ZackMcBuick SUBS 27th Aug 2019
| | I offer a rebuttal to Lee Wrecker’s Dec. 18, 2013, comment as follows:
1. These were the sort of albums that got trashed or stolen at parties
Not in my experience they weren’t.
2. They are essentially someone's rare record collection transferred to vinyl and the results are extremely variable
Pebbles had more to do with bringing a general awareness of the historical and cultural significance of original 60's punk rock than any other L.P. series before or since, including Nuggets.
The Pebbles L.P. series surely had something to do with the emergent Paisley Underground of the early 1980’s into the 1990’s.
Some of the original groups re-formed subsequent to the series’ issuance and even went on National and International tours (e.g., Gonn). Presumably, this also had something to do with the existence of Pebbles.
Tracks were very well planned. As the liners state, "Assembling the Pebbles series has been a cooperative effort involving many of the United States' leading record collectors, who have combed their collections for the most exciting and hardest-to-find classics."
No! The Pebbles L.P. series wasn’t just someone’s rare record collection.
3. there is a lot of tracking noise pops, and even little skips on some tracks
Only one of the tracks had a skip (“Action Woman”).
4. The first three are excellent collections of the weird and wonderful from the 60's American underground.
I wouldn’t characterize most of the tracks on Vols. 1 and 2 as such. Most of the bands had commercial aspirations and many achieved a modicum of regional success but became slowly forgotten (even locally) when they didn't go national. Eventually, local radio stopped playing these classics. Many of these Pebbles tracks were released on National labels, made local charts (check A.R.S.A.) and were successful enough locally to justify foreign pressing licensing arrangements (e.g., Soup Greens). Some even made the Billboard National Charts (e.g., "It’s Cold Outside").
Vol. 3 (“The Acid Gallery”) is a little different. The theme of the L.P. is “acid punk.” But a lot of the track are closer to psychedelic novelty records (e.g., Jefferson Handkerchief) than
underground records -- including DJ’s attempting to cash in on the “psychedelic” movement (e.g., Race Marbles).
No! Neither the original teen beat / punk / garage bands on Vols. 1-2 nor the artists on Vol. 3 were part of the sixties underground.
5. After this (Vol. 3) the series began to lose its way
Vol. 4 (“Summer Means Fun”) is for fans of the Beach / Surf / Summer sound that arose just before the first punk era (ca. 1963-64). It is well packaged from both historical and playability perspectives. The tracks are largely obscure (exception: The Rip Chords), but ultimately relatively findable even today in their original formats. It also features bands whose members figured prominently in other genres later on (Jim McGuinn was in both the City Surfers and the Byrds); the compilers were trying to show a thread between these beach tracks and the punk rock that arose shortly thereafter.
Vol. 6 (“Roots of Mod”) challenges “Hard Up Heroes” as thee definitive British R&B comp. Additionally, the liner notes are nicely researched. A hypotheses is even proffered that the tracks represent the British equivalent of American punk rock; strong arguments (cultural, historical) as to why are denoted.
Vols. 5; 7 – 13 contains several gritty classics that were commonly found in Paisley Underground set lists. Tracks rated 7 or higher in Mop Top Mike's 2012 excellent Tome, "Teen Beat USA" are scattered all thru these later volumes.
Even the Vol.’s numbered 15 or higher (when the series began to explore European artists) show that the Pebbles’ compilers were pioneers. Research quality, which had been improving gradually since Vol. 1, peaked for the European volumes. These tracks expose long lost mid-60’s artists from European National scenes. Heretofore, there was an enormous amount of snobbery among the general rock music audience, and even record collectors, against these artists even within their homelands (e.g. The Lords). That attitude is largely gone and Pebbles has to be given some credit for that. Bands like the Outsiders and Q65 are now revered beyond their homelands.
No! The Pebbles L.P. series did not lose its way after Vol. 3. |