Search - Flamin Groovies :: Absolutely the Best

Depending on which side of the artistic/generational fence one fell on, San Francisco's Flamin' Groovies seemed either stubborn British Invasion-besotted anachronisms or enlightened new wave visionaries. Though forged at the peak of S.F.'s flower power heyday, the band's founders, guitarist-songwriter Cyril Jordan and vocalist Roy Loney, worshiped a fundamentalist rock pantheon ruled by the Beatles and Stones circa '64 to '66. That became both their artistic strength and commercial liability--especially in an era dominated by psychedelia and prog-rock excesses. A series of brilliant, if poor-selling major-label releases (Teenage Head and Flamingo the best of them) won the band a fervent critical and cult following by the early 70's. Under Jordan's guidance after Loney's departure, the band eventually became unlikely godfathers of new wave with the release of the classic 1976 album Shake Some Action. This collection underscores the Groovies at their best; it's some of the most satisfying '60s music around--no matter what decade it was recorded in. --Jerry McCulley