The word “barbarian” comes to us from the ancient Greeks who used it disparagingly to describe foreigners whose languages to Greek ears sounded like gibberish (“bar bar bar bar bar”). While it’s easy to dismiss ‘60s garage rock as America’s primitive response to the British Invasion, there is much more to garage rock than just an aped, barbarian approach to music. There was, for example, a thin line between American garage rock and psychedelic music and in both forms one can hear the roots of hard rock, punk, metal, and hardcore. And while garage rock was mostly an American affair, let us not forget the outstanding contributions of the Troggs (from England) who gave the world “Wild Thing”.
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| Steppenwolf |
What ‘60s garage rockers lacked in musical talent and sophistication they more than made up for with attitude and menace. There is nothing new under the sun. If you played for some bored teenagers in ancient Rome the first seven albums of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones and then gave them drums and electric guitars, the music those Latin teens would produce (toga rock?) would sound a lot like garage rock (and their parents would then complain about all the noise and long hair). Here are some of my favorite garage rock pioneers songs including some that straddle the thin, fuzzy line between garage rock and psychedelic music (but don't call these proto-punks hippies!) Enjoy!
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| The Gants |
01. The Electric Prunes – “I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night)” (1967)
02. Count Five – “Psychotic Reaction (Rarities Version)” (1966)
03. The Sonics – “Strychnine” (1965)
04. The Troggs – “Give It to Me” (1967)
05. The Balloon Farm – “A Question of Temperature” (1967)
06. The Seeds – “Pushin’ Too Hard” (1965)
07. Bob Seger and the Last Heard – “Heavy Music – Pt. 1” (1967)
08. The Chocolate Watchband – “Are You Gonna Be There (At the Love-In)” (1967)
09. Bob Seger and the Last Heard – “East Side Story” (1966)
10. The Chocolate Watchband – “Baby Blue” (1968)
11. Steppenwolf – “Born to Be Wild” (1968)
12. The Gants – “My Baby Don’t Care” (1965)
13. The Music Explosion – “Little Bit O’ Soul” (1967)
14. The Savage Resurrection – “Thing in E” (1968)
15. The Gants – “I Wonder” (1967)
16. Paul Revere & the Raiders – “Mr. Sun, Mr. Moon” (1969)
02. Count Five – “Psychotic Reaction (Rarities Version)” (1966)
03. The Sonics – “Strychnine” (1965)
04. The Troggs – “Give It to Me” (1967)
05. The Balloon Farm – “A Question of Temperature” (1967)
06. The Seeds – “Pushin’ Too Hard” (1965)
07. Bob Seger and the Last Heard – “Heavy Music – Pt. 1” (1967)
08. The Chocolate Watchband – “Are You Gonna Be There (At the Love-In)” (1967)
09. Bob Seger and the Last Heard – “East Side Story” (1966)
10. The Chocolate Watchband – “Baby Blue” (1968)
11. Steppenwolf – “Born to Be Wild” (1968)
12. The Gants – “My Baby Don’t Care” (1965)
13. The Music Explosion – “Little Bit O’ Soul” (1967)
14. The Savage Resurrection – “Thing in E” (1968)
15. The Gants – “I Wonder” (1967)
16. Paul Revere & the Raiders – “Mr. Sun, Mr. Moon” (1969)
17. Los Bravos – “Bring a Little Lovin’” (1968)
18. The 13th Floor Elevators – “You’re Gonna Miss Me” (1966)
19. Love – “7 and 7 Is” (1966)
20. Love – “No Matter What You Do” (1966)
21. The Brogues – “I Ain’t No Miracle Worker” (1965)
22. Blues Magoos – “One by One” (1966)
23. The Chocolate Watchband – “I’m Not Like Everybody Else” (1968)
24. The Castaways - “Liar, Liar” (1965)
25. The Electric Prunes – “Get Me to the World on Time” (1967)
Listen to the playlist on Spotify...
... or check out the playlist on YouTube
(To open music in separate window, click title bar at top of video box)
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