From the opening fuzz guitar and Farfisa organ riffs of "Feeling Zero," and this is a definite step back in time to a far trippier era of rock & roll. The music contained here is largely a shamelessly derivative batch with nods to all the then-current trends; the
Grace Slick-
Jefferson Airplane inspired vocals on the title track and "Changes Brought to Me," the pure British pop of their hit "Please Leave Me Alone," "Happy World of Captain K" and "Hobbit's Dream,"
the Yardbirds-style raveup of "Chocolate Angel," and the "Paint It Black"-era
Stones bounce of "Up Down Turn Around World" are all earmarks of an isolated time in rock history that, although often replicated, can never be truly duplicated. But the minor-key riffing on "Patterns," the dirgelike version of "Louie Louie," and tongue-in-cheek, over-the-top version of "Over the Rainbow" show that there was also some originality to the band's offerings as well. This retrospective includes 24 tracks, ten unissued, featuring alternate takes of "Feeling Zero" and the title track, all from the original master tapes. In light of all the retro hoopla surrounding this kind of sound, this collection stands as a small landmark to the style. Get your lava lamp warmed up for this one. ~ Cub Koda