Cicadelic Rec. The Bluethings : "Blow Your Mind" (US,rec.1963-1966,pub.2007)**°'
The band started as a school band called The Blueboys in 1964, but they changed to Bluethings named to avoid confusion with Jim Reeves' back-up band The Blueboys who came to appear as a solo band after Jim’s death. Their earliest, just now and then, noticeable influence, included Buddy Holly (just hear “P’s and Q’s”), but I think they luckily evolved further to a more ‘60s sound, with rather soft ballads, while they had attractive rhythms that came from earlier styles that made their early beat style sound original. The band got a contract with RCA while they were looking for a new Jefferson Airplane type of group. The label added more of acoustic rock and Beatlesque harmonies to their first 1965 recording, and promoted them as “a new American group with that best-selling British sound”. However, their kind of, rather predictable and straight forward Merseybeat style to a degree didn’t entirely define their whole range of inspirations, although most singles, listed on CD1, (which are the first 21 tracks mostly) had something of Beau Brummels sound, with a clear Byrds touch (very often in the guitars mostly) and a slight Beatles touch (vocally mostly, but not always), while the rather happy rhythms were mostly a bit more upbeat compared to their singing, adding with this an attractive pop-groovyness and effect to their music. Some of these tracks have additional mouth harmonica. The band had also a folkier side, influenced a few times by Bob Dylan (“Girl from the North Country”, “Waiting for changes”,..), and always led by acoustic guitars, a style which in those days often was considered to be demo-like, and which mostly, within 60s flavours also sound a bit incomplete or mellow, although it can have its own attractiveness. With the exception of a few (unreleased) tracks on CD1 (as bonus or unreleased tracks) most of such so called “folk-rock” styled tracks are listed on CD2. On CD1, these tracks are much mellower (with lots of harmonica, and relaxed rhythms) compared to the previous tracks, so that, unfortunately, after this stronger and more forward approach within such a huge collection of it makes listening a bit more tiring than necessary. The collection musically could have been split in three parts, but technically that would have been less possible to do so-). The first real bonus track, the sweet folky ballad “Nancy Whiskey”, with additional female vocalist, although entirely different, I appreciate a little bit better, but that’s for me the only real surprise left after the first stronger 21 tracks. The second CD compiled mostly better folkier tracks (with one very much Dylan styled track, “Girl from the North Country”), but also here its mellow naivety becomes tiring too. From track 15 to 18 we can hear again a different approach, some welcome psychedelic pop experiments, of which “The Orange Rooftop of your mind” and perhaps “Twist and Shout” I like well, and also the raw garagepsych styled version of “my generation” suits them ok. There’s also a bit more garage psych hard rock track, “Talk Talk”, and a more bluesrock track called “I’m a man”. Most of these tracks are with different more “aggressive” vocals. This psych approach suits the band well. At least there was more thoughtful use of creating sounds with their instruments.
This is the most complete collection of the band to date (Collectibles released before 44 tracks on two volumes), delivering now 65 tracks in total, with a 23 page booklet full rare photographs and a detailed biography.
