Twenty-four track compilation of the best / better tunes from Q65's other releases - like 'Revolution', the must-have hard-to-find 'Singles A's And B's' 2-CD box set and 'The Life I Live'. Some fans and critics alike have hailed the Q65 to be like a Dutch reply to the UK's Pretty Things. That alone should lure you to have interest in snagging up a copy of this CD. Too bad that Q65 never managed to achieve any real success outside their native homeland. Be sure to check out the Rev-Ola site when you can, as they have many stellar releases you might want to know about.

Took me long enough to finally land down a copy of this (likely, by now) out-of-print Dutch import CD. 'Afghanistan' is notably a Q65 re-grouping of the original band, except for maybe one member. Personnel appears to be pretty much the same of their 1966 'Revolution' CD (see my review). This title has been said to be Q65's second proper lp. Tracks here that did it for me were "Love Is Such A Good Thing", their psychedelic gem "Baby Don't Worry", the bluesy "Nobody Knows When You're Down And Out", "I Gotta Move" and "Don't Let Me Fall". Plus, I have to mention their fourteen-minute "Rock 'N Roll Medley" is good too with snippets of "Long Tall Sally", "Whole Lotta Shakin'", "Jenny Jenny" and "My Babe". I had no idea that Q65 had this many titles available. Also check out their 'Singles A's And B's' 2-CD box set (see my review).

An exclusive two-fer-one CD reissue of the Dutch psych band's two proper album releases. Here, you get their self-titled debut lp ('67) and 'C. Q.' ('68). I didn't know that first several tracks on the self-titled effort were recorded live at an early 1967 gig. Nice to hear the Pretty Things-ish "Story 16", the foot-stomping "Ain't Gonna Miss You", the rocking "I Wish I Could", as well as "Filthy Rich" and the moving "If You Don't Treat Me Right". Also liked quite a bit the core tunes of 'C. Q.' like "Misfit", the band's signtaure song "Daddy Died On Saturday", "Man On The Dune" and the inspiring "Happyville". Personnel: Wally Tax (R.I.P.) - vocals & harmonica, Ronnie Splinter and Tom Krabbenam - guitars, Appie Rammers - bass and Leenderd - drums. Highly recommended.

Excellent 24 track compilation of this superb psychedelic Dutch band's work. Each tune on 'Strange Things Are Happening' was apparently a single sometime between 1965-69. These guys are not to be confused with the '60's U.S. soul / pop band of the same name. Tunes that more than make this disc a keeper are (without a doubt) "Sun's Going Down", the trippy "Feel Like I Wanted To Cry", "Keep On Trying", the-oh so-familiar sounding "Touch" and "Ballad Of John B". Another lesser-known psych band that had it NOT been for the Rhino 'Nuggets II' 4-CD box set, I would have never even known about this collective. Highly recommended for fans of the Pretty Things, early Beatles, Q65, The Action and The Creation. Essential.

Two disc, 51 track CD box set - hard-to-find [anymore] unless you're willing to shell out the big bucks or settle for a Russian bootleg pressing. Personally, I got more out of the similar Q65 2-CD box set of the same title + the on the same label. Out of the fifty-one songs here, there are at least twenty-five that are really quite good. The others seem to be fillers, left-overs, etc. The true standouts on this box set are easy to spot - like the rocking "You Mistreat Me", "Lying All The Time", "Keep On Trying", their signature song "Touch", the pop-ish "Miss Wonderful", the foot-stomping bluesy psych rocker "Talk To Me", the awesom "Ballad Of John B" and "Last Night". Plus the several Wally Tax solo tunes you get here like "If You Don't Treat Me Right" and "I Want To Know" aren't bad. Only complaint I might have about 'Singles A's And B's' are that there are a handful of songs through out the two discs where Tax tries his hand at sounding like Tom Jones, thus being a lounge singer. It doesn't work. Comes with an irreplaceable fourteen-page CD booklet.

Until recently, I never even remotely heard of this CD - yet another title on the German label, Dossier - now defunct. I've always wondered whatever happened to Dossier as I haven't seen titles on their label in stores for years now. This eleven track import CD took me by complete surprize. About every single cut here kicks total ass. But the true standouts are "Die To Fly", the truly mutated "Brown Spider", the eleven-minute rocking "Love Is Crimson Red", "Many Horses" and "Was Just A Dream". Line-up: Helios - guitar, keyboards & vocals, Andrew Weiss - bass & keyboards, Ion Weiss - drums & keyboards and Z. Silver - keyboards & vocals. Highly Recommended.

I remember when Cleopatra / Hypnotic released this Dark Matter CD. Liked this piece better than it's follow-up Helios Creed - 'Dark Matter, Volume II' - see my review. A true keeper (if you have the room). Four of the seven tracks are sound epics - like the twelve-minute "Gates Of Heaven", the awesome eighteen-minute title cut "Seeing Strange lights" and the must-hear fifteen-minute hypnotic-transedelic gem "Past Zero Time". Then - get this, Creed does his version the the Christmas song "Carl Of The Balls". Personnel: Helios Creed - guitar, keyboards, synthesizer & sampling and Chris McKay & Z. Silver - keyboards. Should definitely appeal to fans of early Tangerine Dream, Cluster, Harmonia and Brian Eno.

Maybe not as good as the first Dark Matter release, but still pretty decent. However, main thing you need to keep in mind is that this CD is a bit different than any other Helios Creed disc That I've ever heard. I've checked out maybe as many as between seven to ten efforts of the Chrome guitarist's work. 'Dark Matter, Volume II' is more in the ambient direction. Three tracks here that run over the ten-minute mark are the tune that I essentially enjoyed the most - "Spiral Arm", "Other Oceans" and "Vastness (Flipside)".

If my memory serves me correctly, I believe this solo Helios Creed CD came out around the same time that the Chrome 'Tidal Forces' hit the streets (see my review). Really good late '90's industrial alternative to thoroughly soak in. Tracks here that I dug the most were "Frustration", the in-your-face "Blood Mantra", "Pure L.S.Q.", the heavy two-minute bit "Pissing On The Produce" and the disc's eight-minute closer "Space Fire Water". Basically, if you have at least three or four other Helios Creed / Chrome titles, you will most likely get as much out of 'Activated Condition' as I did. A nice pick.

Recorded at a live gig on February 25, 1993 somewhere in Eindhoven, Netherlands. Used to run across copies of the title all the time in used record stores. One thing that always made Helios Creed stand out from the rest was always his extraordinary playing of his 'own' style of psychedelic / droning guitar with his (all too) often noisy-vocal effects. Tunes that make this CD a keeper are the total ass-kicking opener "Nirbasion Annasion" (saw him perform this song while he was out on tour with Nik Turner awhile back), "Anubis Warpus", "Late Bloomer" and "Cat Fight". Do check it out.