The Big Beat CD of this exceptional-'60s psychedelic/punk album contains 18 tracks and runs 13 minutes longer than the Sundazed CD version, but doesn't have two of the bonus tracks -- "In the Midnight Hour" with David Aguilar's vocal, and the studio jam "Psychedelic Trip" -- that were on the... [+] Expand

The Big Beat CD of this exceptional-'60s psychedelic/punk album contains 18 tracks and runs 13 minutes longer than the Sundazed CD version, but doesn't have two of the bonus tracks -- "In the Midnight Hour" with David Aguilar's vocal, and the studio jam "Psychedelic Trip" -- that were on the Sundazed CD. The sound on the Big Beat release is slightly fuller (especially in the bass) than on the Sundazed release, with a somewhat higher volume setting, but otherwise they're comparable on that level. The bonus tracks here consist of the earlier Chocolate Watchband singles "Sweet Young Thing," "Baby Blue," "Misty Lane" and "She Weaves a Tender Trap," plus their early recording of "Milk Cow Blues" (a Sundazed bonus cut), plus an alternate, much more fuzztone-driven take (with a prominent organ part as well) of "Misty Lane," complete with pop/rock style, almost Monkees-like backing vocals. Much more interesting -- though in somewhat lo-fi sound -- are the only known surviving recordings by the earlier, Foothill College-based incarnation of the Chocolate Watchband. These two cuts, with Danny Phay (who rejoined for the group's third album) on lead vocals and Ned Torney teamed with Mark Loomis on guitar, plus original bassist Rich Young and organist Jo Kemling, have a completely different sound from the version of the Watchband that emerged around Loomis and new lead singer Aguilar the following year -- the version of Gerry & the Pacemakers' "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying" shows a group that had the most elegant side of the British Invasion sound down perfectly, while "Since You Broke My Heart" sounds like a Roulettes' interpretation of the Everly Brothers song, and it isn't bad, even if it needed work. It all means that fans have yet a second CD edition of this album to buy, especially given the excellent history of the band embodied in the notes, although all of these different versions and the gaps between them make one wish that somebody would just put out a complete box set of the group's work. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide [-] Collapse

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