What does it sound like?:
If, as Robert Christgau argued, The Move added the sound of clomp to British rock n’ roll, then contemporaries The Creation had the rattle and squeak: their signature sound was the scraping and grating of guitars that pushes their otherwise bouncy Mod pop to the point of dissonance and art school provocation. Despite their cult reputation ( think Alan McGee and Brit Indie pop) the group could barely manage a hit or a stable line-up at the time, and found most success in West Germany. This plush US release collects everything they released in the sixties, remastered in mono by original producer and minor legend Shel Talmy, with a second disc of stereo mixes and outakes. True, their dozen key songs been reissued several times before, but have never sounded this clear and punchy. The mod/ art pop classics Making Time, Biff Bang Pow, and Painter Man, and the more trippy Nightmares, Through My Eyes, and How Does it Feel to Feel are present and correct, as is the lovely hit that never happened, Life is Just Beginning.
What does it all *mean*?
It’s not really psychedelia, because it’s too earthy, it’s not really freak beat because there’s not enough fuzz; it’s not maximum R&B as it’s a bit camp. Its London 1966, when pop is being pushed into odd places and before everything goes too heavy and rockist, hence the affection later punk and post punk listeners seem to have had for them. I first heard them on an Edsel compilation around the time of the Jesus and Mary Chain’s Psychocandy and It felt like a connection.
Goes well with…
Between the Buttons, A Quick One . A forthcoming U K. release will reissue all of the bands work ( including the 90s reunion ) is coming, but this well-documented set is cheaper has all the recordings you really need.
Release Date:
Might suit people who like…
mid sixties Mod; mid eighties Indie.
Nice review, @Pessoa. Tell me, what first attracted you to such an obscure band, albeit highly influential? For me, they were a part of the Mod sound of the sixties along with Soul, Ska and The Who. Biff Bang Pow is on one of my favourite box sets, The In Crowd. They even covered Cool Jerk. We Are Paintermen is a fine album.
They had many distinguished members:
Eddie Phillips became bass player in P.P. Arnold’s backing band during the late 1960s. I liked his bow playing, which contributed to the scraping sound you describe.
Kenny Pickett continued as songwriter for the Creation’s American producer, Shel Talmy, and issued some solo recordings in the 1970s and 1980s.
Ronnie Wood joined the Jeff Beck Group, and later The Faces and The Rolling Stones.
Kim Gardner co-formed Ashton, Gardner & Dyke and was later a member of Badger.
Bob Garner played in Warrington bands Magoos and Golliwog, who changed their name to Smiley for a single in 1972: “Penelope” (written by Kenny Pickett) b/w “I Know What I Want” (written by Garner). He died last year.
Jack Jones became a cabaret singer.
Mick Avory was the drummer for the Kinks from 1964 to 1984, joining The Creation when they reformed.