Search - Count Five :: Psychotic Reaction: Very Best of

More Than A One Trick Pony

Todd Lucas | Southern Illinois, USA | 09/27/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Known for "Psychotic Reaction", one of the finest examples of garage punk the sixties had to offer, the Count Five have been tabbed as one hit wonders. And their recorded legacy ain't exactly deep. But you get it all here in one nice little package and there's more to recommend it than the title hit.The first eleven tracks are all from the original Psychotic Reaction LP. Several are slower-paced, semi-punky tunes, like "They're Gonna Get You", "The Morning After" and "Pretty Big Mouth". There are also some good, faster numbers that'll win you over, such as "Double Decker Bus" and, perhaps the most underrated song on the original album, "Can't Get Your Lovin'". In all, nine of the songs on the album were penned by the band, with two Who covers thrown in. The real find are the non-LP singles that make up the balance of the CD. These were recorded subsequent to the release of the album and show quite a bit of musical growth. For example, "Merry-Go-Round" and "Revelation In Slow Motion" both dabble in psychedelia with fine results. Unfortunately, further chart success eluded them. Somehow, I think it's a misnomer that these guys had limited musical talent. Not only could they play but they also wrote the bulk of what's here. Anyone even remotely interested in 60's garage rock should check this out to discover the Count Five were more than their one hit."

Let's be kind...

Monkey Knuckle Asteroid | 04/23/2000

(3 out of 5 stars)

"The Count Five have caught an amazing amount of flack for their musicality (or lack thereof). But, c'mon...what we have here is a good-sized slice of garage rock. It's not terrifically different or better than stuff from the Sonics or the Remains. But, hey, not every band can be great through and through...we should be grateful that most of them have a fervently beating heart disturbingly absent from today's idea of rock and roll. You will buy this for the title track and from there you will discover that there are quite a few songs on here that will nicely fill gaps in your head. Seeing as this will probably not convince you, check out Lester Bangs' imaginary article on the Count Five in his book...there, now you have no excuse... So, do it for Rock and Roll's sake."

BEFORE THE STOOGES !

Greenhouse Effect | SAN DIEGO | 08/14/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"...BEFORE THE STOOGES AND THE VELVET UNDERGROUND AND NICO AND BEFORE THE DOORS AND SABBATH, THERE WAS AN ANGRY GARAGE BAND CALLED THE COUNT FIVE.......THIS BAND WAS SO IN THE KNOW THAT THEY DID A COVER OF THE WHO'S MY GENERATION AND ITS ALMOST AS GOOD AS THE WHO'S ! NOT QUITE !...THIS IS REALLY THE BAND THAT MADE ME WANNA ROCK...IN 1983, I HAD THEIR ALBUM AND I LOVED IT...WAY BETTER THAN STRAWBERRY ALARMCLOCK ..AS GOOD AS THE CHOCOLATE WATCHBAND...ANGRIER THAN THE WHO ; IT AIN'T ALL PERFECT HERE..AND IT EVEN HAS SOME R N B GARAGE JUNK YOU MIGHT DO WITHOUT...OR MAYBE NOT ..BUY IT NOW !!!!!!!!!!"