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Track Listings
| Disc: 1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. The Spencer Davis Group - Looking Back | |||
| 2. The Arthur Brown Set - Don't Tell Me | |||
| 3. The Untamed - It's Not True | |||
| 4. The Syndicats - Crawdaddy Simone | |||
| 5. The Bats - On The Waterfront | |||
| 6. John Lee's Groundhogs - I'll Never Fall In Love Again | |||
See all 27 tracks on this disc
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| Disc: 2 | |||
| 1. Soul Purpose - Hip Huggin' Mini | |||
| 2. The Brothers Grimm - Looky, Looky | |||
| 3. J.J. Jackson - Come See Me | |||
| 4. The Arthur Brown Set - Baby You Know What You're Doing | |||
| 5. Lloyd Alexander Real Estate - Gonna Live Again | |||
| 6. The Mirage - You Can't Be Serious | |||
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See all 27 tracks on this disc
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| Disc: 3 | |||
| 1. Kris Ife - Hush | |||
| 2. Watson T. Brown & Explosive - Crying All Night | |||
| 3. Stu James & The Mojos - Until My Baby Comes Home | |||
| 4. The Ministry Of Sound - White Collar Worker | |||
| 5. Katch 22 - Baby Love | |||
| 6. John's Children - Just What You Want, Just What You'll Get | |||
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See all 26 tracks on this disc
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Product Description
CD Description
A mammoth eighty-track compendium of the finest (mostly) British Mod sounds of the 60s, housed in a Clambox with a 48-page booklet.
Looking Back boasts a smattering of previously unissued gems from the likes of A Wild Uncertainty, Tony Rivers & The Castaways, The Thoughts, The Trekkas and The Knave.
Many tracks are new to CD, including nuggets from the Lloyd Alexander Real Estate (who later became Audience), and soul obscurities from Maynell Wilson, Hoagy Benson and Watson T. Brown & Explosive.
Looking Back is compiled and annotated by Paul Weller biographer and long-time Mod observer John Reed and designed by Andy Morten (Shindig magazine, Rev-Ola).
Many of the rarities here are drawn from cult British labels such as Planet, Ember and Chapter One. Other obscurities were only issued abroad (The Sorrows, The Alan Bown Set). Many of the artists, such as Arthur Brown and The Groundhogs, went on to enjoy huge success. The Valentines, for example, were fronted by a pre-AC/DC Bon Scott!
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
RPM's built a great reputation over the years for unveiling the nooks and crannies of Britpop 60s history, from label overviews (Beacon, Strike, etc.) to great single-artist packages. But this might be the first time they've attempted such an ambitious package? Over three CDs, Looking Back tries to document the British beat/mod explosion in its various guises via 80s tracks. The packaging is exemplory, from myriad photos to reasonably accurate and informative liner notes. The front cover artwork is refreshing, too - not the usual Twiggy or scooter shots but something which somehow captures the excitement of soul clubs back in the mid-1960s.
But two questions hover over such compilations. The first is the M-word. Isn't Mod just being used as a sales tool? Mod music wasn't British, right? It was American soul, blues and R&B or maybe Jamaican ska and rocksteady. Well, the purists can argue amongst themselves. At least Looking Back qualifies its contents with the terms Freakbeat and Swinging London - two genres which aren't that specific. If we give the compilers the benefit of the doubt on the Mod term, we then notice that Looking Back seems to be loosely themed. Disc 1 concentrates on the Beat and R&B material, centring on its boom in 1963-1964. Horn sections, for the most part, arrive on Disc 2 - so this is soul, albeit mostly of the blue-eyed variety (although there are more black vocalists here than meets the eye). Disc 3 seems to reflect Mod's diaspora, with various styles across the late 60s. The kind of tunes, then, which get played on the Mod scene today.
The second question for any such compendium is to what extent this is merely recycled fare, i.e. you've already got everything elsewhere. Well, Looking Back does boast a lot of stuff we've all heard before (e.g. 'Crawdaddy Simone', though it sounds better than ever). However, RPM have unearthed maybe half-a-dozen previously unheard tracks, including a Who cover ('La La La Lies' by A Wild Uncertainty) and a splendid Hammond instrumental by mysterious band The Knave. Amazing to think these finds are still occurring in 2011. So if you've bought everything issued by the likes of RPM, Rev-Ola and Ace, you may have 75% of the content here. But how many of us have really kept up with everything? Also, the compilers do seem to have picked the pearls amongst the swine.
An extra mention of the sound quality. Often, these comps are let down by shoddy EQ'ing - so each track sounds OK but they don't play through well. No such concerns here. As a listening experience, Looking Back is superb. While this listener might not agre with 100% of the choices, there's no doubting the effort behind it.
Overall, Looking Back is essential for any discerning fan of British 60s music.
But two questions hover over such compilations. The first is the M-word. Isn't Mod just being used as a sales tool? Mod music wasn't British, right? It was American soul, blues and R&B or maybe Jamaican ska and rocksteady. Well, the purists can argue amongst themselves. At least Looking Back qualifies its contents with the terms Freakbeat and Swinging London - two genres which aren't that specific. If we give the compilers the benefit of the doubt on the Mod term, we then notice that Looking Back seems to be loosely themed. Disc 1 concentrates on the Beat and R&B material, centring on its boom in 1963-1964. Horn sections, for the most part, arrive on Disc 2 - so this is soul, albeit mostly of the blue-eyed variety (although there are more black vocalists here than meets the eye). Disc 3 seems to reflect Mod's diaspora, with various styles across the late 60s. The kind of tunes, then, which get played on the Mod scene today.
The second question for any such compendium is to what extent this is merely recycled fare, i.e. you've already got everything elsewhere. Well, Looking Back does boast a lot of stuff we've all heard before (e.g. 'Crawdaddy Simone', though it sounds better than ever). However, RPM have unearthed maybe half-a-dozen previously unheard tracks, including a Who cover ('La La La Lies' by A Wild Uncertainty) and a splendid Hammond instrumental by mysterious band The Knave. Amazing to think these finds are still occurring in 2011. So if you've bought everything issued by the likes of RPM, Rev-Ola and Ace, you may have 75% of the content here. But how many of us have really kept up with everything? Also, the compilers do seem to have picked the pearls amongst the swine.
An extra mention of the sound quality. Often, these comps are let down by shoddy EQ'ing - so each track sounds OK but they don't play through well. No such concerns here. As a listening experience, Looking Back is superb. While this listener might not agre with 100% of the choices, there's no doubting the effort behind it.
Overall, Looking Back is essential for any discerning fan of British 60s music.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
This "Looking Back" compilation for me is one of the better compilations of sixties sounds from 2011 - Like the old Past & Present comps, there is a mixture of tracks you will know & love, and then there are those tracks that are new to even the most diehard fans of this music scene. There are new tracks on this comp that i have never heard before!!
If you are like me and your vinyl buying days are long gone, this CD is an absolute must. Unfortunately like the previous review I do have a number of the tracks on other Cds , The Ember Record Label series / Ministry Of Sound / The Untamed / Mulberry Bush / The Syndicats (It Was Paul "Smiler" - Rare Mod compiler who introduced me to this track during the eighties) / Strike Records etc... so for me a number of tracks i already own (even a copy of the previously uncomped "Lloyd Alexander Real Estate" on a vinyl '45, but it is the anticipation of those tracks i dont yet have, or havent heard before, or know about but have not got yet, which is more about where this comp fits into anyones collection.
There are many new tracks to me on this comp that I love, and the quality is outstanding. The 35 page booklet with each single details and pictures is also well published.
My Favourite tracks :- (excluding the tracks i already have which are also excellent) "The InCrowd - Stop Wait a minute" recently found this on YouTube and sounds like Shake, The Knave - Ace OF Clubs (if you like The Quik then this is a must buy), The Alan Bown Set - Jeu De Massacre (Unlike the Alan Bown you normally get on Comps - this is frantic stuff), Hardin & York - Little Miss Blue (Spencer Davis reincarnate!!), The Birds - No Good Without You (An Australian band of the same name covering the UK Birds songs!), The Trekkas. A Wild Uncertainty, Watson T Browne ... the list is endless.
Worth noting is CD3 has a few more Girly / Poppier tracks on it than the other Cds, the likes of Twinkle / Val McKenna/ Jacki Bond / The McKinleys / and a Ray Singer pop track with Organ. On the Whole 20 decent tracks and 6 questionable tracks for me (these fit into the more "Swinging London Nuggets" section)
This is a brilliant compilation - whether you like 60's R & B, Soul , General , Freakbeat , or whatever Genre you want to put to each track - with this compilation you have 80 Tracks, over three CDS and some I guess are worth much more than the CDs cost. RPM have pulled off a very comprehensive collection of some great sixties tracks not yet comped (if you like the Past & Present / Psychic Circle / Rare Mod compilations then you will not be dissapointed with this CD. Interestingly could they follow this up with a volume 2?
If you are like me and your vinyl buying days are long gone, this CD is an absolute must. Unfortunately like the previous review I do have a number of the tracks on other Cds , The Ember Record Label series / Ministry Of Sound / The Untamed / Mulberry Bush / The Syndicats (It Was Paul "Smiler" - Rare Mod compiler who introduced me to this track during the eighties) / Strike Records etc... so for me a number of tracks i already own (even a copy of the previously uncomped "Lloyd Alexander Real Estate" on a vinyl '45, but it is the anticipation of those tracks i dont yet have, or havent heard before, or know about but have not got yet, which is more about where this comp fits into anyones collection.
There are many new tracks to me on this comp that I love, and the quality is outstanding. The 35 page booklet with each single details and pictures is also well published.
My Favourite tracks :- (excluding the tracks i already have which are also excellent) "The InCrowd - Stop Wait a minute" recently found this on YouTube and sounds like Shake, The Knave - Ace OF Clubs (if you like The Quik then this is a must buy), The Alan Bown Set - Jeu De Massacre (Unlike the Alan Bown you normally get on Comps - this is frantic stuff), Hardin & York - Little Miss Blue (Spencer Davis reincarnate!!), The Birds - No Good Without You (An Australian band of the same name covering the UK Birds songs!), The Trekkas. A Wild Uncertainty, Watson T Browne ... the list is endless.
Worth noting is CD3 has a few more Girly / Poppier tracks on it than the other Cds, the likes of Twinkle / Val McKenna/ Jacki Bond / The McKinleys / and a Ray Singer pop track with Organ. On the Whole 20 decent tracks and 6 questionable tracks for me (these fit into the more "Swinging London Nuggets" section)
This is a brilliant compilation - whether you like 60's R & B, Soul , General , Freakbeat , or whatever Genre you want to put to each track - with this compilation you have 80 Tracks, over three CDS and some I guess are worth much more than the CDs cost. RPM have pulled off a very comprehensive collection of some great sixties tracks not yet comped (if you like the Past & Present / Psychic Circle / Rare Mod compilations then you will not be dissapointed with this CD. Interestingly could they follow this up with a volume 2?
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Its not entirely clear whether this is anything to do with the other nuggets collections, or not, but if our a fan of Nuggets, Los Angeles Nuggets etc then you won't be disappointed. Not quite as good as the earlier Nuggests complications - here is a couple of ropey ones and perhaps one or two many cover versions, button the whole it's a great little collection. Imagine a London Soho underground club in the middle of the Sixties and this might have been what it who us have soy need like! A must for Freakbeat Freaks!
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