Pebbles Vol. 10: Iran Pt. 1, Original Artifacts from the Psychedelic Era

Iran has always been a bit of a mystery to music collectors, but over the last decade it’s been the subject of various compilations and reissues that look back at its 1960s and 70s garage and psychedelic rock scenes. Though this extensive Pebbles compilation is a little lacking in information or context, it does offer a sweeping insight into the sounds of the era, a result of western influences (especially from bands like The Beatles and The Shadows) fusing with Persian scales and instrumentation. You can hear it in the swirling “Beauty” by Golden Ring, one of Iran’s biggest garage rock bands. There are a few interesting covers, like The Rebel’s version of “I Saw Her Standing There”, a psyched up interpretation of Aretha Franklin’s “Respect” by Gogoosh (one of Iran’s biggest superstars), and Group Takhala La’s “Dokhtar-E Darya”, based on “There is a House in New Orleans”.