Favorite Electric Prunes Anything-- Thoughts?

The Prunes, I think, suffered in two ways: A really BAD name and a crowded market.

"Underground" is a fun LP, sorta like The West Coast "Between the Buttons", but that's
not accurate either. The Stones seemed sorta lost at that point yet The Prunes were on
the way up, for a while. Here we have a loose theme: The Nuclear Family. The LP still
is all over the place but there's a slight satisfyingly creepy mood throughout.

This is a good bridge LP between garage/psych/whateveryawannacallit and hard rock.
The playing is great, the effects a bit forced but the writing is better than the first LP.
I believe even Weasel takes the second vocal on "Big City" and if so he sounds a lot
like Micky Dolenz. He should've been given a coupla more tunes to sing.

The thing that's cool about "Underground" is you can play it then put on "Lost Dream"
from 2001's "Artifact" and say, "Yup, that's them."

 

Yeah, I like Underground. That live album is just as good if not better. Those are my two favorites. The only thing I have of them is that mono set of 45 mixes from Sundazed. That's very uneven but it's a terrific overview.

 

I've only heard "Smokestack Lightning" and it really does smoke.
They were incredible live at that time. Too bad nobody noticed.

I think Gannon was on board by that time but it seems Weasel's
person was on the cover. Dunno if that was a mistake or what,
but I don't think Jim made it overseas.

BTW, if you've heard original stereo mixes of "Underground",
they're a mess.

Example: "Dr Do Good". If you try to listen to that one in mono,
the vocals nearly disappear. The effects are also very forward and
fortunately both problems have been fixed with fresh remixes.
Some remixes are unnecessary; those were utterly justified.

 

It's a shame that all the Electric Prunes CDs are OOP except for the Original Album Series box of all their albums. You don't get any rarities like mono mixes, previously unreleased material, first time stereo mixes, non-LP singles and interesting liner notes. I'm glad I have all their CD reissues pressed over the last 30 years.

 

F’in A!!!... I dig it!!!... by the way my fave is live at Stockholm 67, love it!!!

 

Live Stockholm 1967 is fantastic, a must have for any fan.

 

Agree - it's what the Prunes really were about, and is outstanding.

 

"Lost Dream" is killer.

 

I've not heard it all the way through, but thanks to YT,
I've now heard "Smokestack", "I Had Too Much to Dream",
"You've Never Had It Better" and "Ain't It Hard". Easily
their best release. That band SMOKED. Surprised more
Yardbirds fans didn't pick up on them because The Prunes
were BETTER than that last lineup.

 

YES – while it's a Tucker/Mantz tune, just as the first LP,
they successfully managed the schmaltz and give it a huge
creep factor which I definitely dig. I thought it was on the
compilation, "Lost Dreams", nope.

 

Hey Kid, do you remember the promo vids for "Artifact"?
I can't find 'em on YT now. Ken teaches us how to bow
the geetar like a violin proper ( on his shoulder ). There's
an animation of you hovering over the nightmare of the
"Artifact" desert to reveal a hippy skeleton reaching for
the electrodes in the sand, mushroom gills wavering.

 

No, haven't seen it! Sounds cool..

 

I just checked again, I can't find 'em. There's an outside chance
I saved 'em on my tower. But I'd actually have to move from my
current position to discover. That may take awhile, Lulz.

 

The comp "Lost Dreams" still is available at Amazon.
So's "Live". But I was also looking for "Bradley's Barn"
by The Beau Brummels and so far, only vinyl.

If you want their newer stuff ( already 20 years old! ),
get 'em here: Click.

 

It looks like Real Gone music is doing a repress of the OOP, The Electric Prunes - The Complete Reprise Singles CD, available at the end of July or prior (see their website for details). This is a very good CD compilation of all their US singles in mono.

The Electric Prunes CD

 

I like this collection a lot. While the experimental tracks are incongruous to the band's actual output, I still like it since it captures both sides of the band. I still think the Stockholm 1967 live album is probably the best thing I've ever heard from this band.

 

I had too Much to Dream Last Night
is their crowning achievement.

Lovin' is a cool little tune with that Stones-y vibe to it, but little else from them really stacks up for me. The Stockholm Live CD does have its moments tho. Mostly I think they just needed better songs.

 

Yes. I have that on a really nice CD release. Hard to imagine that a certain live album beats anything that band recorded in studio!

 

... yet "Stockholm" remains OOP. That may well be the band's crowning achievement.

 

Underground (mono)

 

I'd like to know this too. Album 5 sounds like a needle drop in some spots. Does "Just Good Old Rock & Roll" have a better mastering on the Original Album Series set than the Collector's Choice CD? Anyone?

 

I been enjoying the third and forth albums composed by David Axelrod. I know it’s a different band, session musicians but they certainly have their qualities. My favorite of these two is, Release of an Oath.

 

I like the first two albums pretty equal. Maybe I'd put Underground to the top as it seems more diverse. If you like David Axelrod, then you'd probably like Mass and Oath. I'm okay with them and understand what happened to the group. To me, they're Axelrod albums. I probably like Mass over Oath but sometimes feel Axelrod is a bit over the top. It takes a certain mood.

Also, the first album sounds muddy whether it's stereo or mono. Don't expect much from it. That 2 disc cd reissue with both albums really pumped up the treble. I recently found a nice looking mono Underground on LP but I need to listen to it again before I form an opinion on it's sonics. It's kind of a shame as I usually expect Reprise albums to be cut fairly hot with treble from this period. I just assume it's the tape they got.

 

I'm the same way. I've bought a couple Nice albums over the years thinking I can get into to it because it looks so cool or something I'd like. I can't. There's a couple good moments but those organ solos bore me to tears. WCPAEB are great. The USofA is great except for the hoaky tune on there (wooden wife, I think).

 

Nazz were great IMO. I like Todd's early solo stuff too but I think Nazz has more than just a couple good tunes. Nazz Nazz is probably their best album overall. To me, they were the earliest purveyors of what would become power-pop.