Customer Reviews

Forty Four

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

 

 

"44" is an import anthology 1966-68 of San Jose cult favorites Chocolate Watchband. Since the Rhino compilation is now unfortunately out of print this set is your only option for a summary of the band's work. I am only rating this set three stars for a number of reasons. First the biggest hit by the band "Let's Talk About Girls" is not included on this set. This slashing garage classic is a must have for garage collectors. The second reason for rating this three stars is that their are no liner notes whatsoever. In addition the disk has a rather skimpy playing time of only about 40 minutes. A few more cuts like the above mentioned "Let's Talk About Girls", "In The Past", "Medication", and "Milk Cow Blues" to name a few should have been added. However, cuts like the smokin' "Are You Gonna Be There (At The Love In) and the "Paint It Black" influenced "Sweet Young Thing" are included. Covers include versions of the Kinks' "I'm Not Like Everybody Else" and Bob Dylan's "It's All Over Now Baby Blue". Other cuts of note include "Don't Need Your Lovin'", "No Way Out" and the garage standard "I Ain't No Miracle Worker". The band was another of the bands managed by Ed Cobb who sometimes replaced the actual band members with studio musicians at the recording dates. Mark Loomis' gritty guitar playing is evident on many of the cuts. If you are looking for a sampler of this classic garage band this set will have to fit the bill unitil another compilation is issued unless you choose to purchase their spotty individual albums.

The CWB is one of the true greats of mid-60's psychedelic-garage rock. Along with the 13th Floor Elevators, The Sonics, The Balloon Farm, Love, The Lemon Drops, The Magic Mushrooms, Mouse & The Traps, and The Lollipop Shoppe they gave the underground world some of the best music of the time. Music that blows away plenty of the "hits" and well-known songs we all know so well. To bad limited exposure and poor promotion doomed many of these bands.
This CD is a good overall listen to the work of the CWB. However, like the other reviewer states, not including "Let's Talk About Girls" is like putting out a KISS compliation without "Rock And Roll All Nite!" And, with NO LINER NOTES whatsover, it cheapens the experience a good bit. Check out "At The Love-In-Live" for a much better packaged disc that includes ALL the bands best songs! The live CWB in 1999 rocks!
This is a decent comp....but it could have/should have been more extensive and comprehensive.

Decent thirteen track compilation of the long gone,but certainly not forgotten California '60's garage rockers Chocolate Watchband's three album repertoire. Sound quality here isn't the best, but acceptable. Cuts I found most to my liking were "Don't Need Your Lovin'", Dylan's cover "It's All Over Now,Baby Blue", the Stones-ish "No Way Out", "Sweet Young Thing" (this tune should've been a huge national hit for the band)and "Blues Theme". Give this,often hard-to-find CD a try.

The Chococlate Watchband were a very good Rolling Stones/Yardbirds style band from San Jose, CA USA. They had the the look, the sound, the swagger, and the musicianship, including lead singer Dave Aguilar's vocals.

They were picked up by Tower records, (the label, not the later record store), and signed their career away to their producer, Ed Cobb. Their initial recordings, two 45's: "Don't Need Your Lovin'" and "Sweet Young Thing" are probably what they really sounded like.

Their debut LP, "No Way Out", from 1967, was heavily worked over by Cobb, even replacing Aguilar's vocals on some tracks, and adding "psychedelic" touchs, such as harpsichord.

For their second LP, 1968's "The Inner Mystique", Cobb went further: The entire first side are studio musicains. The second side is similar to their first LP.

The purpose of this CD, "44", is to put together a disk of the actual band, including the singer, Dave aguilar. This a very good record, of interest to the garage band enthusiast and also to the afficcionado of SF Bay area psychedelia, Mark Loomis's lead work on "No Way Out" and "Are You Gonna Be There" compare favourably to Jorma K. of The Jefferson Airplane.

Worth a listen if you like the Rolling Stones, the Yardbirds, or The Jefferson Airplane.