Nuggets: The Best Garage Rock Anthem

Listening to the 1998 Rhino box set, it's still unbelievable how many bands (hundreds? thousands?) have come out from the United States in that unique era of the mid sixties. From the Seeds, to the Count Five, the Remains, the Kingsmen, the Fabulous Wailers, the Sonics, the Knickerbockers, Paul Revere and the Raiders, the Music Machine, the Shadows of Knight, the Blues Magoos, just to name the first that come to mind. And each of them with great singles like "Louie Louie", "Pushin' Too Hard", "The Witch", "Lies", "Dirty Water", "Talk Talk", "Don't Look Back", "Tobacco Road" and on, and on, and on... So, Martini in one hand and chocolate in the other, what's your favorite Garage Rock Anthem? My vote is still for "Psychotic Reaction". Say yours.

 

There's probably no song on the set I like better than "Too Much To Dream Last Night" .
But my vote is for "Talk Talk"

 

Either "Psychotic" or "Too Much to Dream" for me.

 

I hate to be a weasel, but I can't pick just one. There are way too many classic records in the box set. Cant we just pick "Nuggets" and be done with it ? I don't want any more hair falling out worrying if I'm making the wrong choice at the moment.

 

The Chocolate Watchband - Are You Gonna Be There (At The Love-In)

 

Chocolate Watchband - Sweet Young Thing
The Litter - Action Woman
Syndicate of Sound - Little Girl
Paul Revere and the Raiders - Just Like Me

 

5. I Love You - People
4. We Ain't Got Nothin Yet - The Blues Magoos
3. I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night
2. Nobody But Me - Human Beinz
1. Time Won't Let Me - The Outsiders

This group was mentioned in the OPs post, but by this time and with a song written by Tin Pan Alley - Mann & Weil, I'm not sure it qualifies. The group definitely began as Garage Rock and it is maybe my favorite all time single: Kicks - Paul Revere and the Raiders!!

 

Great answer, my friend, great answer.
But, in fact, you can't go wrong.

 

The Creation - Making Time

 

Since they never get mentioned in the same breath as the biggies.
I've got to nominate the Del-Vetts-The Last Time Around, because it's just about thee most anthemic thing on the box. And it's positively searing.
But as others have noted, I could've picked 5-10 more just as easily.

Ok, since no one else can pick just one, either.
I'm gonna add,
The Sonics - Strychnine
We The People - You Burn Me, Up And Down

Ok, just one more, I swear.
Lollipop Shoppe - You Must Be A Witch.

 

Ok, with your friendly encouragement I'm ready to make a stand. I'm gonna man up and pick....disc one. Maybe.

Thanks for the thread. With your reminder I have to play the discs RIGHT NOW.

 

Great thread! Love this box!

 

I've never been one for "ranking" anything (at least not when it comes to greatness against greatness), and I find it hard to pick "favorites" when there's so much to like.

For me, that certainly applies to Garage Rock.

So I'll weasel out too. Without necessarily naming it an absolute favorite, I'll repeat something I've said often: if there were an audio dictionary, then "Don't Need Your Lovin'" by The Chocolate Watchband would play when you got to the entry for Garage Rock.

 

LOL
Well, not to be too selective, the disc one is a good start...
You're more than welcome, you know.

 

Just about did a cartwheel when I found a NM 1972 Elektra Vinyl 2XLP copy with notes by Lenny Kaye.
Yes, the box set is cool, but the original double LP is even farther out, man.

 

It will always be the '72 "Nuggets" LP's too me.
[BIG fan of the re-release of 3 single ceedees version as well*]
i'll go w/S1 T1 cause hearing that 1st on Lenny Kaye's collection for the 1st time in the 'Summer of '75' got my 'Garage Juices' going!!!

Then Playing:


* "Nuggets: A Classic Collection From The Psychedelic Sixties"
"More Nuggets: Classics From The Psychedelic Sixties Volume 2"
"Even More Nuggets: Classics From The Psychedelic Sixties Volume Three"

 

That's about as far as I will commit at this point and I'm not even positive that disc one is the best disc.

I'm listening to disc one at the moment and it's probably "old guy drifting back to youth syndrome", but geez there is one classic track after another. And in the words of that great philosopher.. Moulty.."so listen to me now, because I've lived through it all."

I love Nuggets II just as much as the first one. Lot's of English (and other psych) which I like even more than garage actually although the first Nuggets is just killer also.

P.S. "Liar Liar" was just up. When I was a kid I would have sworn it was a female lead vocalist. It sounds like some unknown female Motown singer backed by a frat band.

 

Oh, well, I've got them both too! And, yes, the British Empire and Beyond is just amazing as much as the first Nuggets.
For the record, I've also the 2006 Rhino UK double vinyl re-issue of the original Nuggets. Oh, yes.

 

The national anthem of garage bands is Louie Louie. Followed by Gloria. Every neighborhood band played these, and sometimes only these.

 

I wonder if there is enough of a fan base here to support a Nuggets song by song thread ? I think it would be fun, but it might peter out after about three songs.

 

In Chicago you weren't a garage band of note unless you also played "Knock on Wood" and "Hey Joe". I'll bet there were little variations from area to area , when radio wasn't generically formatted and there could be regional hits by local bands.

 

This is the correct answer. Ask Lenny himself and he'll say the same thing.

 

In northeastern Ohio, it would have been absolutely unthinkable to have a band in 1966 and not have in your repertoire not only "Gloria," but also "Little Black Egg" by The Nightcrawlers (though they weren't from here, but from Florida).

The song never gained any chart momentum nationally, but in certain regional areas it was huge, and ours was one of them.

As a consequence, the song's opening two-string riff was also the first thing that thousands of kids around here learned to play on the guitar.

 

Undecided

...by The Master's Apprentices

 

This is my ultimate garage song.
And even though I heard many of the usual suspects back in the day when I was a young pimply hormone riddled kid , I never heard this band much less this song until the early 80s.
Some people like water.
Some people like wine.
But I like the taste of straight strychnine !!!