in a rock band, and how popular locally each group was able to become.  The undoubted highlight is home movie footage of both Terry & The Telstars and The Innkeepers performing on stage.  Amazing stuff! While much too short to truly educate on the bands or the subject, it's still a more than worthy endeavor that, if expanded, would be an excellent tribute to a rather undocumented scene.  Here's hoping that, somewhere down the line, a full blown retrospective on the L-A '60s garage band era is in the offering. My Dinner With Jimi  (Directed by Jim Fishman.  Available here) Filmed in 2003 and only now available on DVD (or anywhere for that matter), My Dinner With Jimi is a lightweight but very entertaining autobiographical recount by Howard Kaylan of The Turtles relating the group's trip to London in 1967.  Although riding high on the chart success of 'Happy Together,' The Turtles are portrayed as bright-eyed music fans who can't believe that their success provided them the opportunity to cross paths with several of the big name acts of the era.  In addition to title grabbing Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, Jim Morrison, Brian Jones, Frank Zappa, Mama Cass, Graham Nash, Donovan and The Moody Blues all make apearances, and several acts are namedropped, including Arthur Lee and Love and The Rolling Stones.  Prior to landing in London, the film focuses on Los Angeles and the Sunset Strip.  In addition to actual home movies of the pre-Turtles Crossfires, there is also actual performance footage of The Turtles, as well as stock footage of the Sunset Strip and the '60s in general.  Unfortunately, while perhaps intended to provide an air of authenticity, the footage actually hammers home the small budget the project was afforded.  In fact, while The Turtles' performance of 'Happy Together' on The Smother Brothers Show is faithfully recreated (it's as corny here as it is in the actual clip, with Mark Volman's playful adlibbing and Kaylan's somewhat off target lipsynching particularly dead on), it is filmed in such a way that it comes across as looking cheaper than the rest of the film.  This could have been an intentional portrayal of network TV, since the movie's undoubted highlights--the onstage performances of 'Outside Chance' at The Whisky A-Go-Go and 'She'd Rather Be With Me' at The Speakeasy in London--come off as fantastic period pieces.  Both scenes are excellent recreations of The Turtles' live act, and those that realize The Turtles were one of the great acts of '60's rock will undoubtedly wish there were more scenes like them. The picture quality on the DVD varies at times but is overall acceptable.  Bonus features include commentary with Kaylan and Producer Harold Bronson, a Turtles discography, and an edited section of Rhino's excellent Happy Together Turtles documentary focusing on the London trip...and that entertainingly detailed several bits that made it into My Dinner With Jimi. Garage Sounds: Bringing Down The House by Scott Schell (Published by The Washington County Historical Society.  Available here) A 350-page hardbound book collecting information on garage bands from Stillwater, Minnesota?  Is such a thing possible?  Garage Sounds: Bringing Down The House by Scott Schell proves that it is.  Unfortunately, if we hadn't been informed of this book prior to purchasing a copy, we wouldn't have any idea what the central theme was.  Being that the book is available from the Washington County Historical Society of Stillwater, Minnesota may infer things, yet Schell's all to brief introduction makes no mention that the book revolves around the local musicians of the area, and an outsider stumbling upon Garage Sounds will most likely have little to no idea what the collecton of text and photos is about.  There are enough photos and memorabilia present to hold the browser's interest...but for how long? There are no chapters, and therefore the book is "organized" rather haphazardly with no rhyme or reason as to which band--from which era--may follow.  It appears that the book presents information on groups from the '50s through the '70s but, again, that is not stated anywhere. Groups of interest include The More-Tishans (the best known band in the book and the one that receives the greatest number of pages), The Riptides, The Thundermen, The Aristocrats, The MPs, The Savages, In-Sane, The Amebas, The Nomads, The Lords Four, The Extortionists, The Distant Shadow, The Mods and more.  We're not quite sure how many of these groups actually recorded, because that information is not provided.  A typical section includes band name, members' names, graduating class information, maybe (not always) a brief capsule of the group, and photos and/or band cards/handbills.  It's nice to be introduced to many of these bands, but the unorganized layout and the dirth of information provided makes it difficult to provide a favorable review.  While we wholeheartedly support further efforts like this--the documentation of local bands from the '60s is obviously very important to us and we realize it's not a simple task--there simply isn't enough of value included to recommend the book.  But that decision becomes a bit easier upon learning that the price tag is $40. Sorry...pass this one up. Garage Records Price And Reference Guide: 1960's Garage, Psychedelic And Uncharted Rock 45s by Barry G. Wickham and Geoffrey M. Richman (Available here) As every collector knows, a price guide is just that: A guide. Although they may be used by collectors and dealers alike to base current value on collectibles, they are rarely the final word on what a particular item is actually worth.  In fact, the common belief that price guides are out-of-date the minute they are published, due to fluctuating prices realized in varying parts of the country, is more true in these Internet days than during any time in the past.  Therefore, if a price guide is to prove its worth, it must offer more than just a listing of values tied to an item. Thankfully, Barry Wickham's and Geoffrey Richman's Garage Records Price And Reference Guide: 1960's Garage, Psychedelic And Uncharted Rock 45s does just that.  Landing a forward by Alec Palao, without question the most respected archivist in the garage/psych record kingdom, immediately provides a trust factor that will score major points with collectors everywhere.  Throw in select color label and picture sleeve photos, and a staggering number of record entries, and there is enough within the guide to provide weeks of review. Although there are over 400 pages of record listings, we do wonder how the authors determined which records to include and which ones not to include.  A complete discography of every rock and roll 45 from the 1960s is impossible to produce (there are new discoveries being unearthed almost daily) but, for example, why is Tonto & The Renegades' 'Little Boy Blue' b/w 'I Knew This Thing Would Happen' 45 included, but their 'The Easy Way Out' b/w 'Anytime You Want Some Lovin' single not included?  Granted, 'Little Boy Blue' is much more indicitive of the "garage" sound, but any collector of "garage band" records would be honored to own 'The Easy Way Out' b/w 'Anytime You Want Some Lovin'.  For that reason, it should be listed. What is included, of course, is fascinating.  More than just a price guide, Wickham's and Richman's work truly will serve as a "Reference Guide."  We are often contacted by former band members that inform us they recorded a 45 in the '60s yet fail to provide information.  This guide should be very useful in at least informing us of the song titles, label, year of release and, where known, band hometown. As is noted in the Introduction, the book is "not focused on documenting the history of the garage genre or the bands of this time period. While we find that information extremely interesting, we understand a book with that focus is being written, and look forward to its publication in the near future." Until that book, Mike Markesich's eagerly anticipated Teenbeat Mayhem, is published, Garage Records Price And Reference Guide: 1960's Garage, Psychedelic And Uncharted Rock 45s will serve as a more than worthy treasure trove of information. Cracking The Egg: The Untold Story Of The Nightcrawlers (Produced and Directed by Kelly Rouse.  Available via Florida Rocks) After bringing home the Audience Award for Best Feature at this year's Daytona Beach Film Festival, Kelly Rouse's excellent and loving tribute to her father's '60's rock band, The Nightcrawlers, is now available on DVD. With contributions and comments from all five 'Crawlers (Sylvan Wells, Pete Thomason, Rob Rouse, Chuck Conlon and Tommy Ruger, as well as their manager, Mike Stone), Cracking The Egg is ultimately a story of a local Florida rock and roll group in the '60's that created a song, 'The Little Black Egg,' that will forever keep them in the hearts and minds of music lovers everywhere. If this statement results in any doubt in the minds of readers, Cracking The Egg offers solid evidence that it is without question true; that it's not just possible, but in fact more than likely, to happen.  In addition to playing snippets of cover versions of by other '60's groups, including The Kommotions, Music Explosion and Neighb'rhood Childr'n, and more current bands, from The Cars to The Lemonheads and The Minus 5 (member Scott McCaughey is interviewed), the film briefly samples videos from YouTube of amateur performances of the tune, proving that it indeed just might live forever. The true appeal of the film, however, and what most likely inspired Rouse to tell the story of her father's group, is the comaderie that is so apparent, even after 40 years, amongst The Nightcrawlers themselves.  It's unusal to view a film about '60s rockers where each member not only comes across as completely likable and well spoken, but also as someone whom you'd like to go and grab a beer with.  All five members are interviewed separately, yet their at times heartfelt recollections indicate that they're never too far apart.  Rouse concludes Cracking The Egg with a card that reads, simply, "For My Dad."  We have a feeling he couldn't be more proud. Featuring onscreen interviews with Ace Records' Alec Palao and Scram Magazine's Kim Cooper, various friends and fans, many excellent early photos of the group, very rare 8mm footage of the band performing on stage, and a cute but perhaps necessary "bouncing egg" sing-a-long screen, Cracking The Egg is a completely entertaining history of a '60's garage band and the "stupid, dumb song" that has keep their name alive.  As a fan states about the group's successful '90's reunion performance, "we went back to the '60s that night."  This documentary, at times, will have you feeling the same way.  Highly recommended. Dirt Road To Psychedelia: Austin, Texas During The 1960s (A Documentary By Scott Conn.  Available here) Scott Conn's 2007 documentary, Dirt Road To Psychedelia: Austin, Texas During The 1960s, is a 72-minute overview of the sights, sounds and sensations of, obviously, Austin, Texas during the 1960s.  Succinctly broken down into 12 concise chapters, the film explores the folk influence that began in the early part of the decade, the psychedelic heyday of the mid-to-late '60's and, ultimately (and much more briefly),  the blues identity that many of the musicians later identified with. Progressing, naturally, in chronological order, the film's 12 segments (or chapters) start with an introduction that serves as an overview of the film and the era, and progresses through 'Folkies Learn To Play' (with a heavy emphasis, of course, on Janis Joplin); Threadgill's (a "working class, blue collar bar" where the folk scene developed); Drugs (with peyote and LSD given special significance); The 13th Floor Elevators (highlighted by many fascinating early photos of the band); Conqueroo and Shiva's Headband (featuring very cool and never-before-seen 8mm footage of Conqueroo at Woolridge Square Park in 1968 and Shiva's Headband at the west campus of the University of Texas, also in 1968); The Vulcan Gas Company (where all the great and varied bands/performers of the area played); Posters; Lightshows; Blues Identity; and Conclusion. Told entirely through talking head interviews (with a very brief printed intro at the start of the film), Conn lined up an incredible array of local luminaries, including Harvey E. Gann of the Austin Police Department, artists Jack Johnson, Jim Franklin and Gilbert Sheton, singer Tary Owens, journalist Jim Langdon, sound engineer Don Taylor, Vulcan Gas Company founder Don Hyde, 13th Floor Elevators' manager Sandy Lockett, singer Pepi Plowman and, more significantly, musicians Wali Stopher, Powell St. John (Conqueroo and Waller Creek Boys), George Kinney (Golden Dawn), Spencer Perskin (Shiva's Headband) and Bob Brown and Charlie Pritchard (Conqueroo). The soundtrack is also a solid representation of the local music that was such a vital part of the scene.  The 13th Floor Elevators have several outstanding songs featured, including 'Reverbation,' 'You're Gonna Miss Me', 'Roller Coaster', 'Monkey Island' and 'Postures.' 'Kaleidoscopic' and 'Song For Peace' by Shiva's Headband and 'Passenger,' '1 To 3' and 'I Think About You' by Conqueroo receive play, as do songs by Mance Lipscomb, Big Mama Thorton, Johnny Winter and Lightning Hopkins.  Many songs recorded at Threadgill's by a young Janis Joplin are highlighted, including 'Stealin',' 'Banks Of The Ohio,' 'Silver Thread,' 'Trouble In Mind' and 'Railroad Bill.' While no new earthshattering revelations are gleaned from the film, the information contained therein is a commendable and always interesting look at a town that, as the subtitle implies, was still strewn with dirt roads at the time.  Granted, many of the topics presented may be old ground for those with a deep interest in the scene, but as an overview of the era, a city, its people, and its music, it's going to be tough to top. Afterglow Unearthed (Freedom Films and Resource Center Media Group.  Directed by Julie and Calvin Kennedy.  Available here) As we so often hear about at 60sgaragebands.com, many bands are completely taken aback when they learn that music they recorded 40 or so years ago has been played on Internet radio, sold for big dollars on eBay, or has been reissued on various CDs or compilation albums.  The members of Afterglow were no exception.  Drummer Larry Alexander was killing time with a co-worker in his office when he suggested they look up Afterglow on the Internet.  To Alexander's complete amazement, he quickly learned that the band's album had been reissued on CD by Sundazed Music, and again on vinyl a couple of years after that.  Afterglow Unearthed details the band's excitement at learning about their music's lasting appeal and collectibility, as well as the resultant reunion of the band members in 2007. Unfortunately, there is no surviving film footage of the '60's band, so the documentary is forced to resort to faux b&w film and the expected "Summer of Love" cliches to tell the group's early history.  This portion of the film is told in narration, on screen scripting and stills, and provides brief but interesting facts about Afterglow's formation as the "pre-Beatles, West Coast Beach Boys" The Medallions, and their later working with Leo Kulka at Golden State Recorders, where they recorded the songs that comprised the LP. Once the history is explained (the group's sound is explained as a result of the band being "isolated from psych, and searching for their sound)," the film switches to 2007 and to the member's first meeting since shortly after Afterglow's breakup. Bassist Ron George, guitarist Gene Resler and keyboardist Roger Swanson meet at Alexander's parent's house--the same place they practiced so many years ago.  The only member not to make the reunion was guirarist/songwriter Tony Tecumseh, but he does participate briefly by phone and discusses his songwriting.  The only other person interviewed, at a separate location, is Jud Cost of Sundazed Music. The bulk of the film relies on personal memories of the recording sessions and era, and each member comes across as extremely personable and very grateful that the band's music has not been forgotten.  To help spur memories along, Alexander pulls out a trunk of memorabila, containing acetates, letters, sheet music and posters.  Needless to say, it would be fascinating to be able to actually dig through the band's achives, but thankfully Afterglow Unearthed leaves one with the feeling that we in fact just did. The underlying theme in Afterglow Unearthed is that the group was so far removed during the creation of the albums's songs that all they "had to worry about was playing music."  As a result, they created an "album all about love"--one that has admirably stood the test of time; so well, in fact, that the end of the film features the band, led very capably by George, sounding just as good during that first reunion as they probably ever have. Specal thanks to producer Patrick Desmond for providing a copy of the Commemorative Edition for review.  Please note that our review is based on the premilinary beta version, and that the documentary will be slightly different upon official release. Love Story (Start Productions.  Produced and Directed by Chris Hall and Mike Kerry) Having recorded three diverse and incredibly strong albums, Love was a band that surely should have had much greater success than they ultimately achieved in the 1960s.  Although “top dog” in Los Angeles for much of 1965-1968, fronted by musical genius Arthur Lee, and signed to Elektra Records, there were many reasons that the band was unable to reach the pinnacle of the rock hierarchy.  Love Story tells the band’s history with contributions from all the key members, including onscreen interviews with Lee, Johnny Echols, original drummer Alban “Snoopy” Pfisterer, later drummer Michael Stuart-Ware, and John Fleckenstein, and interview footage with Brian MacLean and a tape recording interview with Ken Forssi, both of whom had passed several years prior to filming.  Also offering choice recollections are Jac Holzman of Elektra Records, producer Bruce Botnick and John Densmore of The Doors.  Holzman first spotted the group while they were performing as house band for Sunset Strip club Bido Lito’s, and was instantly drawn to them.  Their racially mixed balance was certainly unique in 1965 Los Angeles (in fact, Densmore recalls how surprising it was to see a rock band led by a “psychedelic black man”), but it wasn’t long before their music truly set them apart from other bands of the scene.  Although Love is remembered, and deservedly so, as “Arthur’s Show” (Botnick goes as far as to state that “Arthur was Love”), MacLean’s contributions (and his goal to provide songs of a timeless quality) offered a nice counterbalance that led to the electic nature of the band’s three albums.   Love’s debut album, in my opinion, still ranks as one of the greatest LPs ever recorded.  The songs are definitely much more in a “garage rock” vein, and it smacks of a Los Angeles vibe that practically draws the listener back to Sunset & Vine circa 1966.  While highlighted by the incredible ‘Seven and Seven Is” (a song Holzman rightfully classifies as “mayhem”, and one Echols describes as a “menancing burst of rhythmic energy”), it was ‘My Little Red Book’ and ‘A Message To Pretty’ that actually garnered the most attention, at least if the band’s appearances on American Bandstand and Where The Action Is are indicators of the songs thought to have the best chance of breaking. It’s noted that Da Capo, Love’s second LP, was “an interim album.”  At the time, Botnick claims the group evolved into “more of a studio band” and that the group was fighting in the studio regularly.  Although there are some solid songs to be sure, the entire second side was devoted to the 18:57 ‘Revelations’; the band questions that decision but chalks it up to the complete control Lee had when it came to making decisions for the group. Forever Changes is the album that Love is perhaps best remembered for.  Interestingly, the group was “fired” while recording it but, after studio musicians (including members of the legendary Wrecking Crew) provided results deemed “too squeaky clean”, the band was brought back in to finish.  The addition of horns and strings created “abstract rock art” but the assumed success never became a reality.  While critically praised today, Lee for years thought the album was “crap” since it didn’t have the impact he had hoped for. Due to Lee’s unwillingness to tour, his desire for complete control and final say, and Elektra’s focus in promoting (and “spending Love’s money on”) The Doors, Love disintegrated after the release of Forever Changes (Four Sail, which was released after Forever Changes, did not feature the complete Love line-up and is very briefly mentioned).  The final few minutes of Love Story’s running time are devoted to post-band details; it is the 1965-1967 story that receives the lion share of attention.  And rightfully so; it was during that two year period when Love, to quote Lee paraphrasing Jesus, created “music that will never pass.” Love Story is very well done but not without faults.  For whatever reason, some of the questions are left in and barely audible, while the majority of the film is of the “talking head” format.  And while Lee revisits the Castle (a mansion the band lived in for a year and that served as ‘the place to be for touring rock groups”), the crew can be seen in a couple of mirrors strewn throughtout the elaborate and beautiful décor.  Finally, the American Bandstand, Where The Action Is clips and  the ‘Your Mind And We Belong Together’ promo film are not shown in their entirety (which is particularly frustrating in the case of Action, since the footage is currently not in circulation among collectors).  But these are minor quibbles.  Love Story does an excellent job of introducing viewers to a completely underrated band, and in reminding those who are already aware of Love’s standing just how great they truly were. America's Lost Band (Directed by Michael Stich.  Release date forthcoming.) Regular visitors to this Web site know the story too well:  Boston’s Remains briefly found fame locally (though major national stardom eluded them) as an opening act on the 1966 Beatles tour…only to break up shortly thereafter, leaving behind a great deal of critical success—and perhaps an even greater legacy—in the form of some of the purest and truest rock and roll ever recorded.  Due to the garage rock “underground” that came to the forefront in the early 2,000s, the band reunited for several well-received performances to appreciative crowds supportive of their still admirable musical prowess.   Much like the career of the band it tells the story of, America’s Lost Band can be segmented into two distinct halves.  The introductory segment of the film uses narration by Peter Wolf and Barry Tashian – he of Barry & The Remains – to provide the group’s back story.  Tashian’s narration is in the form of journal entries that he wrote during the ’66 tour, and it provides a wide-eyed and incredulous voice of a young man that assumed, while in the midst of musical and historical greatness, how insignificant he was.  On contrary, America’s Lost Band does an excellent job of proving the young Tashian incorrect in his opinion on his and his band’s worth.  Without question, The Remains were—are indeed still are—very significant players in rock’s storied history. The film uses many excellent and rarely seen photos of the early group (some in crisp color) along with what appears to be much amateur or stock footage of the Beatles’ tour.  While some of the Beatles’ footage will be familiar to anybody with the slightest interest in the Fab Four or of the 1960s in general, director Stich was able to locate little seen news archive footage that will certainly be heralded by Beatles’ fans and scholars.  Another major coup is some very rare yet distant and grainy footage of The Remains on stage during the tour (the footage is dark, and it looks as if the drum head reads “Cyrkle,” another band that appeared on the tour, but the hard-to-decipher footage does indeed appear to be Tashian).  And, among the highlights, is color footage of The Remains’ Ed Sullivan Show appearance (performing the incredibly fantastic but never recorded ‘Let Me Through’) as well as the band’s black and white footage from Hullabaloo that, unfortunately, does not include the soundtrack to the performance.  The clips demonstrate a confident and swinging group, and fully support the contention that had things gone differently, The Remains very well could have had a much larger impact on the music of the decade than they ultimately did.  Opening for The Beatles’ would obviously be the highlight of any band’s resume, and although they “stood at the door of stardom,” The Remains “never made it through.” The film’s second half, starting in August 2006, begins with the guys huddled together, 40 years later to the month, in one of the original stadiums that they performed in during the tour.  This part of the documentary forgoes the narration and instead uses super performance footage and “talking head” interviews to explain how and why the band reunited, and to conclusively prove that they are still a musical force to be reckoned with.   From their first post-‘60’s Los Angeles appearance at Amoeba Music, through their visit to a Guitar Center and then to a performance on the famed Sunset Strip, the band plays many faithful and excellent renditions of their classic catalog.  Ironically, although they may play to smaller crowds and much less frequently, The Remains are today much better known globally than in their ‘60’s hey day.   In sharp contrast to the title and lyrics to perhaps their best known song—the film’s primary strength lies in documenting Tashian’s assertion that, “looking back, there is no ‘what if.’ It had to happen that way.”  The closing montage of a present-day Remains’ concert interspersed with black and white clips of each member from the Hullabaloo performance provides a touching, sentimental and more than fitting denouement to a band, and a film, that very ably demonstrates the true power of music. A few minor gripes:   While it’s pointed out that drummer Chip Damiani voluntarily decided not to participate in the Beatles’ tour, his replacement, N.D. Smart, is only referred to as “drummer” and never by name.   There is a brief interview with a man that played in a Fairfield, Connecticut garage band The End that once opened for The Remains. He is never identified on screen by name. Major points for including an interview from The Lost’s Ted Meyers, but additional comments about the group’s interaction in the early days would have been fascinating.  Of course, in the overall story of The Remains, this interaction might have been a brief footnote, and really not of major interest to anybody that does not regularly visit 60sgaragebands.com. Josefus: The Inside Stories by Dave Mitchell (available at the Josefus Web site) Billed as "The wilder than fiction saga of this 'almost famous' band and the high school buddies who grew into an international cult legend," Josefus: The Inside Stories was written by band member Dave Mitchell.  The slight book (less than 150 pages) does not include any photos or an index, and comes across as several random thoughts/tales that your next door neighbor might have relayed to you one spring night.  While the stories can't truly be classified as "wilder than fiction," Mitchell tells the band's story in such a simple and engaging manner that the very quick read is over almost as soon as it begins. The story begins in 1967 and so there are no introductory tales of band members as children (or other unncessary backstories to pad the page count) to get in the way, and that lack of detail in this case is rather welcome.  Instead, Mitchell explains how the band formed from other groups, provides a brief overview of Houston rock bands/clubs, and then hits the road detailing Josefus' trials and tribulations--especially club dates, road trips (which take up the majority of the story), and recording sessions. Almost as soon as the group decides to call it quits, the story ends.  Fittingly, there is also a brief recap of Josefus happenings since the band's dissolvement (bootlegs, official CD releases of previously unreleased music, and the creation of the band's Web site, which Mitchell oversees) to serve as a postscript of sorts. Perhaps the best way to summarize the book is to compare it to a lengthy Fuzz, Acid & Flowers entry.  While detailed or more information on the recording sessions and songs would have been very welcome, it's hard not to like a book whose story is told without the reader experiencing even one word he/she might not know the meaning of.  Josefus: The Inside Stories is a very pleasant read, and certainly enjoyable enough to hold the interest of the casual reader...whether he/she has purchased the band's music or not.  The Oklahoma Guide to 45 rpm Records & Bands - 1955-1975 by Rhett Lake and Teb Blackwell (available from South Padre Office Center, 2600 Padre Blvd., Ste. R, South Padre Island, TX 78597 / 956-761-1182 or graphics@spofficecenter.com) Rhett Lake and Teb Blackwell's The Oklahoma Guide to 45 rpm Records & Bands - 1955-1975 is another appreciated overview of a '60's local/regional music scene.  Subtitled A Chronicle of The Music, The Musicians and The Madness (Volume One: Oklahoma City Metro Area and Southern Oklahoma) and featuring a forward by Ronnie Kaye, the nearly 300-page book includes a discography of Oklahoma record labels, lists of bands that recorded and those that did not (segmented by metro area), a list of band members, speical stories and recollections from those that lived in the area, and photos of band business cards.  While the scope of the book includes periods and artists that fall outside the primary coverage of this Web site, there are many, many groups of interest - including but not limited to The Bear Fax, Castlegate 5, Centuries, Coachmen, Disciples, Druids, Knightmares, Knightwalkers, Marauders, Moby Dick & The Whalers, Mojo Men, Mustangs, Noblemen, Orfuns, Outcasts, Psychos, Renegades and Viscounts.  The Southern Oklahoma section features bios on such groups as The Allusions, Damn Yankees & Carpetbaggers, Five Americans, Fugitives, Just Us 5, Mersey Men, Spix V and 60sgaragebands.com faves The Monuments. Printed by the South Padre Office Center, the book is spiral bound and, with the exception of some color inserts, in black and white.  Unfortunately, many of the photos reproduce a bit dark or are otherwise difficult to make out, but this is really the only fault (a few typos notwithstanding) we can find in this massive undertaking.  Enthusiastically written and very detailed, with comprehensive overviews of many obscure groups, the book is a treasure trove of information.  As Lake mentions in the introduction, discovering information on bands is an ongoing process so in addition to a second volume covering the Tulsa area (scheduled to be published in mid-2008), a volume three is a real possibility...and one that will be very welcomed. The book retails for $30 (plus $12.50 shipping/handling for 1 copy or $7.50 per for multiple copies) and can be purchased from the address listed above. Love That Dirty Water! The Standells and the Improbable Red Sox Victory Anthem by Chuck Burgess and Bill Nowlin (available via Rounder Books) Love That Dirty Water! The Standells and the Improbable Red Sox Victory Anthem is very appropriately titled.  The book is not really about The Standells yet it’s not really about the Boston Red Sox, either.  Rather, as the subtitle alludes, it’s a history of the origins and popularity of the band’s signature tune and its importance to the city that sits “on the bank of the River Charles.”  Everybody reading this review most likely knows that The Standells originated from Los Angeles.  Due to the lyrics of their biggest hit, however, the group is closely associated with Bean Town.  Authors Chuck Burgess and Bill Nowlin provide a fascinating history that explains in great detail the inspiration behind songwriter Ed Cobb’s “lovers, muggers and thieves” tune, and how it has become a staple after every Boston Red Sox home victory.  Along the way, the reader learns the stories and histories of other songs that throughout the years have become closely associated with the American League baseball team but, without question, it’s ‘Dirty Water’ that the city has adopted to represent Red Sox success. The book is very well written. In fact, the chapter detailing how the band was searched for and located during the Red Sox’ amazing 2004 World Series victory reads almost like a novel, as the reader shares in the thrill and the sense of elation that enveloped drummer/vocalist Dick Dodd as he discovered the song was an integral part of each Red Sox’ win.  In addition, when there are several conflicting topics of discussion, Burgess and Nowlin do an excellent job in providing both sides of the story.  One such example involves the long-held belief - perpetuated by revisionist liner notes to a reissue LP - that Cobb changed the band's image from that of a clean cut lounge act to that of the long-haired punks that we all know and love today.  In reality, The Standells had grown their hair long very early in their career but, due to contractual obligations as the house band for P.J.'s, were forced to cut it.  By the time Cobb was working with them, their obligations were fulfilled and they were able to grow it back. Beginning from the Standells’ earliest days – before Dodd was a member – up through the 2005 Fenway Park performance, Love That Dirty Water! provides new details on the combo that are not commonly known, as well as never-before-seen photos (including a classic promotional photo with Fred Gwynn in full Herman Munster makeup from perhaps the band’s high water mark, their appearance on The Munsters), ads and articles.  Although the book is not the definitive history on the Standells (their appearance in Riot on Sunset Strip is mentioned only in passing, information on later day members Dave Burke and John Fleck is negligible, etc.), it offers enough new information to be a definite worthwhile read.  Particular attention is provided to songwriter/producer Ed Cobb’s pre-Standells career, and the explanation on the machinations of creating a hit record in the 1960’s is truly fascinating and illuminating for those of us too young to have been there.  In addition, Larry Tamblyn proves to be both a wealth of information (the band had actually forgotten all about 'Dirty Water' until it became a hit six months later; they quickly had to relearn how to play it!) and an informative story teller, and Tony Valentino and Gary Lane also share a good deal of both group and personal history. Throw in a detailed ‘Dirty Water’ chart history, a discography (unfortunately LP only – not 45-rpm single releases) and a thorough (but no means complete) timeline, and Love That Dirty Water! ultimately is a must have addition to the bookshelves of anybody that did--and still does--“love that dirty water…” Riot On Sunset Strip: Rock & Roll's Last Stand In Hollywood by Domenic Priore (available via Jawbone Press) Without question, the most exciting era in rock and roll history was the 1965-1966 Sunset Strip scene.  Spawning legendary bands The Byrds, Love, The Doors, Buffalo Springfield, Captain Beefheat & His Magic Band and The Mothers Of Invention (and literally hundreds more), along with legendary teen clubs including The Whisky A Go Go, Ciro's, Bido Litos, Gazzarri's and The Hullabaloo, no other locale provided as much fun, excitement and fantastic music as that 1.7 mile stretch of Los Angeles highway did in the mid-'60s.  Without question, those who have read his other rock and roll books know there's perhaps no better authority to provide the definitive history of the scene than author Domenic Priore.  Thankfully, Priore must have felt the same way as his through and exhaustive recap of the Strip's pre-rock and roll era, 1965-1966 heyday, and post-riot activity conclusively proves.  While the Strip's most influential period lasted barely two years, the amount of groups that formed and/or played due to its cultural impact is staggering. All the main bands like listed above, as well as most if not all of the second tier bands - including The Sons Of Adam, The Enemys, The Standells, The Turtles, The Everpresent Fullness, The Leaves, Strawberry Alarm Clock, Chocolate Watchband, and Iron Butterfly (seriously...we can go on and on) - receive their due in various chapters.  And when the number of local groups like The Dovers, Sloths, World War III, Second Time, Fabs, Rumors, Grains Of Sands, and Palace Guard (and almost every Southern California group of note) get mentioned, the reader immediately realizes the extent of Priore's research - not to  mention his love for the music. Riot On Sunset Strip, however, is about so much more than the music.  In fact, almost every facet of Los Angeles culture in the 1960's is explored, from art to radio, to televison and the movies, through magazines and fairs.  While the history of the strip, its Hollywood glamour era (and mobster influence) and the riots that ultimately led to its downfall are all explored, it is of course the sounds of the Strip that best define all the appeal that the Strip truly offered.  Priore does an incredible job of detailing how the L.A. lifestyle was not just dancing and good times, however.  It was about a sense of community, an era when teenagers could not only see the great '60's groups perform on stage, but very well might run into them at the beanery, or wind up sitting next to them at a teen club.  It's an era that we'll never experience again, and it's difficult while reading Priore's detailed account to not wish you were a part of it. In addition to the fantastic photos, the book includes maps of the Strip during its '60's glory period, a detailed Clubs Listings section, and a listing of the live recordings that were recorded in its immediate vicinties.  While the book is not perfect (there are some errors within, the most notable being photo captions that identify Johnny Echols of Love as Arthur Lee and, more surprisingly, two instances where Gene Clark of The Byrds is identified as Roger McGuinn), it's pretty damn close.  It's indespensable reading for anybody that digs the Strip's sounds, is curious about its impact, or just wants to read stories of how it turned Los Angeles into the center of the rock and roll universe.   You're Gonna Miss Me: A Film About Roky Erickson (directed by Kevin McAlester, available here) While tagged "A Film About Roky Erickson," Kevin McAlester's documentary You're Gonna Miss Me in the greater sense is not as much about the legendary 13th Floor Elevators' frontman as it is about - in the words of the judge that presided over Roky's custody case - a "broken family."  Granted, the overwhelming majority of the 91-minute running time is devoted to Roky's mental condition as well as to footage of him as a teen and up through 1999, when the bulk of the movie was filmed; yet, in order to document the sad reality of Roky's state, much time and footage is dedicated to his mother Evelyn and to the rest of his family, including brothers Don, Mikel, and Sumner, two ex-wives and, although briefly, father Roger and son Jeger.  Throughout the course of the film, it's easy to understand why Sumner felt it necessary to initiate a battle with his mother for Roky's custody.  Evelyn Erickson comes across as a loving and caring mother...but in all honesty one must question the sanity of a woman who, in order to convince herself that she is indeed a good parent, is detailing her life story by pasting notes, photos and other personal mementos to large cardboard cutouts that she has strewn all over her home (surely if the need or desire ever arises there are better ways to document one's personal history).  Much of Roky's current child-like persona (the film shows him often watching cartoons and being highly amused with a Mr. Potato Head) is attributed to schizophrenia ("hearing voices"), but there are undercurrents that perhaps drugs played a large factor as well.  Whether his condition is the result of shock treatment, too much acid, or his personal decision to"go crazy" in order to find a solution to his disillusionment, it's apparent that his mental state can be improved with the aid of medication.  And therein lies the problem: Evelyn is of the belief that medication may do Roky more harm than good, and this belief is the primary reason Sumner sought custody.  Whether or not Roky is better off with his mother is left to the courts, but perhaps the most telling quote in the film is by Jeger, who points out that Evelyn's main objective in not issuing the proper medication is,"her own fear of losing control." Although not a large focus of the documentary, the film does touch upon Roky's legend-making stint with The 13th Floor Elevators and, to his credit, McAlester includes footage of the band's appearances on American Bandstand and Where The Action Is.  Several personalities of the era are interviewed, including Billy Gibbons, Chet Holmes, John Ike Walton and Clementine Hall. The documentary appears to end in 1999, so a more recent postscript would have been appreciated, especially since Roky has been performing a great deal lately and, by all accounts, is sounding and doing as well as can be expected.  For those viewers receiving a first introduction to Roky's story, there is very little within here that will make them worship the man as a larger than life figure.  No...Roky Erickson is not a role model.  And he's not a model citizen.  What You're Gonna Miss Me conclusively proves, however, without making it the focus of the film, is that the man is one hell of a rock and roll musician.  And that's why we're all interested in his story in the first place. The DVD includes bonus interview footage and many clips of Roky performances from 1979 through 1996. Goodnight, Whatever You Are: My Journey with Zacherley, the Cool Ghoul by Richard Scrivani (published by Dinoship, Inc.) A large part of Richard Scrivani's affectionate look at the career of John "Zacherley" Zacherle centers on the "Cool Ghoul's" role as host for the 1965-1967 New Jersey teen TV show Disc-O-Teen, hence the reason it's being reviewed on this website.  While the book on the whole, with it's '60s setting and local/regional TV focus, might appeal to regular visitors to this website anyway, the eight chapters centered during the run of the program will no doubt attract the attention of '60's garage band fans. Scrivani was often on the set while the program was on the air, and his recollections and interviews with key members of the program make up the bulk of the eight chapters. Disc-O-Teen, for those not aware, was a teen dance/music/horror hybrid that occassionally featured professional bands (mainly from the East Coast).  During the program's three years on the air The Lovin' Spoonful, Blues Project, Blues Magoos, Box Tops, Every Mother's Son, McCoys, Lother & The Hand People and, amazingly, The Doors (the recollections of Jim Morrison's antics and "non-interview" are hilarious) were all featured.  In addition, some of the bands that appeared were bound for bigger and better things.  The Critters, for example, appeared several times prior to "Younger Girl" and "Mr Dieingly Sad" hitting, and The Left Banke made their sole appearance a year before striking with "Walk Away Renee". A real interest, however, concerns the local amateur rock bands that performed live...with little to no time to rehearse prior to being filmed.  With the exception of Herald Square (the group later changed their name to Cat's Meow when Adler Socks promoted them; a member was Scrivani's brother) and The Ascots (later The Doughboys), most of the groups are only mentioned in passing...but it's a tantalizing peek into an era that unfortunately passed too quickly - when local groups could perform on TV without the benefit of a hit...or even a recording!  Some of these groups include The Gingermen, Chips & Co., The Fugitives ("Your Girl Is A Woman"), The Explorers, The Henchmen, The Deep End, The Primates, The Luvs, The Eight Feet (a girl band), Johnny & The High Keys, The Corvairs, and The Artie Ehman Trio. The book is lavishly illustrated and, although some of the photos are a bit too dark, there are some rare and super cool pictures of The Lovin' Spoonful, Critters, Doughboys, Herald Square/Cat's Meow and...The Rolling Stones, whom Herald Square opened for. We've for years had some great 8mm footage taken on the Disc-O-Teen set (kindly provided by the author) and the book makes an absolutely perfect companion to viewing it.  Scrivani also tape recorded many of the shows (with the local band's songs intact) and he sometimes uses exact quotes from those still existing tapes to provide futher detail or to elaborate on important topics.  Although those recordings are not available to the public, DVDs of the show's final two broadcasts (with The Box Tops and Every Mother's Son and Brute Force) are rumored to be made available in 2007. Until the DVDs are available, Goodnight, Whatever You Are should more than adequately whet your appetite not only for Disc-O-Teen information...but also for information on a time that will never be recaptured - and on a personality that truly helped to make the era so very memorable. On That Wisconsin Beat by Gary E. Myers (available at the author's website) As author Myers points out in the preface to On That Wisconsin Beat (More Pop/Rock/Soul/Country In The '50s & '60), the first edition of this expertly researched book (titled Do You Hear That Beat, published back in 1994) actually became out of date two days after it was released due to a previously unlisted record being discovered at a Milwaukee record shop.  Thankfully, Myers has decided to publish this follow-up effort and has greatly expanded his work by including New Listings, Expanded Listings and Additions & Corrections. Obviously, not every addition or correction will be of interest to those with a focus on the '60's garage rock scene, but there is enough new here to warrant a purchase.  Personal favorite new or expanded entries provide details and photos on the personnel and recordings of Robin & The Batmen, Robin & The Three Hoods, Green Beans (The "Friction" legends were from the Badger state!), Union Jacks, London Fog, Sandmen, Sons of May, Sheer Coincidence, Ravens, Hitchhikers, IV Dimensions and many more. Myers is a veteran of the scene (including stints with The Mojo Men and Portraits) and the care and attention he gives to making sure the book is as complete and accurate as possible is sure to be appreciated by not only those interviewed or other area musicians but also to researchers and collectors of '50s and '60's recordings.  Since this edition was just recently published it is - no doubt - already out of date as well...but we assume Myers is already on the update "beat".  And it's very apparent that the Wisconsin disocgraphy scene is in very capabale hands as a result. The Acid Archives by Patrick Lundborg (with Aaron Milenski and Ron Moore) Billed as “The Ultimate Guide to Underground Sounds 1965-1982”, The Acid Archives is an excellent resource on more than 4000 LPs – running the spectrum from psychedelia, garage, weird, hardrock, folk, prog and avant (their classifications…not mine).  It’s a paper version of author Lundborg’s excellent website, and is a more than worthy companion volume.  Books like this are not meant to be read cover to cover, but it’s obvious after taking it all in on first review that I’ll be referring back to this guide often.  Obviously, the garage and psychedelia LPs carry the most interest, and it’s fascinating to thumb through the book and be introduced to albums by local garage bands that I have never heard of before.  Page 11, for example (the first actual page of the listings after the Foreward and Introduction), lists an entry for The Abbreevs, an unknown South Carolina group that released their LP in 1966.  The capsule review identifies that the LP contains one lone original but that it’s in the “gritty Stones sound”.  If that doesn’t pique one’s interest then there are several more forgotten garage band LPs that might, including Hopi Klansmen, Five Kinetics, Chosen Ones, Research 1-6-12 and, of particular interest to me, The Contents Are, whose sound is described as a combination of ’65-’66 Beatles and The Byrds (bring that rumored reissue on!).  In addition, LPs by several well known garage/psych groups are present and accounted for, including The Chocolate Watchband, Leaves, Lollipop Shoppe, The Remains, The Other Half and The Sonics…but it’s the capsules of the obscure albums that generate the most excitement.  Some of the entries are all too short (The entire write up for the Ex-Ta-C’s 1966 LP reads, “Primitive teenbeat / garage”) but as Lundborg points out in his concise and well explained introduction, it’s most likely due to the fact that the LP wasn’t available or wasn’t available to listen to enough times to be adequately reviewed.  Simply knowing there was an Ex-Ta-C LP in 1966 is still a worthwhile fact…and hopefully a second edition will shed more light on the LP.  While I personally have never cared for price guides (they’re outdated the minute a book hits press) collectors will no doubt appreciate learning which LPs to mortgage the house for the next time they appear on eBay.  Along with an excellent Foreward by Ugly Things’ Mike Stax (who nails the entire appeal of collecting strange or unknown vinyl in as little as seven paragraphs), a Top 10 list, a Glossary, a listing of Best Buys, and a section on Reviewer Favorites, Acid Archives offers something for anybody that ever purchased an LP without first hearing it beforehand simply because the band name sounded cool, the photo was hilarious, or the cover artwork was horrendous.  And you’ll be amazed to learn just how many more albums you’ve missed but now need to seek out.  It’s truly an invaluable resource. Fargo Rocks, a 2006 Film by David Meiers (available at the film’s website)  Available from DDM Films, Fargo Rocks is a 90-minute documentary that chronicles the rock and roll music history of Fargo-Moorhead, North Dakota.  The film is a collection of recollections by local Fargo-area artists but, without any voice-over narration, the covered topics seem to be discussed at random.  The film begins rather abruptly with Bob Becker (aka Terry Lee of Terry Lee & The Poor Boys) and Bobby Vee recalling the performance at the Moorhead Armory the night of February 3rd, 1959, when Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and The Big Bopper perished in a place crash.  From there the film moves along at a brisk pace, and covers such topics as Bob Dylan, Battle of the Bands, Early Bands, Later Bands, Gigs, Chasing The Deal, After The Deal, Musicians, The Big Bang, and Why Not Fargo (highlighting the talent that the area has provided). While the film features interviews, rare photos, music and footage of early ‘50’s-60’s rock pioneers such as Bobby Vee & The Shadows, Terry Lee & The Poor Boys, Davey Bee & The Sonics and The Treasures (as well as many later groups that we honestly haven’t heard of), the “garage band era” is represented by a handful of groups – the most notable perhaps being The Unbelievable Uglies.  Dave Prentice and Mike Bullock of The Uglies are interviewed, and share stories of how Academy Award winning actress Jessica Lange go go danced at Uglies’ performances, and how the band (along with the Who!) was banned from further appearances at the Fargo Civic Auditorium as a result of broken toilets (!).   Other featured interviewees from the garage band era include Richie Jacobson and Ron Kerber of The Mods, Richard Torrance of The Trade Winds (Trade Winds 5), and Blake English of The Pawnbrokers – who are shown (all too briefly) in some fantastic color, silent 8mm footage while performing at the Detroit Lakes Pavilion circa 1967 or 1968. Even a locale as (assumingly) sparsely populated as Fargo requires more than 90 minutes to recap its musical history, and therein lies Fargo Rocks’ biggest fault; it’s simply too short to adequately present the amount of time that the scene - and the groups - deserve.  In fact, 90-minutes devoted to the area’s ‘60’s rock bands wouldn’t have been enough, as evidenced by the fact that other groups that are featured on the accompanying CD soundtrack, including The Cornerstones and Dynamic Dischords, are not represented in the film.  In all fairness, Fargo Rocks does provide a nice, capsule history on many of the local groups from the area that achieved even a sliver of national prominence.  This website, naturally, wishes the documentary had focused a bit more on the '60's. The film is well done, however, and – although it is a common mantra here - we sincerely hope that more documentaries on local and regional music scenes are completed in the very near future.  For now, Fargo Rocks leads the way…and in doing so offers a respectable blueprint for other similarly themed films to (hopefully) follow.  Garage Rock and its Roots: Musical Rebels and the Drive for Individuality by Eric James Abbey (Available via McFarland Press) “Without the appearance of Garage Rock in postmodern times our society would be left without such an extreme challenge to capitalist desires, and a nostalgic sentimentality of subjectivity would not be available as a basis for constructed individualism.”   Thud.  Thud.  Thud.  Thud.  The first three thuds represent the sound of my heading hitting my desk as I tried in vain to remain awake long enough to try to make sense of Eric James Abbey’s dull garage rock book.  The fourth thud was the sound of the book being slammed shut for good. Honestly…it’s not completely fair that I provide a review for Abbey’s weak attempt at an all-encompassing garage rock thesis, as I couldn’t keep my eyes open long enough to make it completely through it.  The above sample sentence actually closes the book…but it’s very representative of the type of babble that is found therein.  The time has probably never been better for a well-researched documentation on the history and influences of our beloved musical genre…but Abbey’s tome drops the ball big time.   As the narrow focus of this website painfully and obviously makes clear, I’m personally very interested in the stories and histories of garage/rock bands that formed in the 1960’s.   That’s not to say that I completely disregard the stories and histories of bands that postdate the ‘60’s garage band explosion; however, I realize that any discussions of current garage bands must start and end by highlighting the influence that the 1960’s combos had (and still have) on these contemporary groups.  Abbey states (approximately 94 times) that today’s garage bands have little to no idea who the genre’s forefathers are, yet he offers zero quotes to back up this claim.  I find it unfathomable that today’s garage bands can’t single out hundreds of groups from the ‘60’s that perhaps had a direct influence on them.  Maybe I’m wrong…and I, too, can’t offer any quotes to support my claim…but I also haven’t written a book that uses this belief as a central theme. Abbey’s disregard for ‘60’s garage rock is apparent by the title of the chapter that focuses on the era: “The Count Who?”  “The Count Who”, of course, references San Jose’s “Count Five”, the seminal garage band that scored a national hit with “Psychotic Reaction”.  Did Abbey single out The Count Five due to the examination of the band that Lester Bangs proffered in his classic book, Carburetor Dung?  Was this the extent of Abbey’s research?  Most likely not…or was it?  He states that ”Psychotic Reaction” was The Count Five’s ”one and only single” (they released at least six), and is very insistent that it “revolves around changing rhythm patterns to elicit a feeling of discord and originality”…yet not once mentions the song’s obvious Yardbirds’ influence. So…in presenting the history of ‘60’s garage rock…how many groups does Abbey refer to in order to paint as complete a picture as possible?  Five.  Yes – F-I-V-E: The Count Five, Shadows of Knight, Chocolate Watch Band (sic), Paul Revere & The Raiders, and The Music Machine.  During this intensive display of careful research, Abbey states that “Hey Joe” was The Music Machine’s biggest hit (and not once mentions “Talk Talk”), and also claims that “Let’s Talk About Girls” is a Chocolate Watchband original.  These and other clumsy statements caused me to permanently shut the book and realize that I had just wasted $32.  It’s as if Abbey didn’t think it important enough to do a broader examination on the history of his topic.  If that’s the case…then why write an entire book on it?  To top it all off…Abbey’s writing is stylized in such a way that he tends to make a point only to repeat that exact same point in a slightly different way in the following paragraph.  He also makes the same statements, albeit in a modified way, in consecutive paragraphs throughout the book.  And he often times states the same belief in a revised manner many times throughout the course of the book but over multiple paragraphs.  Yes…you get the idea. One other thing that gnawed at me: Nowhere does Abbey mention the influence The Beatles (or their appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show) played in garage rock’s rapid proliferation.  One quick scan of any of the hundreds of interviews we’ve presented over the years would have no doubt enlightened him on the Fab Four’s impact.  But that would have meant he actually had to do research…as opposed to lumping together strings of pretentious thoughts with little to no collaborating background research, and no interviews with any key garage rock musicians.  Thud.  That’s the sound of this book being heaved in the trashcan.  Skip this one at all costs. The San Francisco East Bay Scene: Garage Bands From the '60's Then and Now by Bruce Tahsler (available here) The ‘60’s East Bay area has always been one of the most interesting of all the varied local or regional rock and roll scenes of the era.  Along with such fondly recalled groups as The Harbinger Complex, Baytovens, and Peter Wheat & The Breadmen, the area was a hotbed for literally hundreds of combos, including such diverse bands as The Gotham City Crime Fighters, Misanthropes, Stanley & The Fendermen, and The Spyders.  Bruce Tahsler’s new book, The San Francisco East Bay Scene: Garage Bands From the ‘60’s Then and Now does a fine job of providing capsule biographies on forty bands that plied their trade in the area. The book, naturally, should appeal to anybody that has delved this far into this website in order to locate this review.  It’s attractively presented in an almost digest format, and is well laid out and very easy on the eyes – making a reading in one or two sittings very possible.  The book is crammed with useful information; in addition to the band bios, there are chapters on Bill Quarry, Barry Carlos, Joyce Conright, and Larry White – all promoters and managers that were heavily involved in the scene.  Add in a Forward by noted historian and music archaeologist Alec Palao (whose Ace Records’ will shortly be releasing a CD companion featuring the songs of many of the featured artists) and a list of Clubs & Venues (it would have been nice if an address was also included), a Selected Discography (a complete discography would have been daunting but of course extremely worthwhile), a listing of East Bay Bands (many who are not covered in the book but very interesting to note, such as Benedict Arnold & The Patriots, Sow Bugs, Sad Days In Green, and Fellowship Of The Rings), and a more detailed listing of Bands & Members (which will prove very useful for websites such as this one when trying to track down former band members) and the book obviously becomes a guide that inspires future reference.  There is also an Extras section, which features reproductions of many concert flyers for many of the venues and bands discussed.  That’s a lot of information in a 112-page book! While the tome is very much recommended, there are areas that can be improved upon in (hopeful) future editions – the primary being the need for a solid editor.  There are spelling errors, punctuation and spacing errors, historical errors (The Wailers are referred to as The Whalers…although in all fairness to Tahsler there is a flyer pictured that makes the same mistake!), seemingly out of place photos (the Just VI section features a photo of current day band Just Truckin’ but they’re not mentioned at all in the bio), and continuity errors (the Just VI is referred to as “Just VI” as well as “Just 6”).  And, since the book is divided into capsule band bios, some of the same information is repeated throughout, while other entries detail information on a band that is not mentioned in a corresponding band’s entry (for example, the entry for The U.S. Male states that Tahsler recorded with The Bristol Boxkite, but he’s not even mentioned in the Bristol Boxkite bio).  Finally…the book apparently was started sometime around 1998, since many of the interviews mention that date (and one indicates the number of years since a band last performed…placing the entry sometime around ’98 or ’99).   All in all, however, the above criticisms should not deter one from enjoying the book.  Tracking down and interviewing members of long forgotten groups from the ‘60’s is not necessarily an easy task (we can speak from experience there!) and Tahsler should be highly commended for his efforts.  In case you didn’t pick up on the earlier reference to the author’s recording stint with The Bristol Boxkite, Tahsler, too, was a primary player in the scene, having been a founding member of The Talisman and The U.S. Male.  When he describes how popular a particular group or venue was…it only serves to bring the point home since he was there firsthand to experience the thrill and excitement of the ‘60’s East Bay scene. Band Boys: Teenage Music Makers of the Sixties (A Memoir) by Kim Bruce Peyton (Available via the book's website) Anybody that regularly reads our monthly interviews already knows the story: After hearing The Beatles on the radio or watching them on The Ed Sullivan Show, a group of teenaged boys decides to form a band.  Through the course of their short existence, the group plays high school dances, college frat parties, bars and teen clubs, battle of the bands competitions, and forms rivalries with other local bands in the area.  Then, due to the impending draft - or college, or girlfriends - said band eventually splits as each member segues into day jobs and less exciting life away from the appeal of rock and roll. And the story of The Blue Beats, from Huntington, West Virginia, follows this common script to a tee.  So then…why should one decide to read Kim Bruce Peyton’s memoirs on the story of his teen band?  Well, for one reason, the book is very well written and will no doubt appeal to anybody that listens to ’60’s garage band music or perhaps was in a band himself during the same time frame.  The amount of detail that Peyton recalls – especially when it comes to detailing the Blue Beats’ gear, or the various hangouts in Huntington – is incredible.  In addition, the author paints a vivid description of life in a somewhat small town during a very exciting musical era.  And, since The Blue Beats come across as likable if not fully developed characters, it’s a quick and pleasurable story that reads very much like a novel (in fact, Peyton openly admits in the Author’s Note that “liberties were taken at times” in telling the story).  Highlights include the band’s inadequate feelings after witnessing Ohio’s Swiss Navy warming up for a battle of the bands event; searching for a trailer that will tow the group’s rapidly expanding equipment load around; and accounts of several gigs, including performing outside for a large Sears sales event, and playing indoors in a somewhat cramped clothing boutique. While Peyton goes into painstaking detail on several key moments in the band’s history, however, at least two seemingly important events are completely glossed over: the writing of the band’s (apparently) lone original composition (“I’ll Never Love Again”), and the appearance on the local TV program Dance Party, which The Blue Beats won as a prize for coming in second place in a battle of the bands.  Both events are mentioned at least on two different occasions but no further details are provided (Which Blue Beat was primarily responsible for penning the song?  Was there an inspiration behind it? Why wasn’t it ever recorded? What song did the band perform on Dance Party?  How did the performance go?).  The book is a relatively short 218 pages so in addition to there being mostly “filler” appendixes – including histories on amplifiers and drums; brief band bios on some of the author’s favorite national groups from the ‘60’s; an essay on the guitar; and a glossary of terms that might be unfamiliar to younger readers – there are at least two chapters that for the most part serve no purpose other than to pad out the book’s page count (you’ll know immediately which two as soon as you finish reading them and begin thinking to yourself… “huh?”).  The book is also woefully short on photos (with the cover photo being reprinted inside)…but the author can’t be faulted if no other pictures of the band exist. All in all, however, the book is recommended.  Fans of Tom Hanks’ That Thing You Do will happily absorb the story’s similar tales and themes, while those too young to have shared common experiences will enjoy being taken back to a simpler era - one that we all realize will unfortunately never happen again.  Thankfully, every time that realization sets in, now all one needs to do is pick up Peyton’s account to wistfully relive the true stories of The Blue Beats – Huntington, West Virginia’s very own Band Boys. Player: A Rock & Roll Dream (Produced by Greg Herriges and Tom Knoff) - A Harper College Liberal Arts Division of Instructional Technology Production, 2006) Produced by Greg Herriges and Tom Knoff, Player: A Rock & Roll Dream is a new documentary about the trials and tribulations of life in a rock band, and the quest for "stuff of which dreams are made."  As a Harper College (Palatine, Illinois) production, the film focuses on legendary to current "garage bands" from Chicago and surrounding suburbs.  The '60's are amply represented by true Chicago legends, including Jimy Rogers and Quent Lang (previously with The Soul Machine) of The Mauds, Jimy Sohns of The Shadows of Knight, and Jim Pilster (and current member Bob Stroud) of The Cryan' Shames.  Astute comments are also provided by post-'60's players Jeff Murphy of Shoes and the members of present day garage band The Redwalls - as well as Clark Weber, program director for WLS (and WCFL) and various key members of the Chicago media. Much of the film's 50-minute running time is devoted to the '60's. Although the relatively short running time prevents a detailed historical journey back into the "garage band" heyday of the era, Rogers, Sohns, and Pilster all share stories that neatly encapsulate many of the highlights experienced by their respective groups.  Rogers, for example, explains that the Mauds' music (or local music in general) was every bit as important to the local music scene as the music being performed by national hitmakers.  Sohns recalls that "Gloria" was recorded on a Tuesday and played on the radio - still in its original acetate form - on Thursday; this resulted in the Shadows of Knight becoming the very first U.S. band to outsell a British Invasion group with a cover version of that group's song.  And Pilster does Sohns one better: He recounts how the Shames actually heard their song being played on the radio during the car ride home from the recording session!  Interspersed with present day footage of The Mauds, Shadows of Knight, and Cryan' Shames - all three bands still have healthy local followings - is classic color clips from circa '66 of the original Shadows of Knight and The Mauds performing on stage.  There is also excellent live concert footage of Shoes and The Redwalls, proving that although the times (and recording methods) have changed...the ability to create solid music is as strong as ever.  As a bonus, the DVD provides original poetry written by Herriges, himself a veteran of the Chicago '60's garage band scene.  One of the poems correctly states that "local music's gone global...but there are only 10 singles in rotation."  Thankfully, Player: A Rock & Roll Dream allows the viewer - if only for a brief time - to transport back to an era when the radio featured new songs by numerous local groups every few weeks.  Player: A Rock & Roll Dream will premiere at Harper College in early May.  Those not able to attend should watch this space for updates on where to view the film - or on how to purchase a copy.  Recommended. Johnny Green And The Greenmen: The Incredible True Story of the Green-Haired Entertainer and His Top-Rated Show Band by Mark Starks (Available from LuLu) Johnny Green & The Greenmen's appearance in 1967 on the Batman TV show has for years kept their name alive in the rock and roll collecting world.  Far from being a garage band, the new book by Starks alternately refers to the combo as a rock and roll group or a show band...and the Batman appearance is highlighted by several, nice on the set photos, a color cover photo...and many more recent pictures that bring the one-time appearance to the forefront, including banners at live gigs and on custom autos billing the band as "Batman's Own" or "As Seen on Batman."  While the band's name will forever be linked with that pop TV classic, Starks does a commendable job of listing other noteworthy highlights in the group's long career, including many newspaper and magazine feature articles (including in LIFE, Esquire, Time and Christian Science News), appearances on Jackie Gleason's TV show and a "brief, silent appearance in a Star Trek episode" (!?), an attempt to score an appearance on Green Hornet (considering the BATMAN connection and the band's flaming green hair that seems like a missed opportunity), an appearance in the '72 flick The Ballad Of Billie Blue, USO appearances with Bob Hope, a prime gig at the 1964 World's Fair, film offers with Elvis...and I could go on and on.  With such a lengthy resume...it's amazing that the Batman appearance is still the one gig in the group's career that serves as its legacy.  As noted in an introduction, "Johnny Green is the Forest Gump of the music business.  Like the GUMP movie, Green seems to have been everywhere during rock's evolution."  Think of any top figure of the '60's, and Green somehow, someway had an encounter with him/her (Elvis, The Beatles, Dylan, Hendrix:  Apparently all could have been better served if they allowed Green more into their lives).  One of the main faults with the book is that Starks seemed to take Green's recollections as gospel without researching the actual truth surrounding the claims and/or events.  One seemingly outlandish claim (and if I'm wrong here please contact me via the website) stated that The Greenmen auditioned for the lead roles in The Monkees (or "The Green Monkees - with green hair.").  Rock and roll and TV history was about to be forever changed as the board voted unanimously to hire the band...except for one naysayer: "Why should we take four musicians and teach them to be actors, when we can take four actors and teach them to be musicians?"  These words of wisdom therefore doomed "The Green Monkees" from hitting TV screens across the globe. Is it me...or does this come across as a complete fabrication? While reading through some of the band's accomplishments, however, one might wonder why the Greenmen aren't better known today. There were other similar groups in the '60's that colored their hair (the book mentions Tarzan and The Grapes, The Eccentrics, and The Fabulous Redheaded Wanderers...as well as later on the much loved Green Beans), but Green is cited as being the first person to use light shows in his act, as well as blow fire on stage.  If this is true, Green does indeed deserve recognition as an innovator - but the book would have been better served as a scrapbook since none of the stories are delved into, and the text seems to jump back and forth between Green's recollections from gigs of different eras.  Printed in large format with heavy stock paper, the bio is less than 200 pages long (I can't give you an exact count because the pages aren't numbered) and sufficiently illustrated, although picture production could have been clearer.  And while the photos have captions...the caption section is at the end of the book and not underneath each photo...so one must flip back and forth in order to match the description with the picture...and then count each picture to make sure the caption being read is the right one for the photo.  With all the names dropped and gigs listed, an index is essential but unfortunately not included. This is a mixed bag.  The book made me appreciate Green's many accomplishments but only touched the surface on an artist with a 40-plus year show business career.  I do want to learn more about the group...so kudos for providing enough interesting tidbits to intrigue me but thumbs down for not providing the obvious additional information that would have filled in the gaps. Sound From The Woods: Pennsylvania Rock Bands on Record (1964-1970) Second Edition by Mike Kuzmin Mike Kuzmin’s Sound From The Woods: Pennsylvania Rock Bands on Record (1964-1970) is now available in its second edition, and it’s an indispensable guide to the mainly local rock and roll scene that it covers.  While it’s primarily a discography of the rock 45s and LPs recorded in the state during the time period in question, the listing is appended with many label shots, newspaper clippings and ads, and rare photos of many of the groups listed.  It is, of course, nearly impossible to document every record from a specific area for a state as large as Pennsylvania, but Kuzmin does a very admirable job.  Some 45s are listed with titles/years recorded only, but many also include band histories and trivia and it is here where the book really provides the goods.  Not being a collector of vinyl, it is band biographies that draw my greatest attention, and Sounds From The Woods features enough information to leave me clamoring for more.  The 167-page spiral bound time also includes separate sections on The Varsity House Night Club, Lehigh Valley Rock, Garage Rock Compilations featuring Pennsylvania Bands, Friends & Neighbors (non-Pennsylvania groups that recorded in the state), Mystery Bands (records with possible Pennsylvania origins), and More Sounds From The Woods (odds and ends).  Books covering other states from the “garage band era” should be required; if they are compiled, let’s hope somebody with Kuzmin’s dedication and thoroughness is assigned the task. Highly recommended.  Copies are available in the U.S. and North America for $15.00 postpaid, and for $19.00 in Europe and $20.00 in Asia and Australia.  Mail orders to Mike Kuzmin, P.O. Box 52, Avonmore, PA  15618-0052.  Lovers, Buggers & Thieves Edited by Martin Jones (Headpress) Lovers, Buggers, & Thieves, edited by Martin Jones, is a new book devoted to essays on “Garage Rock, Monster Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Progressive Rock, and Folk Rock”.  Subtitled Volume One (more volumes are promised) the book is a nice introduction to what could become a welcomed series.  Touching much of the same ground as the beloved UGLY THINGS but with perhaps a broader spectrum, this initial volume includes several essays that will interest regular visitors to this site, including a really great article by Editor Jones on the Monks, a very well-written piece on Charles Manson’s Lie LP (with historical detail that helps to put the album in proper perspective) by Simon Collins, a disappointingly brief overview on the Sonics by Phil Tonge, a dead-on and frequently humorous comparison between Led Zeppelin and Iron Butterfly by Johnny Strike, and a nice overview, again by Jones, on the rise an fall of Skip Spence.  And, while we tend to concentrate on the ‘60s U.S. garage band scene, separate essays on Australian ‘60’s psych and garage bands by Gerard Alexander, the Bonzo Dog Band (Jones again), Lord Sutch and the Savages by David Kerekes, and the Stooges (possibly providing more information than we cared to know!) by Rik Rawling are excellent introductions to each of their subjects.  Like many similarly themed books, there are essays that we didn’t even care to gloss over - such as stories on the Wild (an “eighties Mexican metal band”) Edgar Broughton, Beatles bootlegs, and the ‘70’s bootleg scene…but all in all the topics present a well-rounded and highly readable freshman effort.  We’ll be looking forward to Volume Two. Walk, Don't Run by Steven "Rusty" Johnson (Kallisti Publishing) Walk, Don’t Run by Steven "Rusty" Johnson, is subtitled as "An Autobiographical Story With Star Power."  The "star power", one assumes, refers to the fact that one third of its central characters is none other that Edward James Olmos, star of TV's Miami Vice and Battlestar Gallactica and the films Zoot Suit and Standing Tall.  Prior to finding success as a character actor, however, Olmos - along with author Johnson and Joey Zagarino - dreamed of becoming rock and roll stars in Los Angeles in the mid-'60's, hence the reason for the review on this website.  Although their garage bands - including Olmos' Left Hand, Zagarino's and Johnson's Upsets (or Joey & The Upsets), and Olmos' and Johnson's Pacific Ocean - never found national fame, all acquired a solid local following in L.A. (or Montebello) during their existence.  The core of the musical story revolves around The Pacific Ocean, a largely forgotten Sunset Strip band that achieved a modicum of success by releasing an album in 1968 as well as by becoming house band for Gazzarri's and the Factory, two highly successful Sunset Strip clubs.  Disappointingly, although there are several interesting stories pertaining to what it was like playing the Strip during its heyday (including a rather clichéd encounter with Jim Morrison) the chapter devoted to the daily grind of doing so totals nine pages...encompassing the years 1965-1967!  In all fairness, it's obvious that Johnson's intent was not to detail the life of a '60's garage band but instead to share the trials and tribulations of the struggles to make it in show business balanced with the bond and friendship of the three main characters.  In that sense, he succeeds fairly well, as Johnson and Olmos both come across as likeable - though Zagarino, whose parents forced him to move to the east coast fairly early in the tale, is not nearly as developed.  This is understandable, of course, since Johnson was thousands of miles away while Zagarino joined New Jersey garage band Chips & Co. and learned the recording skills that would eventually garner him a Grammy nomination for his work on B.B. King's Live in London LP.  Unfortunately, drugs claimed Zagarino before he, Johnson and Olmos were able to make their dreams of worldwide rock and roll recognition happen; that reality is the basis for a good portion of the second half of the book. Told in the third person (even though he is a main character in the book, Johnson explains his reason for writing the story in this manner in the Author's Note), the story is simple and easy to follow but the dialogue often times simply does not ring true. In many passages characters explain or clarify their thoughts with lengthy expositions that refer to earlier events - perhaps to refresh the reader's mind or to reinforce the same point time and again (okay…we get it; it's tough making it in show business and the trio suffered numerous setbacks during their trials).  There are also a handful of typos and, much more frustrating, several factual errors.  Again - although the story might not have been intended as a rock and roll history - there is no excuse for a character in 1962 to reference Paul Revere & The Raiders being the house band on Dick Clark's Where The Action Is (the show didn't air until 1965), or for Gary Lane to be listed as a member of The Standells in 1968.  There are other errors (the Gordian Knot's name is misspelled as 'Gordion Knot', comic Paul Lynde is called Paul Lynn, etc.) but since they do not impede the story there's no need to harp on them.  The black and white photos are poorly reproduced (and much too small) as well and there is inexcusably no index. Those hoping to glean insight into 1960's Los Angeles and the Sunset Strip scene are best advised to wait for Domenic Priore's long awaited expose; those looking for a story about the yearning for fame and fortune, however, might enjoy this simple yet ultimately passable tale. Whatever Happened To Jezebel? by Dottie Holmberg-Waddell (eBook) In our Feature Films Cameos section you'll find a listing for Once Upon A Coffeehouse, an obscure 1964 film that featured an appearance by The GoldeBriars. It was with great surprise, then, when we were contacted by Dottie Holmberg-Waddell, a founding member of The GoldeBriars. Dottie has completed an eBook detailing her two year stint (1963-1965) in the 1960's folk-rock group, and was kind enough to send us a copy. Titled Whatever Happened To Jezebel?, the eBook is an incredibly complete and thorough history of the band. Fondly remembered today by collectors of 1960's "sunshine" or "harmony" pop, The GoldeBriars consisted of Dottie, sister Sherie, Ron Neilsen and Curt Boetcher whom, of course, would practically revolutionize the "sunshine pop" genre through his later work with The Millenium, The Ballroom, and Sagittarius. Since the disc focuses primarily and largely on the short two year period that the group was in existence, there is plenty of space to include scores of photos (personal and publicity, performance and behind the scenes), newspaper articles, clippings, and song lyrics and - if that wasn't enough - Hopscotch, a 1966 solo effort that was not included on Sometimes Happy Times, Sundazed's CD compilation of Dottie's '60's recordings. Told in loving detail, the story recounts the highs and the lows of life with the band (which at one time also included Ron Edgar, who would leave their ranks to join Sean Bonniwell and Keith Olsen, Sheri's husband!, in The Music Machine) and, quite interestingly, includes several "fast forward" trivia items...Dottie's current comments about events told from today's perspective. Collectors and historians will no doubt revel in the information provided regarding the band's unreleased third LP (as well as info on their two released Epic LPs) and filmography buffs will be intrigued to learn that they were slated for appearances on Shindig, Hullabaloo, and The Sam Riddle Show (though it's not clear whether they actually performed). In fact, the highlight of the entire presentation, in our opinion, has to be the 1964 performance clip of The GoldeBriar's performing "Saro Jane" on ABC-TV's Hootenanny! Though The GoldeBriars' were miles from the garage band sound that we all know and love, we confidentally recommend this eBook to all collectors and fans of 1960's pop and rock music. We wish that similar books were available on more bands of the 1960's music scene. To order the story of the band whose sound Mama Cass admitted to stealing, check out Dottie's website. DVD copies of Once Upon A Coffeehouse are also available for sale via the site. GARAGE ROCK USA (Wisconsin Public Television - Written & Produced by Dave Erickson) GARAGE ROCK USA, a locally produced and broadcast hour long documentary on the 1960's garage band explosion, is an entertaining and light 57-minute look at the origins, history, influences, and popularity of garage band music. The program features minimal narration, instead telling its story via the accounts of various garage rock performers or historians, including Jimy Sohns and Joe Kelley of The Shadows Of Knight; Sky Saxon of The Seeds; Bun E. Carlos of The Paegans (later the drummer for Cheap Trick); Craig Werner, University of Wisconsin-Madison Professor and Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Committee Member; Peter Roller, who is authoring a PhD on garage bands; Doug Marklein (aka Harry Rag), Program Director of WORT in Madison; and Bruce Cole, Wisconsin garage band alumnus. Both Sohns and Saxon come across as lucid and - yes - even likeable - which is in stark contrast to their off stage reputations. Werner, Roller, and Marklein each contribute historical anecdotes, and Carlos is always informative and entertaining in his recollections. Live performance clips from a 2001 concert (in which it appears, unfortunately, that the artists are performing for no more than 30 people) filmed specifically for this program are included, allowing the viewer to see and hear Jimy Sohns perform not only Shadow Of Knight favorites 'Gloria,' 'Oh Yeah' and 'I'm Gonna Make You Mine,' but also the Syndicate Of Sound's 'Little Girl' and a version of 'Hey Joe.' Saxon performs his trademark Seeds' classic 'Pushin' Too Hard,' as well as 'Satisfy You' and 'Mr. Farmer.' All of which is, we suppose, fine and dandy, but also glaringly signals out the most obvious weakness of the documentary: a complete lack of vintage film footage of '60's garage bands. Vintage footage would have been a most welcome addition - especially since early Internet reports touted that '60's footage of The Seeds and Shadows Of Knight that has not seen the light of day in over 30 years would be included. The lack of film footage is even more frustrating considering Chicago's PBS documentary How Chicago Rocked The '60's, which aired late last year in a much too short 30-minute timeslot, featured incredible home movie footage of the '66 Shadows Of Knight. The footage is out there, so it's extremely disappointing that nothing was turned up. Instead there is b&w footage of a modern garage band that is mocked up to look vintage. Another bummer: While there are hundreds of great photos of unknown garage groups, if a band's drumhead didn't feature the band's name, there is no way to know who the group in the photo is since no information is provided along with the photos. There is, for example, one fantastic photo of three teenagers dressed in Batman garb surrounding a lone band member dressed as Robin. It'd be great to know the identity of this band. While a straight documentary would have been much more appreciated, the program does veer off the track a bit by presenting a Rate-A-Record segment, hosted by deejay Dex Weber, offering audience member ratings of the 13th Floor Elevators 'You're Gonna Miss Me' and the Sonics' 'Strychnine.' Not surprisingly, both classic records rate very highly. Also briefly discussed is the panel's selection of the Top 10 All-Time Great Garage Band Songs: 1) 'Pushin' Too Hard;' 2) '96 Tears;' 3) 'Hey Joe'; 4) 'Gloria;' 5) 'Psychotic Reaction;' 6) 'Dirty Water;' 7) 'Liar Liar;' 8) 'You're Gonna Miss Me;' 9) 'Little Girl;' 10) I' See The Light.' While the list appears to be more of a "Top 10 '60's One Hit Wonders" listing (though The Five American's scored a larger national hit with 'Western Union' than they did with 'I See The Light'), such lists are highly subjective, and the panel does a servicable job. On the plus side, the program does offer much that anybody reading this review will find appealing. Many great garage songs are played in the background, including 'Maid Of Sugar, Maid Of Spice' by Mouse & The Traps, 'Can't Seem To Make You Mine' by The Seeds, 'Don't Look Back' by The Remains, 'Lies' by The Knickerbockers, 'I'm Five Years Ahead Of My Time' by The Third Bardo, 'You Don't Remember' by The 20th Century Zoo, and 'She Was Mine' by The Beaux Jens! And since this was aired on Wisconsin Public Television, some Wisconsin bands are singled out. Cole tells some humorous tales of his Milwaukee surf band The Triumphs and of his later group, The Ricochettes ('I Don't Want You') - Milwaukee's answer to The Beatles. James Kirchstein, of the Sioux City label Cuca Records, makes a brief appearance stating how good these garage songs (including The Crucible's awesome 'You Know I Do' of which a snippet is played) sound now that he's giving them a second look while digitizing everything. We would have liked to have heard more from Kirchstein so let's hope something comes of this "digitizing" and that a Cuca garage CD compilation is in the works. In fact, also nice would be an hour completely devoted to the Wisconsin garage scene. That would make for one hell of a follow up PBS program. With vintage film footage included, of course... Broadcast locally only on Wisconsin Public Television stations, 60sgaragebands.com is more than thankful to Senior Publicist Chris DuPre for providing us a review copy. Yes! Phoenix Had Music In The Sixties! A Look At The Clubs, Bands, and the Fans  (By Edward Wincentsen, Momentary Pleasures Press) Edward Wincentsen's book, Yes! Phoenix Had Music In The Sixties! A Look At The Clubs, Bands, and the Fans, published by Momentary Pleasures Press, is an easy and entertaining read. The title is a bit misleading in that the clubs and the fans aren't explored in-depth (the clubs are mentioned frequently, and at least one fan submits her recollections of the times), but it is the bands' section that will primarily appeal to fans of the music anyway. And herein lies the book's strength. As Wincentsen points out in the introduction, "this is not an all-inclusive work by any means." As a result, there is no Fuzz Acid & Flowers entry-by-entry listing of all the bands in the area. Instead, the author either allows the band members themselves the opportunity to share their stories, or he quotes from old newspaper articles (in the Floyd & Jerry section) or CD liner notes (in the Phil & The Frantics section). As such, the book comes across more as a scrapbook of the times rather than a narrative or all-encompassing history. Some of the band sections are rather short (Wanderers, Epics, Britons), while others are quite lengthy and detailed, especially the two closing sections by Jim Vannier of The Vibratos and by Mark Bryson Dulski of The Hearsemen/Hobbit. Typical of small publishing, the book is not without some typos. For example, Gerry & The Pacemakers are referenced as both "Jerry and the Pacemakers" and correctly as "Gerry and The Pacemakers" (depending on who wrote the section), and some of the photographs are poorly reproduced. Discographies of the bands (though in all fairness not all recorded) and an index would also have been nice features. But the book does offer a selection of some very cool photos (the cover shot of The Grapes Of Wrath is especially catching), and some great, very personalized histories of the bands from first person perspectives. There are also newspaper article reproductions, copies of music surveys, and band play lists which will surely appeal to all fans of the era. Readers that enjoy the interviews and member recollections that we print on 60sgaragebands.com will thoroughly enjoy this book. To order your copy, contact Ed at: YeOlCoyote@msn.com . The book retails for $18.95 (include $3.00 for First Class mail), and discounts are available for volume purchases. Mail your check or money orders to: Edward Wincentsen, 4400 N. Loos Ct., Prescott Valley, AZ 86314.