Bledsoe: Rarities shine in new'Nuggets'

"Where the Action Is! Los Angeles Nuggets: 1965-1968," Various Artists (Rhino)

Ever since Lenny Kaye compiled the first "Nuggets" albums in 1972, garage rock has enjoyed a little extra (and deserved) credibility.

Since that time, the term "nuggets" has come to represent not only those energetic acts that might have more raw enthusiasm than professional finesse to any odd, underappreciated pop tracks from the era.

The four-disc "Where the Action Is! Los Angeles Nuggets: 1965-1968" is a combination of both ideas and dedicated strictly to music from the Los Angeles area.

There are several easy-to-find tracks on the collection, including The Doors' "Take It As It Comes," The Monkees' "Daily Nightly" and Love's "You Set the Scene," but most of the tracks are incredibly hard to find elsewhere - many having never appeared on CD before.

"Nuggets" veterans the Seeds, The Leaves, the Electric Prunes and the Standells are all represented, along with terrific finds the Humane Society (with the dark and trippy "Eternal Prison") and the Hysterics ("Everything's There"). And who knew chirpy-voiced proto-boy band Dino, Desi and Billy, which included the son of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnez (Desi) and Dean Martin (Dino), could deliver a nasty rockin' number?

While not every song is great, the collection captures the era's long-gone aura and a goofy ambition permeates the discs with even light pop stars the Association and Gary Lewis tapping into a deeper vein.

The fourth disc, "New Directions," is a truly unexpected collection of treasures that includes Van Dyke Parks' single "Come to the Sunshine"; a totally uncharacteristic-of-the-artist Randy Newman psychedelic single version of "Last Night I Had a Dream"; a Gram Parsons-written song ("November Nights") recorded by actor Peter Fonda, but never recorded by Parsons; Harry Nilsson's version of "Sister Marie" (better known by Chad and Jeremy); and Jesse Lee Kincaid's original version of "She Sang Hymns Out of Tune" (better known by Nilsson). There's also three previously-unreleased tracks: a pre-Buffalo Springfield demo of "Sit Down, I Think I Love You" by Stephen Stills and Richie Furay; a demo of the Monkees hit "Words," by the song's authors Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart; and a pop single "One Upon a Time," by future out-there jazz folkie Tim Buckley. And, there's a fun Warren Zevon/Bones Howe number recorded under the name the Motorcycle Abeline and not terribly successful pairing of the Byrds backing up Jackie DeShannon on the song "Splendor in the Grass." Yet, even the weak moments are nice curiosities.

Mostly, "Where the Action Is!" is a fun ride back to a time that only seems innocent in retrospect.

Wayne Bledsoe may be reached at 865-342-6444 or bledsoe@knews.com. He is also the host of "All Over the Road" midnight Saturdays to 4 a.m. Sundays on WDVX-FM.

© 2009, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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