If You’re Ready! The Best of Dunwich Records, Vol. 2

RELEASE
1994
LABEL
Sundazed
GENRES
Pop/Rock, Garage Rock, Rock & Roll, Psychedelic

Album Review

This second volume investigating the history of Chicago's best -- and most influential -- teen band label of the mid-'60s comes up with 28 tracks of classic Windy City garage band genius with more emphasis on rarities and unissued material than its initial volume, Oh Yeah! Dunwich was a small concern, run by three jazz heads, who nonetheless managed to tap into Chicago's fertile teen scene of the mid-'60s and get the very best groups down on tape at the city's best studio, Universal. Although "Gloria" by the Shadows of Knight was their only major national hit, they were one of the few labels that steadily catered to this kind of teenage racket; the quality of their releases was very high and many of them have reached legendary status. The Pride and Joy (actually the Del-Vetts) kick things off with the title track and rare Dunwich 45s from the Shadows of Knight ("I'm Gonna Make You Mine," which starts out with a four-chord guitar blast dripping with reverb, distortion, and rock & roll), Things to Come, the Luv'd Ones, Saturday's Children ("You Don't Know Better"), the Rovin' Kind (great covers of "Girl" and John Sebastian's "Didn't Want to Have to Do It"), and the Wanderin' Kind all keeping the disc stuck in high gear. Seven of the tracks here are previously unissued masters, and these, along with radio spots by H.P. Lovecraft and the American Breed -- one of them for Ban deodorant! -- and a rare alternate session take of the Shadows of Knight creaming "I Got My Mojo Working" (originally released on a vinyl album of Dunwich outtakes in the '70s called Early Chicago) make this fine collection a worthwhile addition to anyone's '60s garage band collection. This one literally screams of teen clubs, Rickenbacker guitars, and fake IDs.
Cub Koda, Rovi

Track Listing

  1. If You're Rady
  2. I'm Gonna Make You Mine
  3. I'm Not Talkin'
  4. 'Til the End
  5. I'm Leaving You
  6. Walkin' the Dog
  7. Bad Little Woman
  8. Same Old Thing
  9. Born on Saturday
  10. You Don't Know Better
  11. Something I Can't Buy
  12. Away
  13. Girl
  14. Didn't Want to Have to Dot It
  15. Dance Kid Dance
  16. Stand Tall
  17. Tomorrow Is Her Name
  18. Deck Five
  19. Radio Spot: The Alone Phone
  20. It's Getting Harder
  21. Take Care
  22. Dirty Ernie
  23. Oleo Margarine
  24. You're Gonna Lose That Girl
  25. Radio Spot: Ban Deodorant
  26. Black Cat Blues
  27. Quit Your Low Down Ways
  28. I Got My Mojo Working