The Tremeloes - What A State I'm In: The Psych Pop Sessions

Formed back in 1958, the Tremeloes are one of the most overlooked British pop bands of the 60s. Signed by Decca in favor of the Beatles in 1962, the Tremeloes and Beatles would fight for position on the British charts from the early to mid 60s. Most of their hits were covers of popular R&B and rock and roll songs as they didn't write the majority of their material. In 1965, lead singer Brian Poole would leave the band and they were dropped by Decca when their cover of Paul Simon's "Blessed" failed to chart. A friend who left Decca managed to have them signed to CBS, which helped them reclaim success. At the end of the decade, they reached the peak of their stardom with their album Here Comes the Tremeloes charting in Britain and the US. In 1970, they attempted to become a more serious band with the release of their album Master. It ultimately failed after they called their fans "silly suckers" for listening to their older pop music. What A State I'm In collects their most psychedelic work from the 60s and it's a hell of a compilation. It's packed with some amazing psych-pop and there are a few really great instrumental tracks, including the raucous opener, "Hard Time." All of the instrumentation is superb, particularly the lead guitar of Rick West, who was known for perfecting the use of fuzztone guitar in concert. They were also great vocalists, with harmonies that rival the Beatles' best work.

Download What A State I'm In: The Psych Pop Sessions