Customer Reviews

2131 South Michigan Avenue: 60's Garage And Psychedelia From USA And Destination Record

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

Bob Irwin and Sundazed (Coxsackie, NY) does their usual high quality restoration, they turn out some great sounding discs (Bob's 2006 remastering of The Worst of Jefferson Airplane is just stellar).

2 discs, 95 minutes, of prime mid-West garage scronk ! If you have enjoyed any of the Garage Beat '66 releases this one would easily rise to the top of that heap. For a real good time: have yourself a major kegger and turn this one up !

My band, The Park Ave Playground, is on this compilation. I saw quite a few of these acts live back in the day either because we were on the bill with them or they were at a venue in my area so my biases are evident but I've listened to many of these garage band collections and I think that this is among the best.

Lot's of excellent Chicago bred musicians in their early stages represented. The info on the pull out sleeve is well written and full of interesting facts about the acts included on these two CDs. The sound of the old recordings is amazingly crisp due no doubt to the amazing technical abilities we have available these days.

If you like these kind of retro sets, I think you'll really like this one.

(disclaimer: I receive no money from sale of this product)

Being a garage fan for years, I was dismayed to see the USA and Destination records labels still overlooked by compilers. Finally this label gets it due with a very classy compilation by Sundazed.

Despite being a tiny indie label, USA's president Jim Golden had a instinct for discovering local Chicago and regional garage bands with a gift for writing catchy pop-garage and pop-pysch songs and then crafting them for AM radio. Had USA-Destination had stronger promotion, many of these could have been national monsters like the Buckinghams "Kind Of A Drag" was.

Everything is first rate here from the packaging, mastering from original tapes, liner notes and a excellent track selection. My only gripe is both CD's run around 45 minutes - fine for vinyl, but a little disapointing for CD fans knowing there's other gems that could have been included as bonus cuts. And USA did cut some fine Soul-R&B and Girl Group tracks that could be included in future comps.

Otherwise this is a outstanding comp, and a very necessary buy for Chicago and Garage rock fans.

WHEN I GET A CD AND REPLAY IT TWO OR THREE DAYS IN A ROW, I KNOW I HAVE RECEIVED A GEM. THIS COMPLILATION STILL SITS ON THE PLAYER IN OUR GALLERY READY TO BE PLAYED AGAIN. WE HAVE A COUPLE THOUSAND CD'S ON CALL AND I SIMPLY HAVEN'T WANTED TO PUT IT AWAY YET. A GENUINE TREAT. OWEN MAHON / OPEN DOOR GALLERY

As we have come to expect from Sundazed, the production quality on this two-disc set is exemplary. The digital transfer from the original tapes was carried out so well that hiss and sound-boxing is virtually non-existent.

The material contained is a selection of bands that recorded on the Dimension and/or USA label out of Chicago, Illinois during the 1960s. Most of the songs are originals, though a few covers (Yardbirds, Kinks and Beatles) make their way in). Some of the cuts will raise the question: "Why didn't this band break-out nationally?" Other cuts will answer that question.

The only downside is so-so liner notes in a less-than-satisfying format consisitng of a mutli-foldout sheet. It contains the track listings, some photos and ephemera; but little about the bands and their members.

This set is a necessity for anyone who favors the music of the 60s.

Let's start with the good. I love the packaging! This set has a real dug-out-of-the-closet, brought-down-from-the-attic feel to it. I love the design that's informed by artifacts from the time this music was recorded. It really helps provide a context for the tracks. It's appealing, eye-catching and nostalgic without being overly sentimental.

I also love the liner notes. They're tight, concise, and, considering the number of bands included in the set, very comprehensive.

And let's not forget the music. If you love American garage rock and pop with mild stabs at psychedelia here and there, then this look at USA records should be right next to your Nuggets, Pebbles, and Mindrocker box sets. The Cryan Shames, The Cherry Slush, The Lost Agency, and Oscar Hamod and the Majestics sound absolutely great in this collection.

However, there were a few things that kept me from giving the collection the fifth star. The author of the liner notes mentions that the tracks are from the original master tapes, but then he drops the subject completely. I wanted to know where those sources came from. And why were they locked away for all those years? And why is every track in mono? No answers. It was a cryptic and unsatisfying story for me.

Also, I believe that there were some stronger tracks that should have been included in the set. For instance, The Trolls' "Don't Come Around" is a thumping, crunching classic! It was on the Mindrocker set. Why not here, especially when the authors had access to the master tapes? (In their defense, I'll be the first to admit any fan might have a different play list of favorites. Tastes, sensibilities, and preferences are highly subjective.)

Despite these quibbles, "2131 South Michigan Avenue" is good fun and great audio anthropology. Unanswered questions aside, I recommend this set for fans who really love to dig deeper into 1960s music.