The Seeds/A Web of Sound [IMPORT]

Seeds

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 12, 2001)
• Original Release Date: June 12, 2001
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Diablo Records UK
• ASIN: B00005J6TB
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #15,728 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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  Music > Alternative Rock > Alternative Styles > Rock > Garage Rock

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
UK 'Two On One' reissue combines the American 'garage' band's first two albums (both from 1966) on one CD, 'The Seeds' & 'A Web Of Sound'. Tracks include their big hit, 'Pushin' Too Hard', 'Mr. Farmer' & the 15 minute epic 'Up In Her Room' (Long Version). 2001 release.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Seeds: Garageland's Super Group, March 18, 2002

By	Gavin B. (St. Louis MO) - See all my reviews

All praise and glory to the Seeds! These L.A. based rockers were the only garage band, Stooges aside, to reach superstardom. The Seeds were wonderfully inept and so limited musically that they were a beacon of hope for every tone deaf kid who just bought guitar. This CD is actually the first two Seeds vinyl albums on Crescendo, isssued in 1966. In 1966 the Seeds were on the top of the heap of Sunset Strip bands and their primary rival was Arthur Lee's legendary group, Love. When the Seeds played clubs like the Whiskey, the Sea Witch or the the Trip they drew huge crowds and groups like Zappa's Mothers of Invention, the Doors, and Captain Beefheart actually were opening acts for the Seeds! The Seeds were the group that coined the term "flower power" and along with Love, were the first groups considered to be psychedelic. The pummeling, repetative 2 chord rock of the Seeds was anything but psychedelic, however. It was the bizarre free asscociation lyrics of lead singer Sky Saxon that made the Seeds unusual.

"Pushing Too Hard", a garage classic, is on this collection. There is a certain brillance needed to make a song simplier than "Louie, Louie" a top 40 hit. "Pushing Too Hard" features Saxon's bratty half spoken vocal and the snarling, reverb soaked lead guitar of Jan Savage. The second album, "Web of Sound" is the Seeds finest hour. In this one, Saxon's lyrics and vocal style are over the top. "Up In Her Room" is a 14 minute epic where Saxon improvises lyrics which become increasingly derranged. "Tripmaker" and "Pictures and Designs" are incoherent, yet mezmerizing songs about the delights of LSD. "Mr. Farmer" is a defining moment in the history of rock and roll. The band plays a mid- tempo marching beat and Saxon mournfully pleads with Mr. Farmer to let him water his crops..."Mr. Farmer, I want to be just like you." It doesn't get much better than this. The Seeds put out a couple of more albums after the first two, but Sky Saxon's songs like, "900 People Making It Daily", "Falling Off The Edge of My Mind", and "Love In A Summer Basket" became too psychedelic, even for their chemically fueled devotees. By 1969, the band was pretty much gutted, but the Seeds will always be the headline act in Garageland.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Worth it for garage fans, December 14, 2004

By	Hans Pfaall "eight_miles_high" (Connecticut, USA) - See all my reviews

In my opinion, the repetitive (and in some cases obviously derived) nature of the first album is enough to warrant a mixed rating for this release. It would be an unfair overgeneralization of the Seeds for one to say that every song is like the classic "Pushin' Too Hard," but as noted by other reviewers, a number of the songs (No Escape, Evil Hoodoo, etc.) do tend to recycle riffs and ideas from the band's lone top 40 hit. In addition, the track "Nobody Spoil My Fun" sounds like an obvious re-write of the Stones cover "Down Home Girl." That said, the first album is still a lot of fun - sort of a wild and trashy brand of rock'n'roll with strangeness and attitude. Also of importance, the electric piano has a mysterious sound, one unique to the Seeds. The instrument is not one often found in garage rock.

I find the Seeds "minimalism" to be charming, if not wholly artistically successful. Case in point, "Evil Hoodoo" reminds me of some of what the Velvet Underground would later accomplish with their own seeming brand of drug induced instrumentation, yet it doesn't have the strong lyrical flourishes Lou Reed was known for. Another highlight was the almost top 40 "Can't Seem to Make You Mine." This cut gets me every time, as Saxon sounds completely out of his mind in his desire for a girl.

The second album Web of Sound was an improvement, and wound up as the best album the Seeds ever put out. This was chiefly because on Web of Sound, the Seeds had more adventure and variation in the songwriting. Indeed, I would argue that "Pictures and Designs" represents a top-notch effort in early psychedelia with its dark organ, snarling fuzz, sinister vocal exclamations, and out and out dementia. "I Tell Myself" was also a fine Stones-like lighter number. In addition, the overlong "Up In Her Room" has to be considered innovative on some level, because there would be some similarity in the Velvets' "Sister Ray" a little over a year later. And let us not forget the oddball "Mr. Farmer," where Saxon utters the ludicrous line "Mr. Farmer let me harvest your crops [sss]." Though a mixed bag, I would say that the second album was the one to most clearly represent the vision of Saxon and company. All in all, I would recommend this CD, which includes all of the Seeds first two albums, to music fans interested in garage rock.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Seeds - 'The Seeds/A Web Of Sound' (Diablo Records), October 19, 2005

By	Mike Reed (USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

The Seed's first two lp's reissued on one CD,both with a 1966 release date.Simply a great garage/psych title that more than stands the test of time.Ideal for newcomers.Total of nineteen tracks that managed to hold my full attention.I noticed that on several of the tunes off the first s/t record here,that the main riffs SEEM to be borrowed from the three-chord riff from "Pushin' Too Hard".That's fine because it appears to work in this case.Very much so.Cuts I found most appealing were "Can't Seem To Make You Mine","Evil Hoodoo",their immortal(previously mentioned)"Pushin' Too Hard","Mr.Farmer","Tripmaker","I Tell Myself" and the 14-minute epic "Up In Her Room".Recommended for fans of Human Expression,Amboy Dukes,The Barbarians,The Troggs and Easybeats.