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The quality of the included book is on par with the first box, meaning it's one of the most comprehensive guides ever to accompany a compilation. Psychedelic music never sounded so good before. This collection highlights European artists' songs that predominately have a much higher production quality and more refined songwriting then what the first Nuggets collection featured. If you are a fan of the psychedelic 60's this is a must have box set. You might also like the 20 volume Rubble series or the Perfume Garden series or the Decca Originals, the Electric Psychedelic Sitar Headswirlers and the Incredible Sound Show Stories if you want to explore the 60's in more depth.
Just a note for the music savvies here: Los Bravos are from Spain, not from the UK.
Another thing of much importance here, is that the British groups, (in particular), influenced the American groups, that would sprout up soon after. Being buried amongst other box sets, and so forth, I haven't listened to it recently, but shall, once I've installed some kind of new shelving to store all the discs accumulating in my humble apartement. Of course, earlier American rockabilly, blues, and so forth,(from the '50's), inspired the Brits, along with their own "skiffle", etc. I got the impression, from some reviews, (and even a little from the fantastic, large, colorful, and very infomative book), that, although highly praised, this set is regarded as a cool,fun, trip down a sort of psychedelic memory lane. Again, that's only "part" of disc three. When I put on disc one, I was completely blown away, to hear the tough, heady, aggressive sounds of howling feedback guitar and gritty, early amplifier distortion, played against a rhythm-section of chugging bass, drums, and angry vocals. The important thing is that this type of non-commercial, innovative rock created a specific guitar sound, (and overall feirce, primal,sometimes dark and eerie, yet futuristic "vibe" from those bands), that has now become a staple amongst the world's most respected and admired rock bands.
A young listener today might not find this to be all that revolutionary, but that would be a young listener whose not considering the fact that this is the very first music to ever use "that" sound, and over forty years ago, no less. For example, along with The Yardbirds, (particularly the "Jeff Beck" era), and The Who's, "My Generation", as well early Kinks, and the beginnings of the experimental-era Beatles:("Tommorrow Never Knows" ,"Strawberry Fields Forever", and "I Am the Walrus"), this is a perfect example of the bold, innovative, career-at-risk-taking, gritty, groundbreaking rock that not only started the whole "pschedelic" movement, but evolved then into "acid rock", "heavy metal","punk" "progressive rock", etc. "That" sound was only just being invented, and discovered, especially by the likes of Jeff Beck, who would even go on to somewhat influence Jimi Hendrix, who would then influence thousands upon thousands of future guitar players because of guitar soloes in songs like "Shapes of Things". Again, though more in the "commercial" mode, some of the music on these discs helped pave the way for the more brash, and daring bands, (like those on "Nuggets 2"), earlier on, especially the Kinks, The Zombies, Manfred Mann, Procol Haram, Small Faces, and others.
I bought this about a year ago, and thinking about getting the American one lately, I've decided to review this precious gem. Of course today, guitar amplifier manufacturers and guitar-effects makers have come up with methods for producing even "more" distortion, and more effects, but there's still something very special about the "pure" sound of over-heated, glass, tube-driven amps being pushed at full volume, in order to produce as much "grit" as those early bands could possibly muster, with what little they had. But of course, not all is perfect, and I'd have to say that some of, (disc three, I think it was), is rather weak, featuring a few crappy groups. But overall, I was very impressed, and it's quite possible that the compilers of this (mostly great) box-set found that they had more than enough material for three discs, and ended up adding some stuff they might have otherwise been wary of, in order to complete four entire lengthy discs. Should musical history then be rewritten. "The British Beat", (though much more "pop" oriented overall), makes a perfect primer with a good three-disc set. That's all fine and well, but it's MUCH, MUCH, MORE than that. Thus, some of the latter American results were great, (in a differant way), which is why I'll soon be buying the American "Nuggets".
What particularly blew me away about "Nuggets 2", was that it would appear that at least a few other "unknown" groups were incorporating very similar sounds, (around the same time that the Yardbirds were), judging from these discs. I'm not so sure, since Jeff Beck claims to have been using constructive guitar feedback, echo, and so forth, (with the Tridents and Nightshift), as far back as 1962. Finally, (especially for the increasingly growing number of young musicologists, musicians, and simply "inquisitive", who seem to be mostly in their teens, and early-twenties), I can think of a couple of companion box-sets that would go quite nicely with this one. And, most definately, I would highly recommend some of the most important, and groundbreaking stuff found on cd, (from those truly creative days), the 2-disc "Ultimate Yardbirds", which also includes a very informative booklet, and most of the stuff from the Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page era.
I feel sorry for any small dealers who had to put up with disatisfied customers because Rhino wants to cut corners on production. I am sure there are lots of bad copies out there.
I bought this from Boarders but got a defective disk, ordered another box, got a defective disc, ordered another box, got a defective disk. After this I just had the store hold them all and I had to listen to each disk multiple times, over and over, (I can't tell you it's painful to have to do this with music you love) and between 3 boxes and 4 disks swapped in and out, I finally got a complete set that did not skip.
I love the music. Hold Rhinos feet to the fire on this.
Don't put yourself through this. Rhino has replacment disks, so don't put up with a disk that only skips in, say, one place, (by the way, none was so defective that it jammed up totally).
It was not only this box; it was Nuggets I too that I ordered that was defective. I mean it, hold Rhino's feet to the fire because I don't trust their manufacturing anymore.
These volumes have clued me in on how much great music I missed the first time around in the 60's. I love Nuggets I & II(Children of Nuggets will be up next to listen to this week). I thought that I'd be skipping over many songs, since I'd hardly heard of any of them, but I was wrong. Most of the songs hold up on their own, and should have been heard more widely on these shores. Between the quality music, and the informative notes, this is a must-hear for lovers of Rock.
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