VARIOUS / EDDIE PILLER PRESENTS – British Mod Sounds of The 1960s Volume 2: The Freakbeat & Psych Years (w/ SIGNED Print) – 6LP – Purple Vinyl Box Set

6LP -Limited Edition 140g Purple Vinyl + Exclusive SIGNED Print.A collection of 91 classic and rare tracks across 6LPs. Curated by Acid Jazz Records and Modcast founder, Eddie Piller with in-depth sleeve notes from musician, Richard Norris.

Curated by Acid Jazz Records and Modcast founder Eddie Piller, British Mod Sounds of The 1960s Volume 2: The Freakbeat & Psych Years is the follow up to the hugely successful British Mod Sounds of The 1960s, featuring 95 original tracks across a 4CD set – a deep dive into the post-Mod scene in ’60s Britain. Featuring a selection of classic and rare tracks, tracing the scene from early ’65 to the dawn of a new decade.

Even before Demon‘s well received 2022 box set ‘British Mod Sounds of The 1960s‘ was released conversations were being had around a follow-up, though rather than just offering a straight if slightly diluted second volume, compiler Eddie Piller decided to put together a collection exploring “What the Mods did next“. Once again, long conversations (and the occasional heated debate) were had to ensure the quality of music and attention to detail were second to none. Anything less just wouldn’t be the Mod way.

The British Mod bands that had made the first half of the decade so exciting were still around but inevitably their influences had changed. No longer content with re-hashing American R&B, the scene split in multiple directions, not all of it forward looking – some hardened their up-tempo sound and gradually evolved into what we would come to know as Freakbeat. Others bought in psychedelic, esoteric or Eastern influences. A third strand explored a more pastoral or Folk based route. Simply put, songs and hair got longer.

Before the decade was out the choices for the discerning listener included Jazz-Rock, Proto-Prog, Whimsy, Heavy Rock, and Psychedelic Soul – even sounds derived from Cockney music-hall made an appearance. ‘Volume 2: The Freakbeat & Psych Years‘ tracks the development of the original Mod mainstays (the Small Faces, The Who, The Action, The Kinks), with a generous selection of future superstars (David Bowie, Marc Bolan, Fleetwood Mac, Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin and Steve Howe of Yes are all represented here), alongside a few artists so obscure, so rare, that they never got to release a record in the ’60s, but Eddie has tracked down the tapes nonetheless.
Stylishly packaged (of course) and including a new sleeve note by Richard Norris, author, musician, producer and DJ, who worked at pioneering psychedelic reissue label Bam Caruso in the ’80s, produced Joe Strummer’s Mescaleros, but is perhaps best known as one half of Techno duo The Grid and the critically acclaimed group Beyond The Wizard’s Sleeve.

Tracklist:

Side A
1. The Fairies – Get Yourself Home
2. The Birds – No Good Without You Baby
3. The Poets – Call Again
4. The Sorrows – You’ve Got What I Want
5. The Eyes – When the Night Falls
6. The New Breed – Unto Us
7. The Riot Squad – I Take It We’re Through
8. Jan Panter – Scratch My Back
9. Wimple Winch – Save My Soul

Side B
1. Loose Ends – Taxman
2. The Ivy League – My World Fell Down
3. Yardbirds – Happening Ten Years Time Ago
4. Fleur de Lys – Mud in Your Eye
5. The Truth – Hey Gyp (Dig the Slowness)
6. Scots of St James – Tic Toc
7. The Flies – I’m Not Your Steppin’ Stone
8. The Move – Disturbance
9. The Craig – I Must Be Mad

Side C
1 The Drag Set – Day and Night
2 Apostolic Intervention – Tell Me (Have You Ever Seen Her)
3 David Bowie – the Gospel According to Tony Day
4 Tomorrow – My White Bicycle
5 John’s Children – Midsummer Night’s Scene
6 Caleb – Baby Your Phrasing Is Bad
7 The Attack – Created By Clive
8 The Gods – Come on Down to My Boat Baby
9 Alex Harvey – the Sunday Song

Side D
1. Keith West’s Tomorrow – Excerpt from a Teenage Opera
2. Our Plastic Dream – Encapsulated Marigold
3. The Action – in My Dream
4. Dantalian’s Chariot – Madman Running Through the Fields
5. Kaleidoscope – Flight from Ashiya
6. Sands – Listen to the Sky
7. The 23rd Turnoff – Michael Angelo

Side E
1. The Fairytale – Listen to Mary Cry
2. Felius Andromeda – Meditations
3. Ice – Anniversary of Love
4. Rupert’s People – Dream in My Mind
5. The Accent – Red Sky at Night
6. The Creation – Life Is Just Beginning
7. The Who – I Can See for Miles

Side F
1. Fleetwood Mac – Rambling Pony
2. The Cymbaline – Matrimonial Fears
3. Tintern Abbey – Vacuum Cleaner
4. Traffic – Coloured Rain
5. Andy Ellison – It’s Been a Long Time
6. The Micky Finn – Garden of My Mind
7. Warm Sounds – Nite Is a Comin’
8. Mark Wirtz – (He’s Our Dear Old) Weatherman

Side G
1. Mike Stuart Span – Children of Tomorrow
2. Nirvana – Rainbow Chaser
3. Spencer Davis Group – Moonshine
4. The End – Shades of Orange
5. The Fire – Father’s Name Is Dad
6. Turquoise – Tales of Flossie Fillett
7. Billy Nicholls – London Social Degree
8. Aquarian Age – 10,000 Words in a Cardboard Box

Side H
1. The Montanas – a Step in the Right Direction
2. Status Quo – Pictures of Matchstick Men
3. The Idle Race – the Morning Sunshine
4. July – Dandelion Seeds
5. Family – See Through Windows
6. Icarus – the Devil Rides Out
7. Plastic Penny – Your Way to Tell Me Go
8. Paul West & Compass – Hey You

Side I
1. The Elastic Band – 8 1/2 Hours of Paradise
2. Vamp – Floatin’
3. Sam Gopal – Escalator
4. Sound Barrier – Groovin’ Slow
5. The Apple – Buffalo Billycan
6. Timebox – Gone Is the Sad Man
7. The Troggs – Evil Woman
8. The Californians – the Cooks of Cake and Kindness

Side J
1. Ossie Layne Show – Rock My Plimsoul
2. The Koobas – Barricades
3. Locomotive – Mr Armageddon
4. Graham Bond – Love Is the Law
5. The Misunderstood – Children of the Sun
6. Small Faces – Me, You and Us Too
7. Terry Reid – Superlungs My Supergirl

Side K
1. The Fruit Machine – I’m Alone Today
2. Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger & the Trinity – Let the Sunshine in
3. Jason Crest – Black Mass
4. The Open Mind – Magic Potion
5. Quiet Melon – Diamond Joe
6. Humble Pie – Wrist Job

Side L
1. Mighty Baby – Same Way from the Sun
2. Colosseum – Elegy
3. The Kinks – This Time Tomorrow
4. Satisfaction – My Fixation (Edit)
5. Nucleus – Song for the Bearded Lady