TREMELOES - What A State I'm In
This recent CD collection is very much a companion piece to the Marmalade CD reviewed in the last issue. Like Marmalade, The Tremeloes had a number of hit singles during the late 60's and early 70's, but tucked away on B-sides and albums were a number of excellent pop-psyche tracks. This CD concentrates on these rather than the hits, and it is all the better for that. From the backwards guitar of 'Suddenly Winter' to the all-out freak-beat of 'Instant Whip' and 'Anything', this album shows a side of the band that even their most loyal fans would have little idea existed. Tracks like 'Willow Tree' and 'Gentlemen Of Pleasure' show what an under-rated guitarist Rick West was, while the band can also turn their hand to toy-town pop-sike with the likes of 'Norman Stanley James St. Clare'. Other highlights on this excellent album include the Beach Boys harmonies of 'Be Mine', the fuzz-guitar laden instrumental 'Boola Boola', and their superb cover of Skip Bifferty's 'On Love'. The only concession to their time in the charts is the inclusion of their No. 2 hit 'Call Me Number One' - often cited as their finest moment, and one of my favourite singles of the period - so overall a top notch compilation which will certainly confound anyone who thought that they knew this band.