V.A. -"History of British Rock" Compilation, 2 x Vinyl, 1974 (Sire)

Music became a force for me during my childhood. I was nine or 10-years old when The Beatles made their appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show, and the impact of that event or spectacle had made a great impression for me. I wasn't aware that there was British English in the landscape until I heard them speak Liverpool English. The Beatles, for me, besides being a great band, also were the heavenly gate to the entrance of British music culture for yours truly. The Stones came upon me at the same time as the Fab Four. However, it was the Honeycombs that made an impression on me in a very insightful manner that still gives me goosebumps when I hear their recording "Have I The Right." In 1974 when I turned 20, I purchased "History of British Rock," due that they have The Honeycombs' hit song on this compilation.

Alas, this collection brought memories back to me in the same manner as Marcel Proust's character taking a bite of the French cookie. Billy J. Kramer, The Mindbenders (great name for a band by the way), Troggs, and so forth had a magnificent presence in my childhood. Therefore even in my 20's and thinking of the present, I was taken to my childhood in a pleasant manner. The album also introduced me to new music that wasn't popular in Los Angeles in the early 60s, such as Cliff Richard's "Blue Turns To Grey," a remarkable song by Jagger/Richards and an excellent recording. Also, Status Quo's "Pictures of Matchstick Men," Dusty Springfield's "I Only Want To Be With You," and The Pretty Things "Don't Bring Me Down." Those were new songs for me. I have read about these artists in teenage magazines, but never had the opportunity to hear the songs, until I purchased "History of British Rock."

Over the years, I lost this compilation but recently purchased a copy at Rockaway Records, which was under $5. Now, the album not only takes me back to the early 60s but also 1974, when I originally bought the album. A record is not only a listening experience but also an entranceway to one's past.

The Smiths - "Louder Than Bombs" 2 x Vinyl, Compilation, 1987 (Sire)

The Smiths represent an era or a time when things were felt with great wonder and excitement. It was also the last band that really expressed themselves through their design of album and 12" single covers.  Each one was an entrance to a world that seemed gay or at the very least, a portrait of an artist who railed against the system or machine, and either played the price of becoming obscure or a footnote to a series of sad moments.  The Smiths became the voice for those who felt differently or couldn't fit in the world that was clearly made for other people.

There is no such thing as a bad Smiths record, but for me, it is their compilations that speak loudly to me.   The Smiths were one of the last bands to make the 45 rpm single separate from the album.  Albums were important, but I suspect that The Smiths true aesthetic was the A-Side and the additional B-Side. "Louder Than Bombs" is a compilation of their singles, and none (as far as I know, and being a lazy sod, I'm not looking this up as I write this essay) ever made it on to an official Smiths album.    My favorite songs of theirs tend to be the singles and b-sides.  The Smiths were brilliant in releasing incredible B-Sides, which traditionally were throw-a-way songs, and not meant to have any attention attached to them.  But, all of us vinyl lunatics know that is not necessarily true, and The Smiths had brilliant songs placed in the obscure position of being forgotten.  Or not, because The Smiths has paid attention to these 7" little wonders by releasing "Louder Than Bombs," which for the consumer, is a bargain, due to the cost of purchasing 45 rpm imported singles. 

Then, we didn't watch the footsteps leading to a horror show that we now have on hand.   Who would have known?  So in that sense, The Smiths are a band that very much wears the past as a shield, even in its original time of release, but now, it seems that this world didn't exist, or did it?