The Remains s/t

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by godstar, Jul 22, 2016.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. godstar

    godstar Well-Known Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    valencia, spain
    Apologies if this album has been discussed before. I did a search and got bored after finding nothing after 6 pages.

    What a killer album this is.

    There really isn't a weak track on it. The track sequencing could be better, but by Christ, this is all good!

    'Once Before' always sends me to excelsior. Then 'Thank You', better than any mid-60s Stones album track.

    Good Lord!

    [​IMG]
     
  2. jacethecrowl

    jacethecrowl Forum Resident

    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    I wish it had the live energy of "A Session with The Remains" but you can't beat the songs. "Lonely Weekend" is probably the highlight for me.
     
    godstar likes this.
  3. sixelsix

    sixelsix Forum Resident

    Location:
    memphis, tn, usa
    It's totally fantastic. The whole thing, all 25 minutes of it or whatever it is.

    Some bands have the fire, and some don't. These guys had it in spades.
     
  4. Cake

    Cake Forum Resident

    Location:
    Reseda, CA, USA
    I recently found a used copy of the Remains album on CD with additional tracks.

    Completely essential.
     
    weef, godstar and sixelsix like this.
  5. GreggF

    GreggF Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Jersey
    Columbia/Epic had never recorded a band like The Remains prior to this and did not know how to work with their high volume and energy. The band was never completely satisfied with this recording. "A Session..." comes a lot closer to what they sounded like live. The quintessential garage band.
     
    beccabear67 and weef like this.
  6. Cheepnik

    Cheepnik Overfed long-haired leaping gnome

    Greil Marcus's capsule review of Fine Young Cannibals' "Don't Look Back" was, "Has there ever been a bad song by this title?" I'm sure he had The Remains at least partially in mind when he wrote that.
     
    Brian Kelly and Spazaru like this.
  7. weef

    weef Forum Resident

    One of my all time favorite 60's bands - and they toured with the Beatles! So why the lack of success? Even appeared on the Ed Sullivan show but a poor showing in my opinion.
     
    fortherecord likes this.
  8. GreggF

    GreggF Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Jersey
    They were young. The original drummer, Chip Damiani, opted out of The Beatles tour. So they recruited N.D. Smart, who later played with Mountain at Woodstock, for the gig. By the time the tour wrapped up at Candlestick Park, the band felt that they'd never have commercial success, disbanded and went back to school. The guys remained friends and eventually did a few gigs before experiencing a renaissance in the late 90's.
    The last gig the the band did with their original drummer, Chip, was at the Bell House in Brooklyn in June 2013. He died the following February and The Remains, with a new drummer, continue to get together when time and opportunity allow.
     
  9. cwitt1980

    cwitt1980 Senior Member

    Location:
    Carbondale, IL USA
    Isn't there a great Ed Sullivan appearance (or some other variety show) where they play a song that had never even been recorded? I think I have a clip on a garage bands dvd someone made me. I can't imagine the Sullivan people liking a band to play something completely new and unheard of.
     
  10. popscene

    popscene Senior Member

    Location:
    San Marcos, CA
    You are correct - they played "Let Me Through" on the Sullivan 1965 Christmas show. It was released as a 7" by Sundazed a few years ago. Great song!
     
    melstapler likes this.
  11. LandHorses

    LandHorses I contain multitudes

    Location:
    New Joisey
    I had a ticket for that Bell House show, but got sick :sigh:. I did finally catch them the next year in Fairfield, CT......glad I did. Their shows are infrequent, so if you have the opportunity near you, make it a priority.

    The bass player, Vern Miller, was a music teacher at my high school (Columbia HS - South Orange/Maplewood, NJ) while I was there in the mid 80s. I never ended up meeting him......and didn't know the connection until later.

    Love the album.
     
  12. cwitt1980

    cwitt1980 Senior Member

    Location:
    Carbondale, IL USA
    Great. Thanks. That went under my radar. Looks like this is the only place to find it. No digital files to be found anywhere that I could find.
     
  13. fishcane

    fishcane Dirt Farmer

    Location:
    Finger Lakes,NY
    picked up the RSD release at the time but haven't given it much airtime yet... i need to change that, eh?
     
  14. beccabear67

    beccabear67 Musical omnivore.

    Location:
    Victoria, Canada
    Epic did record The Great Scots and did a pretty good job, pretty sure that would've taken place in the same NY studios as The Remains. I have the Session With Sundazed LP alongside the Great Scots Arrive on their Beat Rocket sub-label, both highly recommended! Plus the Ed Sullivan 'live' single...
    [​IMG] [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    Why Do I Cry (pick your take) should've been a number one single!
     
    Brian Kelly and Guy E like this.
  15. WarEagleRK

    WarEagleRK Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chattanooga, TN
    I literally just came across this band today when seeing the Live 1969 release in the new releases. Having checked them out today, I have be missing out.
     
  16. MarcS

    MarcS Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Jersey
    Barry's book about opening for the Beatles in 66 is great too.
     
    weef and Jimmy B. like this.
  17. BadJack

    BadJack doorman who always high-fives children of divorce

    Location:
    Boston, MA
    A friend and I saw a Boston Remains show in '99 and had the band sign our albums afterwards. I had the Sundazed "Sessions" LP so I was all set, but my friend had the original Epic LP with N.D. on the cover. Chip laughed and gladly signed it, but he drew a mustache on N.D., which gave everyone a laugh. What a nice guy.
     
    gorangers likes this.
  18. thepluralofvinyl

    thepluralofvinyl Forum Resident

    Location:
    Music City, USA
    Speaking of Remains in the bins today, don't sleep on Rising Storm's cover of "Don't Look Back" on Calm Before... that got reissued today. Sounds fantastic. Great notes too. Calm Before...
     
    Summerisle likes this.
  19. Guy E

    Guy E Senior Member

    Location:
    Antalya, Turkey
    I love The Remains.
     
  20. action pact

    action pact Music Omnivore

    I saw the four original Remains here in Boston a number of years ago. Barry even used his old Epiphone Al Caiola Model guitar, and they sounded pretty much just like 1966.

    As for their Epic album, the mono version is a MUST, so much better than the creampuff stereo mix.
    Sundazed did a terrific 2LP set with their complete Epic recordings in 100% mono.
     
    troggy, beccabear67 and melstapler like this.
  21. action pact

    action pact Music Omnivore

    Little-known trivia: keyboardist William Briggs is the brother of the late Marilyn Chambers (Marilyn Ann Briggs).
     
    melstapler and thepluralofvinyl like this.
  22. melstapler

    melstapler Reissue Activist

    I'm a fan of The Remains and also Barry Tashian's later work in the world of roots music with his wife Holly.
     
    beccabear67 and thepluralofvinyl like this.
  23. Saint Johnny

    Saint Johnny Forum Resident

    Location:
    Asbury Park
    I'd first heard about the Remains while in high school, in the late 70s. Right next to LandHorses in Millburn. Hmmmm, I had some friends who went to Columbia...

    The first record of theirs that I ever got was this pseudo-live collection on Line. I forget what's it's proper title is. 'Live In Boston 1966', maybe?
    While I've always liked what I'd heard by them, and over the ensuing years, I've always picked up anything by them, I have run across.
    I've just always felt there was just some little thing was that missing from the songs or performances that would've made them great. I could never put my finger on what it was though.
     
    Crimson Witch likes this.
  24. action pact

    action pact Music Omnivore

    Probably an semi-legit early release of the Capitol audition tape, later properly released by Sundazed as "A Session with the Remains."

    I'm guessing it's those thin, anemic, creampuff stereo mixes. You need to hear the mono!!!
     
  25. action pact

    action pact Music Omnivore

    "Barry and the Remains" are still fondly remembered by Bostonians of a certain age. One time I was in a furniture store and "oldies" were playing on the store's system, and I was delighted to hear "Why Do I Cry" blasting through the store!
     
    troggy, stereoptic and Brian Kelly like this.
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page

molar-endocrine