THE SEEDS - The Seeds - (GNP Crescendo) - 1966, comment, review, sky saxon, garage, punk.

This is hardly an op shop special. I bought this on eBay for about $15 … and its' a re-pressing. Further, it's appropriate to "comment" on this now given the recent passing of vocalist Sky Saxon (June 25,2009)

Apart from the odd Seeds songs on various garage compilations I have never heard The Seeds en masse.

A lot of garage bands had one or two great tracks and a lot of filler … and your tolerance of the filler depends on how much you love garage rock or the specific band.

At the outset I will say this album is "mostly killer, a little filler". Though the "killer" has little to do with the musicianship which is rough and ready to put it politely but it has everything to do with attitude. This is primitive music at it's best ,and it's not a long line between this and punk as it developed in the 1970s.

In what Frank is listening to #84 I said: "Garage" … was an American response to the British invasion. It is fair to assume that many garage bands were inspired by the rockier side of the British invasion – The Stones, Kinks and the Who though the truth is also that many of these bands had been "frat rock" bands who incorporated elements of the new British R&B/rock to their sounds, and then – partly because of poor equipment but more so because they wanted to beat the British invasion bands at their own game – they developed a sound that was infinitely more raw and rockier. ( much like a lot of Australian bands in the 60s)

In what Frank is listening to #52 I said: …. garage bands were largely a response to the English invasion pop. And lets face it on the rock spectrum The Beatles weren't in your face rock … and neither were the Searchers, the Dave Clark Five, Freddie and the Dreamers, or Herman's Hermits ( who actually were the third biggest hitmakers after the Beatles and the Stones). And ultimately even in the Stones,the Who, and some of the Kinks ( by far the hardest English rockers until 1965) sound positively tame when compared to the garage bands springing up all over the US. Though to be fair all of those bands learnt their song writing craft by listening to The Beatles (or the Beach Boys) pushing the song writing envelope. in any event a lot of the pre-Beatles "Frat Rock" bands mutated into "garage rock" bands….. .( eg: anything on the Pebbles records).

Occasionally people refer to The Kinks (my favourite English band bar none … actually my favourite band bar none) and The Who as being punk precursors but nothing could be further from the truth. The Kinks reputation as rough and ready rock act rests on the shoulders of one (or two) songs (You Really Got Me, All Day and All of the Night) whilst the rest of their mid 60s repetoir was colour by the numbers English R&B or intriguing Ray Davies ballads. The Who have occasional similar slabs of aggression though they also sound like a London tea party when placed next to the music of the US garage bands.

After listening to this album it is clear that the Seeds have been influential and on the strength of this album alone The Seeds would have to be in the top 5 garage acts.

Wikipedia has this to say:

The Seeds were a rock band best known for the hit single "Pushin' Too Hard", released in 1966. Based in Los Angeles, California, its raw and abrasive energy and simple, repetitive lyrics came to exemplify the garage rock style of the 1960s. The group are considered one of the pioneers of punk rock.

The band was formed in 1965 though Sky Saxon has a music career that commenced in the pre-Beatle era (he was born in 1937). It is perhaps Saxon's age that distinguishes The Seeds from other garage bands. Unlike others who were trying to outgun The Rolling Stones and The Kinks, The Seeds seemed to embrace primitiveness on their own terms. The Seeds as a result of Sky's influence (I suspect) have elements (updated of course) that date to before the raucous Brits … back to 50s rock and roll acts like Link Wray or Eddie Cochran. Saxon was criticized for ripping of Mick Jagger but it's more likely they both were listening to the same 50s sources though Saxon approached the music from a different, less reverential, angle.

Every song on this album is in your face, sneering aggression. There are no compromises made to any other genre of music. Most of the songs are under three minutes … they come, they assault you and then they leave. In fact , after istening to the whole album you feel like you have been mugged.

The production by Marcus Tybalt and lead singer Sky Saxon is also suitably primitive. I assume they only got away with this (and with allowing the singer to co-produce) because they were on a relatively small label.

The only drawback as other commentators have mentioned is that a lot of the songs tend to sound the same … but if you love that sound then you have thirty or so minutes of ecstasy. Oh and sometimes the musicianship is clunky …b ut who cares … this is garage punk.

Tracks (best in italics)

Can't Seem to Make You Mine – the least frantic song on the album and an odd way to start the record but if there ever was a "garage ballad" then this is it.
No Escape – a R&B stomper which really stomps.
Lose You Mind – Buddy Holly done by Bo Diddley in a garage.
Evil Hoodoo – another nasty rocker with early psych overtones. Sounds a little like "The 13th Floor Elevators".
Girl I Want You – a sexually aggressive romantic song which, if I was a girl, and a boy was serenading me with it, I would be scared.
Pushin' Too Hard – a bona fide classic and one of the best rebuff songs. The Doors also possibly lifted some of this … listen to it.
Try to Understand – another "13th Floor" similar styled tune … things were happening contemporaneously States apart …
Nobody Spoil My Fun – a statement of faith with atmospheric guitar and organ work …
It's a Hard Life – a bluesy song
You Can't Be Trusted – another "relationship" song … there is a theme developing and it's not "I Wanna Hold You Hand" or "Love Me Do" …
Excuse, Excuse – yet another "relationship" song
Fallin' in Love – the only other slow-ish song on the album and a nice way to end with a bit of a melodic organ freakout in the middle

And …

The true measure of their influence comes not so much in chart action but in how many times the album was repressed (a lot) and how many tracks ended up in compilations … and, of course, in how many bands covered them. And yes it does sound a bit like Dementia 13.

The Seeds are also huge (like many US garage acts) in Spain and Italy.

I'm keeping this.

Chart Action

Singles

Can't Seem to Make You Mine – #41 US
Pushin' Too Hard – #36 US
Try to Understand – Failed to chart

Album
The album reached #132 in the US.

Sounds

Can't Seem to Make You Mine

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vV8KvKYRxig&feature=related

No Escape

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlQ4thwpUGk

Evil Hoodoo