The Young Rascals: Groovin' CD Track Listing

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The Young Rascals Groovin' (1967)
Originally Released July 31, 1967\nCD Edition Released 1988\n\nAMG EXPERT REVIEW: The Rascals move into the era of psychedelia with a vengeance on this album -- their best of their entire history -- which also retains a soulful core and adds a bit of a Latin beat. The original album on Atlantic was a monster seller thanks to the title track, practically the group's signature tune (number one on the pop charts, number three on R&B), but "Groovin'" was only one small strong point on the album of the same name. "Find Somebody" marked a return to the group's garage band sound with a psychedelic twist, including phased fuzztone guitars and some catchy lyrics and choruses. "How Can I Be Sure" is the second-best-known song off of this album, but it has a fully successful companion piece, "I'm So Happy Now," which applies similar instrumentation to very different (but pleasing) effect. Gene Cornish's "I Don't Love You Anymore" could be the finest pop song in the band's repertory apart from "How Can I Be Sure," with a delectable guitar part, scrumptious melody, and delicious chorus. "You Better Run" was more than a year old when it turned up on this album, and its garage band sensibilities are a bit more primitive than those of "Find Somebody," but it's a great piece of rock & roll. The band turns in one superb Motown cover, "A Place in the Sun," done in a surprisingly subdued fashion. And for a finale, Cavaliere and Brigati turn in an exultant period piece, "It's Love," whose soaring lyrics are matched by guest artist Hubert Laws' flute -- alas, his presence would point the way toward less effective, more disjointed work in the group's future, as they moved more deeply into psychedelia. -- Bruce Eder\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nMemorable Night, August 6, 2004\nReviewer: R. Larsen "Peter" (Salt Lake City)\nIn the Summer of '67 I bought this album and had sex for the first time in the back seat of a Chevy Malibu. Wow, I love this memory.\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nBrilliant!!!, October 31, 2003\nReviewer: A music fan\nThis is one of the great albums of the 1960's. The Rascals are often slagged for being a singles band. This assumption is far from the truth, many of their albums are excellent. This recording is where psychelia, soul, folk-rock, garage punk, and ethinic elements mesh successfully into one cohesive offering. The hits (Groovin, How Can I Be Sure, and A Girl Like You)do not a need further explanation. You Better Run is an incredible early punk rock tune that has proved to be very influential. Find Somebody has menacing circular guitar riffs that grab the listener immediately. I'm So Happy Now could have easily found a home on the Beach Boy's masterful Pet Sounds album. Sueno burns with 60's experimention including backward cymbals and a fiery spanish guitar style riff. Every song is a winner and very individual. This is the Rascals version of the Beatle's great Revolver album (still their best!) In addition, the Rascals voices sound excellent and they have not abodoned their soul roots. This is an essential listen for any 60's rock fan!\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nStill Sounding Good After 30+ Years, June 4, 2001\nReviewer: Kurt Harding "bon vivant" (Boerne TX)\nMy interest in top-40 music had a very short lifespan; by the time I was 13 I had left most of it behind to listen to all the great progressive music that came out of the late 60s. One of the few exceptions is that I always liked the Young Rascals and I still do today. There was just something about their music which set them apart from their top-40 contemporaries. Groovin' was one of the top songs of 1967, but this album offers much more. First, there are the distinctive voices of Felix Cavaliere and Eddie Brigati, then there is the robust R&B feel to much of their work with occasional flashes of Latin influences. Groovin' contains lots of great songs:A Girl Like You, the romantic How Can I Be Sure, the title cut, If You Knew, the jazz-inflected It's Love, and my favorite A Place in the Sun which at almost 5 minutes long, was unusually long for a song of that period. There are only a couple of songs that didn't come through the remastering well, notably Find Somebody. If you grew up in the 60s, this album will really carry you back. If not, the Rascal's joyful, uplifting, R&B tinged romanticism will make you a convert. I heartily recommend this CD which still sounds good after 30+ years.\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nGreat way to daydream on days gone bye..., March 14, 1999\nReviewer: A music fan\nThis was a great album to bring back memories of '68 just before the invasion of the heavy stuff. I think that the Young Rascals were the first to produce an album that had a continuous story that unfolded musically, that album was Once Upon a Dream, which is reproduced here as "Groovin", giving credit to one cut that really made the charts. It is unfortunate that Warner made the mistake of leaving out one song that was an important part of the entire "musical trip" offerred by this album. In fact, although the tunes were there, the feel of the original vinyl album is gone. Hey, Warner try it again and this time just reproduce the entire "Once Upon a Dream" album without the editing license.\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nmemories of the good ole days., February 2, 1999\nReviewer: A music fan\nThis song reminded my of laying around all day in my backyard on a Sunday afternoon with my beautiful girlfriend who eventually became my beautiful wife. Thanks for the memories!\n\nHalf.com Album Notes\nThe (Young) Rascals' best-known album is this 1967 release, thanks to the title track, the group's biggest-ever single. An infectiously lazy quasi-bossa nova with more hooks than really should be allowed in any one song, "Groovin'" is a stone classic, one of the best and most-beloved singles of the '60s.\n\nThe fact that GROOVIN' has another hit single which some fans think is even better--the gorgeously melodramatic, spacious "How Can I Be Sure"--makes this by default better than any of the Young Rascals' more scattershot and covers-heavy earlier albums. The other nine tracks are cut from the same stylistic cloth as the hits: more refined and quieter than their raucous early hits, songs like "I'm So Happy Now" and "If You Knew" are delightful collisions of lite-psych and jazz-inflected blue-eyed soul. GROOVIN' is a delightful album and probably the best starting point for this often underrated group.
This rock cd contains 11 tracks and runs 34min 28sec.
Freedb: 9608120b
Buy: from Amazon.com

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