Psychotic Reaction: Very Best of

Count Five | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 23, 1999)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Collectables
• ASIN: B00000I0HS
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #85,443 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Psychotic Reaction

2. Double-Decker Bus

3. Pretty Big Mouth

4. The World

5. My Generation

6. She's Fine

7. Peace Of Mind

8. They're Gonna Get You

9. The Morning After

10. Can't Get Your Lovin'

11. Out In The Street

12. Teeny Bopper, Teeny Bopper

13. You Must Believe Me

14. Contrast

15. Merry-Go-Round

16. Declaration Of Independence

17. Revelation In Slow Motion

18. Mailman

Editorial Reviews

No Description Available.
Genre: Popular Music
Media Format: Compact Disk
Rating: NR
Release Date: 23-FEB-1999

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars More Than A One Trick Pony, September 27, 2001

By 

Todd Lucas (Southern Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Psychotic Reaction: Very Best of (Audio CD)

Known for "Psychotic Reaction", one of the finest examples of garage punk the sixties had to offer, the Count Five have been tabbed as one hit wonders. And their recorded legacy ain't exactly deep. But you get it all here in one nice little package and there's more to recommend it than the title hit.

The first eleven tracks are all from the original Psychotic Reaction LP. Several are slower-paced, semi-punky tunes, like "They're Gonna Get You", "The Morning After" and "Pretty Big Mouth". There are also some good, faster numbers that'll win you over, such as "Double Decker Bus" and, perhaps the most underrated song on the original album, "Can't Get Your Lovin'". In all, nine of the songs on the album were penned by the band, with two Who covers thrown in.

The real find are the non-LP singles that make up the balance of the CD. These were recorded subsequent to the release of the album and show quite a bit of musical growth. For example, "Merry-Go-Round" and "Revelation In Slow Motion" both dabble in psychedelia with fine results. Unfortunately, further chart success eluded them.

Somehow, I think it's a misnomer that these guys had limited musical talent. Not only could they play but they also wrote the bulk of what's here. Anyone even remotely interested in 60's garage rock should check this out to discover the Count Five were more than their one hit.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Seminal garage band hit and the career behind it, July 11, 2005

By 

hyperbolium (Earth, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Psychotic Reaction: Very Best of (Audio CD)

This San Jose, CA band could be the poster act for "one hit wonders," given that anything beyond their seminal single, "Psychotic Reaction," is probably unknown beyond garage/psych aficionados and those who knew the band from live appearances. But like so many acts whose art only intersects popular acclaim for an instant, there was a great deal more to their catalog than one chart hit.

The Count Five were spawned by the same South Bay scene that produced The Syndicate of Sound, and, eventually, The Chocolate Watchband. They were a bona fide band of high school and college students who'd been gigging steadily by the time they landed a record contract with Double Shot. Even more importantly, the original song that would become their defining three minutes had been their calling card for countless label auditions; by the time they laid down the version that sparked national acclaim, the song had been allowed to marinate in numerous improvements. Even after they laid it down it was tweaked for AM radio with a razor blade laid to recording tape.

This 17-track collection from the Collectables label is bettered by Big Beat's 24-track compilation of 2003 (titled "Psychotic Revelation"). The latter pulls together the entire history of the band, from the original, unedited version of "Psychotic Reaction" and its reworked hit-single, through hastily recorded album tracks, and post-LP singles. Big Beat's Alec Palao provides extensive liner notes that include generous interviews with original band members and their management/production team. Of particular interest are the details of how regional radio play was parlayed (station-by-station!) into the critical mass of national chart success; a fascinating peek into the pre-consultant world of locally-controlled AM radio.

What comes through on both versions of this disc is that the Count Five was an excellent garage band whose emphasis on Yardbirds' styled rock could spark up covers of British Invasion material (or, in the case of "You Must Believe Me," British interpretations of American soul songs) and fine originals. It's no wonder they were a favorite at area teen clubs, high school dances and mall openings!

Collectables: 4-stars. Big Beat: 5-stars.

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Let's be kind..., April 22, 2000

By 

Monkey Knuckle Asteroid - See all my reviews

This review is from: Psychotic Reaction: Very Best of (Audio CD)

The Count Five have caught an amazing amount of flack for their musicality (or lack thereof). But, c'mon...what we have here is a good-sized slice of garage rock. It's not terrifically different or better than stuff from the Sonics or the Remains. But, hey, not every band can be great through and through...we should be grateful that most of them have a fervently beating heart disturbingly absent from today's idea of rock and roll. You will buy this for the title track and from there you will discover that there are quite a few songs on here that will nicely fill gaps in your head. Seeing as this will probably not convince you, check out Lester Bangs' imaginary article on the Count Five in his book...there, now you have no excuse...

So, do it for Rock and Roll's sake.