Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era (1964-1968)

[Death on Credit]

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Every once in a while, we are treated to an album that shoots right through our skull, like a silver bullet. This was just what I experienced after I laid my new copy of Nuggets onto my turntable.

What Lenny Kaye has done here is assemble a full on rock 'n roll assault. We have a mix of R&B ballads, bubblegum, "tripping balls" psychedelia, and hard edged garage rock that blends together perfectly to create a musical cornucopia that is a pure auditory delight.

There's not a single bad track on the album, although some songs are, of course, better than others. There are some tracks that I was already familiar with, such as Tobacco Road, I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night), You're Gonna Miss Me, Pushin' Too Hard, Psychotic Reaction, and Hey Joe, but most of it was new to me. The compilation works exceedingly well as an album, as the individual bands dissolve for better or worse into one grand masterpiece that represents an era that's long gone and all but forgotten. It almost seems criminal that many of these bands have been lost in the vaults and condemned to perpetual obscurity while many less talented acts (well, maybe that's not the right phrase, as this collection partially serves as a testament to the wonders that can come from folks who can barely play their instruments) have gone on to make millions, but such is that nature of the business.

All in all, this is a great set, and one of the most enjoyable albums that I've ever had the pleasure of listening to.

 

[rtbuck]

Great album! I heard it for the first time in the late 70's at a friends house. He played The Amboy Dukes track because it was Ted Nugent. I thought the album was pretty neat but never thought much of getting it. One day in the 80's I spotted a copy in a used record shop & bought it & I loved it. One of the first things I noticed was that it was produced by Lenny Kaye. Kaye was the guitarist in the Patti Smith Group & also in the 70's was Doc Roc from Rock Scene Magazine. People would write in rock & roll questions to him & he would answer them. You could tell by his long answers that he was a real music freak/genius & could answer about any band from any era no matter how big or small the band was. This was in days before the internet.
Cool review DOC! (now I'll have to dig it out!)

 

[joe]

One of the greatest compilations of all time. I have the double vinyl original.

Rhino records released 15 Lps under the Nuggets name dedicated to certain sub-genres and locations. I used to order them direct from Rhino. I can't say enough about these albums. Utterly fantastic!

 

[Death on Credit]

Yeah, I've heard about all those other Nuggets sets...Someday, I'd really like to sink my teeth into all of them. For now, though, the double LP is more than enough for me.

 

[Groovy Man]

One of my favorite box sets.