Nuggets, a four sides of vinyl, twenty seven track Various Artists album, compiled by Lenny Kaye and released on Elektra in 1972, is one of the definitive compilations, a record that had a huge influence. Lenny Kaye pulled together the album with Elektra boss Jac Holzman, songs by American garage bands from the period 1965- 1968. In the liner notes Kaye uses the phrase 'punk rock', one of the first recorded instances of its usage. The record would influence successive generations of bands, guitar/ drums/ bass/ sometimes organ plus singer, a sound with fuzz guitars, over driven amps, three chord, three minute wonders, snarly vocals, sunglasses and denim jackets. Not much later Kaye would be the guitarist in the Patti Smith Band and guitar bands all over the world would be forming and playing these songs, looking for a way out of their garages. Its difficult to imagine the music world without Nuggets. Here's one song from each of the four sides...
Dirty Water is by The Standells from 1966, written by producer Ed Cobb, a tribute to the horrendously polluted river Charles that flowed through their home town Boston. The guitar riff is as good as any guitar riff ever played.
Pushin' Too Hard is by The Seeds, written by singer Sky Saxon and released in 1965, two chord electric piano and Sky railing against straight society/ his girlfriend/ the government/the man.
Psychotic Reaction is a 1966 single by The Count Five, punchy rhythm guitar and some harmonica, double time sections, Bo Diddley influence near the surface. Sexual frustration causing a psychotic reaction. We've all been there.
The Chocolate Watchband's Let's Talk About Girls (a 1967 song from the album No Way Out) is pretty self- explanatory- muddy guitar riffs, thudding drums, an electric slice of teenage druggy, punky garage rock.