"The Spirit Of '67" by PAUL REVERE & THE RAIDERS (November 2016 Cherry Red/Now Sounds 'Expanded Edition' CD Remaster with MONO and STEREO Mixes) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"...Hungry For Those Good Things..."

Never mind James Brown and his claims to have been the hardest-working man in show business – as a band Paul Revere & The Raiders could lay safe claim to that title for the year of 1966. They were a weekly (and at times daily) feature on ABC-TV's programme "Where The Action Is!", played hundreds of live gigs up and down the USA, recorded and charted four singles (three went Top 10, the other Top 20) and released three albums - all in that same mercurial year! And none are more revered that this last gasp of the original classic 5-piece line-up -  "The Spirit Of '67" - released late November 1966. And that’s where this quality CD reminder from Blighty comes storming in...

Now Sounds is a subsidiary label of England's Cherry Red Records and they have to be like England's football team as they exit World Cup 2018 - proud of themselves and what they’ve achieved. Because this is a superb reissue offering both the rare Mono and Stereo variants of the 1966 American album (originally on Columbia Records – No UK release) as well as three bonus cuts - one an album outtake and another an Alternate Take on one the album's best cuts "Hungry". Let's get to the details of this very 'good thing'...

UK released 25 November 2016 - "The Spirit Of '67" by PAUL REVERE & THE RAIDERS on Cherry Red/Now Sounds CRNOW 56 (Barcode 5013929065628) is an 'Expanded Edition' offering the MONO and STEREO variants of the 1966 Columbia Records album as well as three bonus tracks and plays out as follows (70:30 minutes):

1. Good Thing [Side 1]

2. All About Her

3. In My Community

4. Louise

5. Why? Why? Why? (Is It So Hard)

6. Oh! To Be A Man

7. Hungry [Side 2]

8. Undecided Man

9. Our Candidate

10. 1001 Arabian Nights

11. The Great Airplane Strike

Tracks 1 to 11 are the MONO variant of the album "The Spirit Of '67" - released 28 November 1966 in the USA on Columbia Records CL 2595

Tracks 12 to 22 (as per 1 to 11) are the STEREO variant of the album "The Spirit Of '67" - released 28 November 1966 in the USA on Columbia Records CS 9395

23. (You're A) Bad Girl - Album Outtake, later used as a B-side to the reissue 45 for "Ride Your Pony" in 2012 on Sundazed S 248

24. Hungry (Alternate Version)

25. The Great Airplane Strike (Mono Single Version) –

PAUL REVERE – Organ and Keyboards

MARK LINDSAY – Lead Vocals (Tracks 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10 and 11)

JIM VALLEY – Guitars except Tracks 3 & 14

PHIL ‘Fang’ VOLK – Bass (All Tracks except 5 & 16), Guitars (Tracks 3 & 14) and Lead Vocals (Tracks 3 and 5)

MIKE ‘Smitty’ SMITH – Drums and Percussion except Tracks 5, 7, 16, 18 and 24 which is Hal Blaine - and Lead Vocals on Track 9

Guests:

TERRY MELCHER – Producer, Co-Writer and Keyboards

VAN DYKE PARKS – Keyboards (Tracks 1, 3, 5, 12, 14 & 16)

BRIAN JOHNSTON [of The Beach Boys] – Piano & Keyboards (Tracks 2, 13 & 23)

The fact-filled 16-page booklet features new Liner Notes from MIKE STAX of Ugly Things Magazine as well as photos of the boys in various poses (most with their trademark frontier outfits), the rare American picture sleeve for "Hungry" b/w "There She Goes" on Columbia 4-43678 and even an original tape box from Columbia's Square Station Studios in Hollywood (the CD label has that Columbia Records Mono/Stereo red design like the "360 Sound" labels of old - a nice touch).

But the best news is a magnificent Remaster from original Mono and Stereo tapes by ALAN BROWNSTEIN - both variants kicking like the proverbial mule. I cannot overstate how good this CD Reissue sounds - especially the STEREO MIX – beautifully clear and punchy without ever being overcooked or over trebled. Nice work done. Let's get to the music...

Of the eleven tracks - nine are band originals with the two outsiders being "Hungry" and "Louise". The songwriting duo of Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil gave the band the demo of "Hungry" and they knew it was an out-and-out winner right away. Hooky as Hell - the single was released June 1966 ahead of the album and rewarded the band with a deserved No. 6 placing on the Billboard Charts. The out-of-season girl song "Louise" came courtesy of Jesse Lee Kincade of The Rising Sons - a kicking little bopper warning us of the dangers Louise and her wayward ways pose to your general wellbeing.

The records opens on a bopper - "Good Thing" - a Terry Melcher, Mark Lindsay and Paul Revere composition about a groovy world - a tune full of Beach Boys harmonies and no one around to bring you down. Along with Sound Man Ray Gerhardt as the fourth writer, the same trio provide the uber-melodramatic "All About Her" - a stop-being-a-pawn song that features beautifully produced acoustics and organ - Mark Lindsay telling us that he'll try love again even if he's left without a mind (ouch). Volk throws up the consciousness of "In My Community" and the achingly sad but true "Why? Why? Why? (Is It So Hard)" - a break-up tune about his gal Carol of the time - he took the musician's highroad despite her tears. Side 1 ends with vaudeville piano notes and dire warnings about dead-end jobs - a boyhood to man song (left home when was 15, no more parental lectures) and again with stunning audio.

"Hungry" opens Side 2 on a winner - wicked Bass and Guitar - the kind of hit The Monkees would have used THRUSH to ruthlessly acquire (Technological Hierarchy for the Removal of Undesirables and the Subjugation of Humanity to you baby). Clearly enamoured with The Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby" from their 1966 masterpiece "Revolver" - the band hired two quartets to anchor "Undecided Man" - an impressive if not overly copyist take on that string-laden nugget. Back to Rock'n'Roll with the cool chugger "Our Candidate" sung and provided by Mike 'Smitty' Smith - a tune close in so many ways to "Long Cool Woman (In A Black Dress)" by The Hollies in 1972. But the album then ends of two fantastic period pieces - the swirling trippy "1001 Arabian Nights" complete with nasal whines and everything bar a sitar and incense coming out of your speakers. That's followed by a hard-hitting fuzzed-up guitar groover - "The Great Airplane Strike  - a tune and hip-single with wickedly smart lyrics based on a real event. The "Bad Girl" outtake was considered too weak at the time - but I like its effervescent Beach Boys pop vibe (Brain Johnston features) and that Alternate Take of "Hungry" is a genuinely brill bonus.

Soon after the album’s release – Volk and Smith took session guitarist Drake Levin with them and formed Brotherhood who would make three albums on RCA Victor. Revere, Lindsay and helmsman Terry Melcher brought in Freddy Weller on Guitar, Charlie Coe on Bass and Jo Carraro, Jr. on Drums and carried the torch forward.

Now Sounds have done a top job here - fans and newcomers should dive in and get revered...