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| From | "David Bash" <bashpop@earthlink.net> |
| Subject | Re: Children Of Nuggets |
| Date | Wed, 12 Oct 2005 22:03:33 -0700 |
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--- In audities@yahoogroups.com, snap_crackle_pop@c... (Craig Leve) wrote:
> And on a related note I wouldn't call myself disappointed by the Children
> of Nuggets box, because it's excellent as well. But I can't help listening
> to artists on the set who've been previously anthologized in Rhino boxes
> and wondering if the particular tracks chosen were influenced by those
> previous anthologies. That might seem like an obtuse criticism, but it
> seemed like some choices for the Rain Parade, Spongetones, The Plimsouls
> and others might have been affected by previous dips into the same pond.
> Maybe that's as it should be, but I guess part of the wonder of the
> original Nuggets album is the sense of possibility it engendered by
> drawing from where Lenny Kaye wanted to take it and that alone. Still,
> great to see one of my all time favorites "The Trains" by The Nashville
> Ramblers appear again. They can play that one at my funeral. What a song.
> Strange funeral song, tho. Anyway, it's a very minor criticism - I think
> it's an amazing set.
> -craig
Craig,
I essentially agree with you (glad to hear you feel the same way about "The
Trains" as I do!), and while I love the Children Of Nuggets collection as
well, my major criticism isn't as centered on the artists and tracks they
did choose, but those they didn't. Here is the review I wrote of CON, for
Shindig Magazine:
Various Artists
Children Of Nuggets (Rhino; CD)
Children Of Nuggets is just what the title would imply: a
collection of tunes by artists who were greatly influenced by the garage,
punk, psychedelic, and beat music of the mid to late '60s. And what a
collection it is; 100 (count 'em) tracks over four discs, complete with the
lavish booklet for which Rhino had become known with its original Nuggets
boxes. Most of the tunes herein are from the '80s, when the neo-"insert
relevant '60s style here" revival was at its most prolific, although there
are a few '70s and '90s tunes added for taste and variety. Compilers Gary
Stewart and Alec Palao did an excellent job in picking the cream of the
luminaries and lesser known lights from the crop, but then one would expect
that given the experience and good taste of these gentlemen. The best
tracks and artists are, of course, too numerous to mention, but among the
luminaries are Flamin' Groovies ('I Can't Hide'; 'I'll Cry Alone'), The
Barracudas ('We're Living In Violent Times'; 'I Can't Pretend'), The Last
('She Don't Know Why I'm Here'; 'L.A. Explosion'), The Long Ryders ('And She
Rides'), The Smithereens ('Strangers When We Meet'; 'Beauty And Sadness');
Lyres ('Help You Ann'; 'Don't Give It Up Now'), The Bevis Frond ('Lights Are
Changing'), The Fleshtones ('The Girl From Baltimore';'The World Has
Changed') and The Fuzztones ('Bad News Travels Fast'). One must also give
Palao and Stewart lots of credit for plucking the XTC alter-egos The Dukes
Of Stratosphear (their 1987 7" 'Vanishing Girl' may be the best '60s hit
that never was), Aussie garage purveyors The Stems ('She's Fine'; 'Love Will
Grow'), Sun Dial ('Plains Of Nazca'), and The Vipers ('Tears Only Dry';
'Cheated And Lied'), as well as for including what may very well be the best
song on this entire collection, 'The Trains' by The Nashville Ramblers (who,
like The Nashville Teens, weren't actually from Nashville). Also, you gotta
give the boys their props for including bands you wouldn't really associate
with that Nuggets sound but nevertheless had songs that truly fit, like
Screaming Trees ('Transfiguration') and Inspiral Carpets ('Weakness'). This
collection also won't let us forget that the girls could rock as well as the
boys, as 'It's About Time' by The Pandoras and 'The Real World' by The
Bangles can stand as tall as anything else on the box.
Along with these numerous plaudits come some caveats.
Despite what Palao says in his liner notes, there were many bands left off
who were just as worthy as those who were included, and some of these
exlusions raise specific questions. For example, if you're going to include
The dB's, why not their compatriots Let's Active, whose 'Writing The Book Of
Last Pages' was more germane to this kind of music than anything The dB's
ever did. If The Spongetones, then why not The Subtones, a great German
band whose Boys Want Fun LP contained the kind of Mersey-inspired nuggets
which also infused garage and psychedelia into the mix. If The Optic Nerve,
then why not The Nerve, an even better psych-pop band from the early '90s.
Also, if they were going to use two tracks by Teenage Fanclub on Children Of
Nuggets, couldn't they have included even one by the equally worthy Velvet
Crush? Yes, of course one could raise similar points about any box set, but
this situation could have been greatly alleviated on Children Of Nuggets had
they not used two tracks by so many of the artists. Had there only been one
track to a customer, it would have opened up room for so many other worthy
bands. Furthermore, some of the chosen tracks didn't really reflect the
character of the box. The two Posies tracks, 'I May Hate You Sometimes' and
'Apology', while clearly great tunes, don't really have much relation to
that Nuggets sound. A much better choice would have been 'My Big Mouth', as
it has at least a vague resemblance to The Move. Also, the final track on
the box, 'Tracy Hide' by The Wondermints, while being an absolutely gorgeous
song, has much more in common with Pet Sounds than with Revolver; had either
'Proto Pretty' or 'Global Village Idiot' been chosen instead, the Nuggets
ethos would have been much better retained.
Yes, of course there are licensing, economics, and personal
taste issues involved, but let's face it, Rhino Records is to box sets as
Michael Jordan is to basketball, and so they must be held to the highest
possible standard. When Michael Jordan scored "only" 25 points in a
basketball game, he too was given criticism along with the praise. But when
it came right down to it his team always needed him, and when it comes right
down to it everyone reading this needs to own Children Of Nuggets.
(www.rhino.com)
--
Pop Rules!!!!!
Take Care,
David
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