The deluxe double-LP reissue of The Seeds' 1966 garage rock classic in mono will be out November 24th. |
Here's the scoop...
The 60s punk anthems ‘Can’t Seem To Make You Mine’ and ‘Pushin’ Too Hard’ pack as resonant a punch today as they did when first heard as the first two singles by a strangely attired, off-beat sounding Los Angeles outfit known as the Seeds. The group stands prominent amongst the handful of mid-60s garage bands whose influence is palpable in rock to this day. Led by charismatic frontman Sky Saxon, their unique and exciting brand of minimalist rock’n’roll has remained forever contemporary.
Never mind that, at the time of its release in July 1966, “The Seeds” was one of the very few albums by an unknown group that contained completely original material; it was also one of the few albums from a group of their kind, full stop. Saxon’s insistence upon a stark and eye-catching front cover, depicting the combo in all their hirsute glory, guaranteed curiosity at the very least. But it was what the record contained that counts, and it is mandatory listening for any true fan of rock’n’roll in its purest, most elemental form. With cuts such as ‘No Escape’, ‘Girl I Want You’ and ‘Nobody Spoil My Fun’, “The Seeds” still represents the band at their edgiest and most focused.
Those familiar with Saxon’s often diffuse and rambling post-Seeds work may hardly recognize the incredible focus and power he brought to the band’s first two years of existence. Saxon would not and could not have achieved his eventual breakthrough without the express assistance of his fellow Seeds – who were never, ever his “sidemen,” no matter how the media (or on occasion, the band’s management) viewed them. Daryl Hooper, Jan Savage and Rick Andridge were, like Saxon, all refugees from middle America, subsisting on cheap Hollywood gigs in the vague but resilient hope that success might come their way. The quartet span their own relentless web of sound, tinged with a haunting patina that is uniquely Seeds.
With the generous co-operation of original label GNP Crescendo, no stone has been left unturned in order to present “The Seeds” in the best possible quality. Our deluxe reissue boasts the superlative, punchy mono mix, heretofore unavailable on CD, along with ten bonus tracks – seven of which are previously unissued – thereby doubling the length of the original album.
These include the full length, unedited take of ‘Evil Hoodoo’, the unreleased song ‘Dreaming Of Your Love’ and early versions of their classic B-sides ‘Daisy Mae’ and ‘Out Of The Question’, spiced with some priceless studio chat. The 36-page booklet examines the Seeds’ early career in unprecedented detail, based on fresh research and interviews with the surviving participants. Keyboard player Daryl Hooper – the true architect of the Seeds sound – opened his files to share a swathe of incredible, rarely seen illustrations. Big Beat’s expanded and definitive edition of this cornerstone garage rock opus is the first salvo in our campaign to reinstate the Seeds’ catalogue to its rightful glory – watch this space. By Alec Palao
Pre-order a copy of The Seeds Deluxe LP right here. Check out a TV appearance by The Seeds performing "Pushin' Too Hard" as The Warts following the track list below.
The Seeds - The Seeds: Deluxe Edition LP
Side 1
01 Can't Seem To Make You Mine
02 No Escape
03 Lose Your Mind
04 Evil Hoodoo
05 Girl I Want You
06 Pushin' Too Hard
Side 2
02 Nobody Spoil My Fun
03 It's A Hard Life
04 You Can't Be Trusted
05 Excuse, Excuse
06 Fallin' In Love
Side 3
01 Out Of the Question (version 1, master)
02 Excuse Excuse
03 Dreaming Of Your Love
04 Pushin' Too Hard (take 1)
05 The Other Place (take 2)
06 It's A Hard Life (take 3)
07 Nobody Spoil My Fun (alternate overdub, take 3A)
Side 4
01 You Can't Be Trusted (take 3)
02 Evil Hoodoo (unedited take and intercut section)
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