Artist: Various Artists
Title Of Album: Jon Savage's 1966: The Year The Decade Exploded
Year Of Release: 2015
Label (Catalog#): Ace Records [CDTOP2 1452]
Country: International
Genre: Pop/Rock
Quality: FLAC (tracks)
Bitrate: Lossless
Time: 2:07:24
Full Size: 495 mb

Assembled by Jon Savage as a soundtrack to his book 1966: The Year The Decade Exploded, Ace's double-disc set of the same name does indeed bring his words to life, but it's not necessary to read his book to find this 48-track collection thrilling. The genius behind 1966: The Year the Decade Exploded is in its compilation. Savage assembled 1966 by relying equally on research and memory, intending to replicate the impact of the pop-art eruptions and the groovy swing of R&B, not to mention the nascent psychedelia floating in from the west coast of the U.S., the trash rock emanating from the American suburbs, and more than a hint of Britain's overheated music hall vaudeville and blistering style of Mod. There may be no Beatles, Stones, Bob Dylan, or the Kinks, but their impact can be felt throughout, whether it's through Tim Hardin, the Velvet Underground, and the Who -- heavy-hitters that help anchor this collection -- or with familiar songs by Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding, the Four Tops, the Supremes, and James Brown. What matters are not these staples but what happens in the margins, which are occupied not just by cult favorites -- mainly some variation of psych or garage rock, but there's a fair amount of soul as well -- but by absolutely obscure and cracking singles that help re-create the electricity of 1966 and provide a considerable jolt to the warhorses, so they sound vital and alive again. It's this context that makes 1966: The Year the Decade Exploded so valuable: the juxtapositions and transitions do indeed seem like an inspired creative blast, making a convincing case that this -- not 1964, 1967, or 1968 -- was the pivotal year of the '60s.

TrackList:

CD 1
1. The Uglys - The Quiet Explosion [ 2:39]
2. The Strangeloves - Night Time [ 2:31]
3. The Guys From U.N.C.L.E. - The Spy [ 2:32]
4. Dusty Springfield - Little By Little [ 2:34]
5. The Wheel-A-Ways - Bad Little Woman [ 2:35]
6. Norma Tanega - Walkin' My Cat Named Dog [ 2:16]
7. The San Remo Golden Strings - Festival Time [ 2:31]
8. James Brown & The Famous Flames - I Got You (I Feel Good) [ 2:47]
9. Link Wray & The Raymen - Batman Theme [ 2:00]
10.Ray Sharpe With The King Curtis Orchestra - Help Me (Get The Feeling) (Part 1) [ 2:34]
11.The Monitors - Greetings (This Is Uncle Sam) [ 3:02]
12.Robert Parker - Barefootin' [ 2:35]
13.The Who - Substitute [ 3:49]
14.The Association - Along Comes Mary [ 2:49]
15.The Seeds - The Other Place [ 2:24]
16.The Olympics - Secret Agents [ 2:26]
17.The Capitols - Cool Jerk [ 2:33]
18.The Electric Prunes - Ain't It Hard [ 2:12]
19.Sandie Shaw - Nothing Comes Easy [ 2:30]
20.The Thirteenth Floor Elevators - You're Gonna Miss Me [ 2:28]
21.Rex Garvin & The Mighty Cravers - Sock It To 'Em J.B. (Part 1) [ 2:38]
22.Rex Garvin & The Mighty Cravers - Sock It To 'Em J.B. (Part 2) [ 2:40]
23.The Roosters - One Of These Days [ 2:46]
24.The Velvet Underground - I'll Be Your Mirror [ 2:16]

CD 2
1. The Lovin' Spoonful - Summer In The City [ 2:42]
2. Lee Dorsey - Working In A Coalmine [ 2:49]
3. Joe Tex - You Better Believe It Baby [ 2:59]
4. Love - 7 And 7 Is [ 2:23]
5. Chris Clark - Love's Gone Bad [ 2:23]
6. Wilson Pickett - Land Of 1000 Dances [ 2:24]
7. Count Five - Psychotic Reaction [ 3:03]
8. The Tornados - Do You Come Here Often [ 3:55]
9. & The Mysterians - 96 Tears [ 2:57]
10.Otis Redding - I Can't Turn You Loose [ 2:35]
11.Four Tops - Reach Out I'll Be There [ 3:00]
12.The Who - I'm A Boy [ 2:40]
13.Paul & Ritchie & The Crying Shames - Come On Back [ 2:34]
14.James Brown - Tell Me That You Love Me [ 1:42]
15.The Yardbirds - Happenings Ten Years Time Ago [ 2:55]
16.The Supremes - You Keep Me Hangin' On [ 2:48]
17.The Oxford Circle - Foolish Woman [ 2:33]
18.The Human Expression - Love At Psychedelic Velocity [ 2:25]
19.The Blue Things - One Hour Cleaners [ 2:46]
20.Freaks Of Nature - People! Let's Freak Out [ 2:35]
21.We The People - In The Past [ 2:34]
22.David Bowie - The London Boys [ 3:21]
23.The Marvelettes - The Hunter Gets Captured By The Game [ 2:50]
24.Tim Hardin - Hang On To A Dream [ 2:00]

DOWNLOAD LINKS: Jon Savage's 1966: The Year The Decade Exploded (2CD Remastered) (2015) FLAC