Fuzz, Flaykes, & Shakes Vol. 1: 60 Miles High

By 1999 it had almost been thirty years of Nuggets-inspired compilations mania where seemingly everything under that rubric that could be reissued had been, good, bad or indifferent, as were a fair amount of the compilations in turn. But there was still plenty to investigate, and Dionysus Records founder Lee Joseph, via the Bacchus Archives sublabel, kicked off a new series with all kinds of American-grown 60s garage and psych madness featured on the first volume of Fuzz, Flaykes, & Shakes, boldly claiming it was a ‘remedy’ to so much sonic sludge that had emerged via a set of prime obscurities. The results backed up the brass, with good liner notes from Mike Stax adding to the value. Starting with the guitar and organ insanity of “I Can See The Light” by the Glass Sun, other strong moments include the quick pace and groove and backwards guitar solo of “Things” by the Rites and the earnest freneticism and (presumably) intentionally weird mix of Time of Your Life’s appropriately titled “Ode To A Bad Dream.” A notable bummer of a song: “Dialated Eyes” by the Gregorians, detailing an abusive family household plagued by alcoholism, backed by an arrangement with both fuzz and, on the melancholic breaks, flute.