Bang, Bang introduced a hard rocker whose eclecticism was both impressive and unnervingly inconsistent. The covers of "Season of the Witch" and "Summertime Blues" are overlong and dated, but the frenetic version of
Cher's "Bang, Bang" is inspired, and the rendition of
Gene Pitney's "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart" shows his poppier roots. Over half of the material was penned by
Reid, and while these compositions are sometimes generic, late-'60s hard rockers, he also shows a facility for Donavonesque folk-rock "("Sweater"") and impressive soul-rock vocalizing ("When I Get Home"). Originally not released in the U.K., it's ironically only available now as a U.K. import. ~ Richie Unterberger