Too Much to Dream - Original Group Recordings: Reprise 1966-1967 [Import]

The Electric Prunes | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 12, 2007)
• Original Release Date: 2007
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Import
• Label: Rhino/Wea UK
• ASIN: B000M06H4Q
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #47,713 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night

2. Bangles

3. Onie

4. Are You Lovin’ Me More (But Enjoy It Less)

5. Train For Tomorrow

6. Sold To The Highest Bidder

7. Get Me To The World On Time

8. About Quarter To Nine

9. King Is In The Counting House

10. Luvin’

11. Try Me On For Size

12. Toonerville Trolley

13. Ain’T It Hard

14. Little Olive

15. World Of Darkness (Outtake) (Bonus Track)

16. I’Ve Gotta A Way Of My Own (Outtake) (Bonus Track)

17. Luvin’ (Single/Mono Version) (Bonus Track)

18. I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night (Single/Mono Version) (Bonus Track)

19. Are You Lovin’ Me More (But Enjoy It Less) (Mono Version) (Bonus Track)

20. Get Me To The World On Time (Mono Version) (Bonus Track)

See all 41 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

Two CD set compiling the classic 1966-67 recordings for Reprise Records from this Psychedelic Garage Rock band, best known for their hit 'I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night' (included here). This stunning two CD set features a whopping 40 recordings including previously unreleased tracks. Rhino UK. 2007.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's About Time!, March 30, 2007

By 

Jack B. Nimble (East Coast) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Too Much to Dream - Original Group Recordings: Reprise 1966-1967 (Audio CD)

This UK import 2 CD set released on Rhino/Reprise is long overdue and my prunes have shriveled up waiting for years for the first 2 Electric Prunes albums as well as the 45rpm singles to be reissued on CD on Reprise (not the Collectors' Choice reissues). I must say the packaging/layout is nice, although I would have favored this edition housed in a jewel case or with disc trays instead of CD pockets, but this is an insignificant complaint as there are other positive Prune points to ponder. First, I'm going to critique the sonic characteristics. This was transferred from the original master tapes o'course, being it's a Rhino release and the sound quality is just superb. Very clear, crisp and powerful sound like you've never heard and does the original warm analog recordings more than justice with all around dynamic remastered sound that makes the Prunes more of a pleasure to listen to now as I don't have to "drop the needle" on my near mint original copies. There have been a few Electric Prunes CD's released the past years, but in my opinion this is the one to have along with the Live In Stockholm 67' CD (one of the best live recordings of the late 60's & is a shame Reprise never issued it). Their magnum opus "Underground" is one of my top 20 psych albums of all time as this showed the potential the Prunes really possessed & if only the original lineup were able to stick around a bit longer for a third album to expand on. Sadly, Hassinger lost interest in them & Axelrod takes over completely of the Prunes' musical direction hence forward. The 68' Mass In F Minor LP although, still gets some plays out of me from time to time, truely unique album, but I missed Jimmy Lowe. Too Much to Dream: The Original Group Recordings contains the two 67' full length albums plus the 45rpm non-lp sides & a few mono and alternate versions that are worth having as well. Refer to the song list for the additional tracks not on the original releases. The 45rpm single "You Never Had It Better" never sounded better and puts anything in the rock genre nowadays to shame. This song is utterly a Prunes masterpiece & was made to be played at HIGH volume! Play both CD's at high volume to celebrate this new release. Second, I dig the included booklet w/ Q&A and rare novelty shots & a couple of the group in their psych regalia. As an added treat, the CD's have the original Reprise tri-colored steamboat labels (yes, these things matter in a reissue). The Prunes have once again been fortified and by NO means have shriveled up like so much other things currently in this world. The second psychedelic revolution will not be televised! Are you prepared?

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Two disc overview, July 20, 2007

By 

Laurence Upton (Wilts, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Too Much to Dream - Original Group Recordings: Reprise 1966-1967 (Audio CD)

Until now, if you wanted an overview of the Electric Prunes' output prior to Mass in F Minor, the obvious choice was the compilation Lost Dreams on the Birdman label. Largely drawn from their two magnificent albums from 1967, including their surrealistic American hit, I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night), it included later singles, rarities, unreleased items and extended versions of album tracks. Inevitably, certain favourite tracks from the albums were omitted, however.

This new anthology from Rhino has the luxury of being spread over two discs and therefore includes both stereo albums in full, namely I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night and Underground. Listeners can therefore hear from themselves why the band were so embarrassed at being made to record Al Jolson covers and vaudeville pastiches, whilst also enjoying omitted classics such as Bangles, Children Of Rain, Antique Doll and I, all in the high quality re-mastered sound that Lost Dreams introduced onto CD, this time by Dan Hersch.

The albums are both presented in their standard versions, so if you want to hear fuller versions of Hideaway, The Great Banana Hoax and Dr Do-Good you still need Lost Dreams, though the long stereo version of Long Day's Flight has been added (confusingly mislabeled as a mono single version). A number of A-sides and B-sides from both albums are also added in their original mono single mixes, including the fabulous Great Banana Hoax (again mislabeled as being a previously unreleased version).

Rarities again include Shadows, which played over the credits of the film The Name Of The Game Is Kill; both sides of their first single Ain't It Hard/Little Olive; two outtakes (an unreleased Hollies cover, I've Got A Way Of My Own, and World Of Darkness, though this time both presented in mono); and their final 1967 single, Everybody Knows/You Never Had It Better.

This comprehensively rounds up the most seismic chapters of their history, up to the end of 1967. Mass in F Minor, as its title suggests, introduced a very different sound and a very different band, but that is a another story.

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Electric Prunes-'Too Much To Dream:The Original Group Recordings,Reprise 1966-1967 (WEA), April 23, 2007

By 

Mike Reed (USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Too Much to Dream - Original Group Recordings: Reprise 1966-1967 (Audio CD)

Two CD, 41 track compilation. Looks like the Prune's first two CD's on an import reissue. Appears to be their first two lps, both put out in 1967, 'I Had Too Much To Dream' and 'Underground'. Yet, this is something you don't see everyday. First, you get every tune off 'I Had Too...' THEN plenty of out-take recordings and mono versions, then after that, WEA tagged on the entire 'Underground' album. Great late '60's all American garage rock / psychedelic. Plenty of 'deep album cuts' here that only true Electric Prunes fans (like myself) will likely remember, such as the tripping "Sold To The Highest Bidder", "About A Quarter To Nine", "Luvin'", "Wind-Up Toys" among others. Highly recommended