Amazon.com's Best of 2001: All those who enjoy music richer in energy and daring than intelligence and maturity should add Nuggets II: Original Artyfacts from the British Empire and Beyond (1964-1969) to their music collection--where it should sit right next to the series' first volume. The lyrics to songs such as "I Can Hear the Grass Grow" and "14 Hour Technicolour Dream" won't unlock life's mysteries, but the reckless abandon with which these songs were written and played will remind anyone how it feels to be young and angst-ridden. A few of the selections, including "Pictures of Matchstick Men," achieved some commercial success upon release; some were covered by bands more recent or lasting than the mostly one-hit wonders who performed the originals; others are so simple they sound like a lot of rock songs; and a number include a distinctive sound or effect other rockers felt compelled to steal. Plenty of songs, though, will be new to all but the most dedicated collectors, and the fact that the best of these didn't make the charts when they were originally released confirms that timing is indeed everything. A final note: While the music in this collection is certainly worth the price, the beautiful liner notes--all 100 pages worth--offer a treasure-trove of information, great graphics, and lots of yuks. --Steve Halloran
Disc 1:
Making Time - The Creation
Father's Name Was Dad - Fire
I Can Hear The Grass Grow - The Move
My Friend Jack - The Smoke
My White Bicycle - Tomorrow
I'll Keep Holding On - The Action
When The Night Falls - The Eyes
Sorry - The Easybeats
Imposters Of Life's Magazine - The Idle Race
How Is The Air Up There? - The La De Das
Mud In Your Eye - Les Fleur De Lys
Everything (That's Mine) - The Motions
Garden Of My Mind - The Mickey Finn
Take A Heart - The Sorrows
The Life I Live - Q'65
Midnight To Six Man - The Pretty Things
I See The Rain - The Marmalade
The First Cut Is The Deepest - The Koobas
You Stole My Love - The Mockingbirds
125 (album version) - The Haunted
My Mind's Eye - The Small Faces
Going Nowhere - Los Bravos
All Night Stand - The Thoughts
War Or Hands Of Time - The Masters Apprentices
It's A Sin To Go Away - We All Together
A Dream For Julie - Kaleidoscope
I Read You Like An Open Book - The Tages
Disc 2:
Children Of The Sun - The Misunderstood
Save My Soul - Wimple Winch
Desdemona - John's Children
I Can Only Give You Everything - Van Morrison
Lost Girl - The Troggs
I Must Be Mad - The Craig
Say Those Magic Words - The Birds
Baby Your Phrasing Is Bad - Caleb
Daddy Buy Me A Girl - Golden Earrings
Exit Stage Right - Ronnie Burns
Gone Is The Sad Man - Timebox
I'm Rowed Out - The Eyes
You've Got A Habit Of Leaving - Davy Jones
Reflections Of Charles Brown - Rupert's People
Words Enough To Tell You - The Mascots
That's The Way It's Got To Be - The Poets
14 Hour Technicolour Dream - The Syn
Walking Through My Dreams - The Pretty Things
You Said - The Primitives
This Life Of Mine - The Lost Souls
Shadows & Reflections - The Action
Friday On My Mind - The Easybeats
In The Land Of The Few - Love Sculpture
For Another Man - The Motions
Fire Brigade - The Move
Gaby - The Boots
Biff! Bang! Pow! - The Creation
Disc 3:
Your Body Not Your Soul - Cuby & The Blizzards
Cathy, Come Home - The Twilights
Circles - Les Fleur De Lys
Get Down From The Tree (album version) - The Matadors
Cry In The Night - Q'65
Changing The Colors Of Life - Los Chijuas
Social End Product - The Bluestars
Crawdaddy Simone - The Syndicats
Don't You Remember? - The Sound Magics
It's My Pride - The Guess Who
Magic Potion - The Open Mind
You're Driving Me Insane - The Missing Links
Who Dat? - The Jury
A Midsummer's Night Scene - John's Children
Listen To The Sky - Sands
How To Find A Lover - The Mockingbirds
Days Of The Broken Arrows - The Idle Race
By My Side - The Elois
Path Through The Forest - The Factory
Love Hate Revenge - Episode Six
Pictures Of Matchstick Men - The Status Quo
The Train To Disaster - The Voice
Sad - The (Australian) Playboys
Slaves Time - The Slaves
You Can Be My Baby (single version) - The Red Squares
I Wish I Was Five - Scrugg
Glendora - The Downliners Sect
Disc 4:
Rosalyn - The Pretty Things
Come On - The Atlantics
The Madman Running Through The Fields - Dantalion's Chariot
How Does It Feel To Feel (U.S. single version) - The Creation
Catching up on history I love Nuggets I & II(Children of Nuggets will be up next to listen to this week). I thought that I'd be skipping over many songs, since I'd hardly heard of any of them, but I was wrong. These volumes have clued me in on how much great music I missed the first time around in the 60's. Most of the songs hold up on their own, and should have been heard more widely on these shores. Between the quality music, and the informative notes, this is a must-hear for lovers of Rock.
THE SILENT INVASION The bits and pieces of the British invasion that mostly never left port and a few from their neighbors is great.....all are interesting....most are just good rock 'n rolling from that time period....influences abound....its a joy and a treasure
Simply too much filler- but great booklet and songs! Nuggets 2 is packed. 109 songs giant booklet - great songs. Problem is atleast 30-40% of the tracks are deriative sound-alike garage rock that after listening to once i dont listen to again. I must say the booklet artwork and presentation is class all the way and there are atleast two dozen great great tunes here- especially the more pysche tinged numbers but in my humble opinion this could have been a cheaper priced double cd set that would have been flawless. If you can buy it used then its a good deal and ebay prices confirm youll make most of your money back if you just want to burn the cds. Standouts include Tomorrow- Timebox- Winstons Fumbs- Fire- The Mickey finn- The Creation and the Eyes whose "rowed out" sounds like i cant explain-! There are some obscure bands that its nice to be able to hear most likely only on this comp but wellknown groups like the Small faces and the Pretty things are not done justice with the tracks picked to represent them. Ofcourse everyone's favorite songs will always be different so this review is based on my particular views on what makes a good tune- i do prefer pysche to garage but atleast two of my favorites are total garage but with a creative (pysche twist) in particular Real Crazy Apartment by Winstons Fumbs is stellar.
You listen me. While the original Nuggets LP and the first box set concentrated on the American pop and rock scene, the second Nuggets box shifted its focus to the rest of the world, collecting cuts from the United Kingdom (such as the Pretty Things and the Small Faces), Canada (The Guess Who and The Haunted), Japan (The Mops), Australia (The Easybeats, The Masters Apprentices), Iceland (Thor's Hammer) and Brazil (Os Mutantes). Practically none of these songs are well known in America, with only two of them being US hits ("Friday on My Mind" by the Easybeats and "Pictures of Matchstick Men" by the Status Quo). The rest of the songs may be obscure, but they are oh so wonderful. It's like listening to the greatest hits of an alternate Earth. Fans of '60s pop and rock music, and especially the garage band sound, should get this for sure.
great collection of obscure rock 'n' roll a companion to the "Nuggets" box which focused on American garage rock of the sixties, this one instead collects gems from around the world, although the vast majority of it comes from the UK. not for the casual fan however, as very few if any of the songs and bands would be familiar to someone with only a passing interest. extremely well put together and researched, and great sound. anyone who listens to Little Steven's Underground Garage radio show will enjoy this.
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