Customer Reviews

Revolution

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

 

 

Excellent, consistent debut from this cool Dutch band. Very much garage-made R&B. Quite similar to the Pretty Things, but with its own individual stamp. Whether recording covers of soul and blues songs written by the likes of Willie Dixon, Otis Redding, Bo Diddley, and Allen Touissant, or their own, Nuggets-style, fuzz-blasted rock and roll with snarling vocals, these guys seemed to be on target. There are no bad songs on this collection, including the 4 bonus tracks, and the 3 or 4 best songs stand up to anything recorded by bands from this era and genre.

I've listened to so many albums from the 1960s that I am usually wary of the "lost classic" tag. While there are definitely some genuine unknown treasures out there (The Monks, the United States of America, etc.), most forgotten albums have been forgotten for a reason.

Having said that, this album came to me as a pleasant surprise. It won't blow you away, but is certainly better than most of its garage punk peers. That it was released in 1966 (by a Dutch band, no less) is all the more amazing. It definitely comes across as a product of '67 with that year's dirth of post-Sgt Pepper eclecticism. Punk, blues, soul, and more, this album diverges in all directions, and the Q65 prove to be capable at all the sounds they try to tackle.

The rundown:

The album starts off with harmless garage rocker "The Life I Live", a good track though slightly forgettable. It is followed by the Troggs-like stomp-rock "I Got Nightmares", one of the album's highlights. They next change it up with the pseudo-Indian flavored "Just Who's In Sight" featuring a recorder(!) solo.

"Mr. Pitiful" is a sax-backed Stax-inspired soul song that could have found a home on an Otis Redding album, reminiscent of "Lady Madonna" but better.

"I'm a Man" is the Bo Diddley classic--not a Yardbirds original as another reviewer states, although the Q65 version is obviously based on the Yardbirds' cover. A nice fuzzy bassline and solid harmonica work might actually make this better than the Yardbirds' take, though still not in league with Diddley's.

"Middle-Age Talk" takes the album in another direction entirely; a genuine acoustic blues number, the type which the Stones would build their late-60s career on (think "No Expectations" from "Beggars Banquet").

"Summer Thoughts" starts off as a slow, brooding blues song, then builds into a slow 60s punk tune. Not a bad song at all, though perhaps one of the weakest here. But if this is the weakest, it only speaks of the record's overall strength.

The blistering "Down In the Bottom" is one of the most abrasive songs to find its way on record pre-Velvet Underground, on par with The Who's early work, but with a toughness that Dutch rock has become known for.

"Get Out of My Life Woman" is an oft-covered song that the Leaves, the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, and the Fugitives all recorded around this same time. This version is a little bit tougher than the others, though nothing to get too excited about.

The Q65's take on "Spoonful", on the other hand, is a rather inspired interpretation. Anchored by some nice acoustic blues guitar, it is still no match for the Howlin' Wolf original, but surely better than contemporaries such as the Shadows of Knight and Cream's attempts.

"Sour Wine" provides further evidence of this album's classic status. With its accordian-laced balladry and raga-esque guitar work, this Dutch band somehow manages to successfully pull off a French-sounding, Indian-tinged love song with English lyrics.

"Bring It On Home" is a 13+ minute version of the Sonny Boy Williamson song that would later be covered by Led Zeppelin. Though perhaps a bit tedious for some to sit through, this is one of the earliest examples of jamming that made it onto record, though it would become a staple of the psychedelic rock album in 1967 and 68. This attempt works, with enough surprises throughout (echoing voices, shredding guitar work, falsetto howling) to warrant repeat listenings.

All in all, this a definite must-have if you are a fan of mid-60s garage rock in the Nuggets vein. Forget the over-hyped Electric Prunes, Remains, and Creation. Seek this one out.

Originally released in 1966. Good garage / fuzz psych from an extremely short lived Dutch band, who existed from 1965-68. 'Revolution' looks to be their first and possibly their only album. Nice CD reissue with four added bonus tracks. Q 65 was once noted to be able to outdo their rivals like the Stones or Pretty Things at one point. Not sure about that, but 'Revolution' is a good piece of work. Tunes that had me keeping this disc around for a bit were "The Life I Live", Yardbird's cover "I'm A Man", "Down In The Bottom" and "Sour Wine". Line-up: Wim Bieler-vocals {R.I.P.}, Joop Van Nimwegan - guitar, Frank Nuyens - guitar, sax & flute, Peter Vink - bass and Jay Baar{R.I.P.} - drums. Should appeal to some fans of the Byrds, Ousiders, Group 1850, Music Machine and possibly Love.

I first heard this group in the spring of 88. I was a 20 year old who was going against the grain as far as music went. I used to listen to alot of Pebbles albums, and this was off the European garage band album. "I Got Nightmares" is a pounder where it sounds as though they tried to fuse the Pretty Things and Love together, and it's a rather nice slice indeed. "It Came To Me" could've been just as good except for the harmonicas. I'm sure everyone is like "Dan!!!...It's Just a Stinking Instrument....Get Over It!!!". The rest I have to sample at a later time.

Los grupos Holandeses de los años 60's están inevitablemente eclipsados por sus contemporáneos Ingleses y Estadounidenses. Sin embargo, nombres como Outsiders, Zipps, Motions, Golden Earring o Q 65 merecen bastante más que la pobre clasificación de oscuras bandas Europeas continentales, pudiendo en muchos casos competir mano a mano con los "grandes".

Revolution no es sólo uno de los mejores discos editados en ese país en los 60's (aunque no sean muchos los contendores), sino además un punto de referencia para el desarrollo musical de la época, en donde r&b, garaje y otras formas se mezclaban para dar forma a sorprendentes y por lo general infravalorados álbumes.

Llevar más lejos las innovaciones realizadas por los Yardbirds parecía un asunto difícil, pero Q65 se atrevió, despedazando y alargando el clásico I'm a Man, con una avalancha de fuzz en guitarras y un trepidante ritmo. También hay lecciones aprendidas del garaje, en su lado más salvaje (I Got Nightmares y Down in the Bottom), o más rockero (The Life I l Live), aproximaciones soul un tanto apagadas en los covers de Mr. Pitiful y Get Out Of My Life (que dejan a Revolution con 4½ estrellas), e indicios psicodélicos en Just Who's in Sight.

Pero es el blues el que se lleva la mayoría de los créditos: acústico en Middle-age Talk, eléctrico y rasposo en Spoonful. Para el final el grupo guardó lo mejor, una demoledora versión de 14 minutos de Bring it on Home. Hay muy pocos puntos de comparación, tal vez se podría mencionar Goin' Home de los Stones o Up In Her Room de los Seeds, pero la potencia y crudeza de Q65 le hace en verdad honor al título del álbum. Q65 llevó hasta el límite la improvisación dentro del formato blues, un recurso muy utilizado en los años siguientes pero que muy pocos osaron (o pudieron) desarrollar en 1966. (4½ estrellas)