It's easy to dismiss the Tremeloes as just another British covers band from the 1960s who rode the coattails of the Beatles into a recording contract, scored a few hits, most of them covers, and then faded away. But that would be a mistake. The Tremeloes are the best "undiscovered" band from that fabled era, versatile beyond belief, capable of stomping through American soul covers with verve and grit, then turning sweet and pretty, and with wonderful harmonies, give the Four Seasons and the Beach Boys a run for their money, then flip back to being a British pop band with Beatlesque originals, then veer off into blues, bluegrass and psychedelia without blinking an eye, and with Rick West, they even had a guy on electric guitar who could hold his own with any of the guitar heroes of the day. These guys seriously deserve a deeper look. The first disc of this two-disc set is drawn from the sessions for the group's second post-Brian Poole LP and it's pretty revelatory, full of Caribbean rhythms, washes of fuzzed-out guitar, odd stylistic detours, and some detailed singing and harmonies. The second disc captures a well-recorded live show, and the whole package reveals an energetic, varied, and resilient band that should have a much bigger audience and fan club than it currently has.
