Wow. What a cool reply!
Andrew Malcolm said:
I heard the "Nuggets" l.p. back in the mid 80's. Listened to it with headphones, stoned on the couch at a friends' house, and was blown away. I recognized some of these songs from the oldies station, but this album put them in a different context, and they came across far more raw and gritty. Shortly after, I bought the l.p. "Attack of the Jersey Teens" 60's Punk From the Garden State. Great, but I was too much of a hardcore punk rocker to be swayed over to the garage side at the time. It wasn't until '92, when I bought the Mono Men l.p. "Wrecker", that something clicked. The nude chick on the cover. The crashing dragster on the back. And that band photo; these guys were ugly, and looked like they meant business. I took it home, and listened to it at least 5 times in a row! After being disillusioned with punk scene for a few years, and not succumbing to the whole "hippie" thing that everyone was getting into, this album was a breath of fresh air. Grunge was great, but I needed something more. "Wrecker" was honest, straightforward, and simple. But at the same time it totally ROCKED OUT!!! This was the same sort of epiphany I had when I was young and heard my first hardcore punk rock ( a flexi disk from "Take It" magazine '81 featuring The Angry Samoans, Dead Kennedys, and Flipper). They were playing the music I needed to hear, but couldn't put my finger on. It was a gift from heaven. I never looked back, and now have an entire room with wall to wall shelves, housing my obsession. Garage Rock has gotten me laid, gotten me jobs, and I have traveled the world because of it. Anyone who says "Rock is Dead" need only turn his/her attention to Garage Rock! It will renew your faith in music... 'Nuff said!