Play the video of "Time Will Come" (Windows Media Player Required) |
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About 40 years after the Tol-Puddle Martyrs put out some garage rock releases in Australia, singer/keyboardist/songwriter Peter Rechter was still out there, putting out this 2007 album as head of the 21st century version of the band. This could pass for an above-average neo-garage-psych CD, the unusual difference being that the Tol-Puddle Martyrs were actually around in the original garage-psychedelic era. The title cut, for instance, is something very much in the style of a '60s garage-psych hit like Max Frost & the Troopers' "Shape of Things to Come." It has the same organ-driven, ominous-yet-uplifting change-is-on-the-way feel, here flecked with sitar-like notes. They take a somewhat chunkier, more mature view to their rhythm arrangements than either groups of yore or retro bands on some of the other tracks. Rechter's voice still has a youthful, vulnerable cast, and judging by the power chord riffs on "Who's That Knockin'," he's still a big fan of the early Kinks. On "Point of View" the guitars and melody have an anthemic ring, while the concluding "Chapel & Vine" offers a hint of sweet power pop romanticism without sounding sappy. In all it's a pretty fresh and respectable outing that's not so much a nostalgic comeback as a continuation of their original sound, tightly played and well recorded, though naturally with more contemporary production than their '60s records. AllMusicGuide.com Play Social Cell Play Into My Life Play Samples of the entire album Songs on this album are: 1 Psych-out USA 2 Into My Life 3 Is There Someone There? 4 So I Walked 5 Thinkin' 'Bout You 6 Who's That Knockin'? 7 Point of View 8 Social Cell 9 The Window 10 A Long Story Short 11 The Better Cause 12 Chapel & Vine  | | Although this CD is credited to the Tol-Puddle Martyrs, it's actually an eight-song compilation with tracks from three groups that included Australian singer and keyboardist Peter Rechter. The first two tracks are by his mid-'60s band, Peter & the Silhouettes, who contributed these two original songs to a compilation album of bands in their region, The Scene in Northern Victoria. The first of those Peter & the Silhouettes numbers, "Claudette Jones," is a quite respectable slice of garage-pop, while "The Natural Man" is more subdued and spooky, somewhat in line with the organ-grounded blues-pop that the Animals and Them did in their early days. The next four tracks are by Rechter's subsequent '60s band, the Tol-Puddle Martyrs, who issued singles in 1967 and 1968. Both sides of each of those singles are here, the earlier of the pair, "Time Will Come," being the highlight; its organ, distorted guitar, and cool vocal recall American garage-psychedelia like Max Frost & the Troopers' "Shapes of Things to Come." While the second single wasn't as good, it contained some of the most accurate emulations of the circa 1966-1967 Kinks sound, though with a rawer fuzz guitar than the Kinks were using at that point. The record ends with remakes of "Time Will Come" and "Claudette Jones" from the 2001 album by Rechter's group the Secrets. The enhanced CD portion of the disc contains vintage photos, repros of labels of original 45 rpm releases, and 1960s footage of the Tol-Puddle Martyrs set to the music of their "Time Will Come" single. AllMusicGuide.com Play Time Will Come Play Claudette Jones Play Natural Man Play Samples of the entire album Songs on this album are: 1 Claudette Jones (1966) 2 The Natural Man 3 Time Will Come (1967) 4 Social Cell 5 Love Your Life 6 Nellie Bligh 7 Claudette Jones (2001) 8 Time Will Come (2001)
This is an enhanced CD containing graphic files and video. |
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Play Good Times Bad Times Play Time Will Come Play Samples of the entire album Songs on this album are: 1 Claudette Jones 2 Good Times Bad Times 3 Feel Pretty Good 4 I'm Not Cryin' 5 Think About The Boy 6 All The Way 7 CCatch Me 8 S.O.S. 9 Don't Let Go 10 Time Will Come | | Play Cryin' Play Woman Play Samples of the entire album Songs on this album are: 1 Cryin' 2 Feel Pretty Good 3 Woman 4 More Of Your Lovin' 5 Every Little Thing 6 When Will I Ever Learn 7 Another First 8 My HEart Belongs 9 Getting It Together 10 You Like Me 11. Don't Waste Your Love 12. It's Gonna Be Alright |
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THE TOL-PUDDLE MARTYRS - 'PSYCH-OUT USA' REVIEWS: Tol-Puddle Martyrs Review/Mike Stax. Ugly Things Mag/ October 2002. In 1834 six farm workers from Tolpuddle, Dorset were found guilty on trumped-up charges related to their membership in a clandestine trade union. The judge sentenced them to seven years transportation to Australia, a harsh punishment usually reserved for only the worst, hardened criminals. The case was symbolic of the new struggle of the British working classes for better wages and conditions, and it soon inspired a groundswell of public sympathy. The six men became popular heroes, dubbed "The Tolpuddle Martyrs." One hundred and thirty-two years later, some Australian teenagers decided, "Hey, what a cool name for a band!" And so a new (and hyphenated) Tol-Puddle Martyrs came into being. Previously known as Peter & the Silhouettes they'd already released two songs on a local Victoria compilation LP, The Scene (recently reissued on CD, it was reviewed in Ugly Things #19). With its urgent fuzz guitar riff and stompin' stop-start arrangement, Claudette Jones is an instant grabber (it was comped on It's A Kave In LP and CD), while the slower, moodier Natural Man is also worth a spin. Both are on this CD, along with the four great tracks they went on to release in 1967 and 68 under their new, improved and historically conscious name. Their first single, Time Will Come, is a foreboding slab of chug swathed in eerie organ lines and dramatic fuzz guitar flourishes, while its flipside, Social Cell, has a similar hardboiled throbbing quality that also connects well. By the time the second Tol-Puddle single rolled around they'd obviously been feasting on the Kinks, especially Face to Face and Something Else, and their mood had brightened considerably. Love Your Life is a pleasant Kinky pop tune, but its completely surpassed by its partner. Nellie Bligh is perhaps the best song Ray Davies never wrote - and maybe the best Ray Davies vocal he never sang to boot; only the Leopards ever came this close to the raw, swaggering delivery of the originals. Eight songs may seem short for a CD, but there's lots more on this enhanced disc, including a deadly cool vintage promo of Time Will Come and a selection of photos from Peter's 60's scrapbook. Mike Stax / Editor How refreshing to come across an album of original songs celebrating the universal appeal of uncomplicated, infectious pop. Let's hear it for the Tol-Puddle Martyrs who since their birth in 1966 have steadfastly followed the path laid by British bands of the mid 60's. Fronted by original singer/keyboardist songwriter Peter Rechter who collaborated on these songs with guitarist Graham McCoy, this quartet of seasoned musicians unashamedly refer to The Kinks with their Ray Davies inspired guitar intro to 'Thinking 'Bout You', The Zombies ('The Window'), George Harrison (his slide guitar sound bobs up on 'Point Of View'). They make a left turn on 'The Better Cause', the kettle drum/electric guitar intro morphing into a reggae beat while on the album's closer the Beatle-esque ballad 'Chapel And Vine' the band tip their hat to 'Strawberry Fields Forever' before a George Martin inspired finale. This is toe-tapping, melodic, thoroughly enjoyable pop rock, timeless in its appeal. Billy Pinnell - One of Australia's most respected Rock Historian and Musicologists. 
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