Singles As & Bs 1965-1970

Personnel: John Savage (vocals, guitar); Sky Saxon (vocals, harmonica); Daryl Hooper (vocals, keyboards); Rick Andridge (drums, percussion).
Liner Note Author: Alec Palao.
Recording information: Columbia Studio B (1965-1970); Gold Star Studios (1965-1970); RCA Holllywood B (1965-1970); Sound Factory (1965-1970); Universal Recorders (1965-1970); Western Recorders (1965-1970).
Illustrator: Daryl Hooper.
The Seeds were one of the most influential bands in the '60s American garage rock scene; they delivered hypnotic, stripped-down tunes dominated by Daryl Hooper's circular keyboard lines and the fuzzy, feral guitar breaks of Jan Savage, while lead singer Sky Saxon wailed a thinly veiled paen to drugs and sex, including "Mr. Farmer," "Rolling Machine," and "Up in Her Room." The Seeds scored their biggest hit with "Pushin' Too Hard" in 1967, but the band had already attracted a sizable following in their hometown of Los Angeles, and they would release a string of memorable singles through the end of the decade. Singles As & Bs 1965-1970 collects both sides of the 11 singles the Seeds released during their heyday, including variant B-sides for two releases, and as a bonus the set includes a rare, unedited take of "Pushin' Too Hard." While this isn't the definitive overview of the Seeds' career, Singles As & Bs brings together most of the band's best known songs, and chronicles their hazy brand of psychedelic garage rock very well indeed. ~ Mark Deming