A part 2 of sorts to Starter Guide: Legendary Artist Compilations, this post focuses on some favourite genres of mine and the compilations that not only do fantastically at summing up the general sound that is concerned, but also contain oft-overlooked, ‘hidden gems’ you might not easily be able to find and hear otherwise. Suggest your compilation recommendations in the comments!

• GIRL GROUPS

Though I did ‘blip’ about this yesterday, people have often been surprised to learn that I am a big fan of 1960’s girl group music. Apart from better-known American comps like Back to Mono and the Shangri-Las’ Myrmidons of Melodrama, the Dream Babes series covers obscure 60’s British female artists, piling on more campyness and sweetness than you’ll hear anywhere else. The first volume, as well as 3 and 6 are essential for anyone with an interest in the genre. The hard-to-come-by Girls in the Garage series bridges the gap between the girl group sound and the category to follow in this article.

• PSYCHEDELIC / GARAGE ROCK

Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era 1965-1968 (originally released in 1972, and further expanded in 1998) is arguably one of the best known and most beloved of a multiple-artist compilation of any genre. It is certainly a fine introduction to the psych-garage sound in general, though including not as much of the genuinely ‘out-there’ and bizarre as the arguably superior Pebbles series (especially Trash Box, if you can get ahold of it). The four disc Nuggets II could have been cut down to two, with all of the filler that is present there. Children of Nuggets covers a second wave of psychedelic music, 1976-1996, with inclusions such as the Soft Boys’ “I Wanna Destroy You”, Julian Cope’s “Sunspots”, and Primal Scream’s “Gentle Tuesday” though again it would have been improved as a two disc set instead of its extended meanderings. There is a bit of overlapping with the aforementioned compilations, but I’d like to note that the out-of-print, Cramps-centric Born Bad albums are worth a listen as well.

Nuggets: “Primitive” - The Groupies, “Strychnine” - The Sonics, “Complication” - The Monks, “Going All the Way” - Squire, “The Trip” - Kim Fowley
Nuggets II: “Walking Through My Dreams” - The Pretty Things, “Magic Potion” - The Open Mind”, “When the Night Falls” - Eyes, “I Must Be Mad” - The Craig, “Save My Soul” - Wimple Winch, “Crawdaddy Simone” - The Syndicats, “It’s My Fault” - Rattles
Pebbles series: Vol. 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 11 are the best of the bunch, all with loads of fine tracks here that are not on Nuggets.
Children of Nuggets Key Tracks: “The Girl from Baltimore” - The Fleshtones, “Mink Dress” - Plasticland, “I Wanna Destroy You” - The Soft Boys, The La’s - “There She Goes”

• LIBRARY MUSIC

Library music is a genre referring to electronic, often quirky and experimental, music, designed for use in radio, TV programs, and sountracks in eras gone by. Especially notable was the work of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop (read this article at Radio Riel for more information) which I first heard of as listeners of my electronic music began to draw comparisons between my sound and library music artists like Delia Derbyshire (known for the Doctor Who theme music) and Raymond Scott. BBC Radiophonic Music is a good starting point, while Barry 7’s Connectors delves further into the obscure.

• MOD

My love of mod music began with the Kinks, the Small Faces, and the Jam (all of which I had heard Carl Barat of the Libertines was into, when I was a mad-lib fanatic)- what’s more, my main reason for working and saving up cash was initially my dream of owning a Vespa LXV 150. The further I got into exploring mod music and culture, I eventually came across the Immediate Mod Box Set, which is chock-full of classic cuts from the Small Faces, Rod Stewart (mod-ish back then, you know), John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers, Chris Farlowe, and more. A lighter sampling is available on Decca’s The Mod Scene, while Yet Mo’ Mod Jazz covers some of the favourite jazz and R&B selections.

• EXOTICA / LOUNGE

Lounge does not necessarily equal muzaky background music that should be restricted to elevators. The Ultra Lounge series encompasses a variety of cool, swingin’ music from the likes of exotica masters Martin Denny and Les Baxter, perfect for parties and chillin’, ya dig? Since the series goes 18 albums deep, begin with the Ultra-Lounge Sampler!

• ALTERNATIVE ROCK

The only problem with a box set like this is that those who are interested in such a compilation run the risk of already owning the full-length albums by many of the artists included here, but Left of the Dial: Dispatches from the ’80s Underground serves a purpose for any of those nay-sayers who put down the 80’s as being merely an era of mainstream pop and hair bands, and also for an all-around excellent mix. Key tracks: The Jam - “Going Underground”, The Cure “A Forest”, New Order - “Temptation”, The Smiths - “This Charming Man”, Joy Division - “Love Will Tear Us Apart”, The Cramps - “Goo Goo Muck”, Echo and the Bunnymen - “The Cutter”, The Psychedelic Furs - “All That Money Wants”, and everything else.
See also 18 Track Sampler and Post-Punk for smaller doses.

A Life Less Lived: The Gothic BoxGothic rock is a frequently misunderstood genre, and the inclusion of much of what is labeled post-punk (Joy Division, The Chameleons) and/or neo-psychedelic (Echo and the Bunnymen, The Cult) might appear confusing at first glance, but there is much to be said for A Life Less Lived allowing the connections between these genres to be plainly heard. The only puzzling aspect of the collection is AFI’s cover of the Cure’s “The Hanging Garden”. Hmm.
Key tracks: Nearly everything! Nice to see some more off-the-wall inclusions like the March Violets - “Snake Dance” and Dalis Car (collaboration between Bauhaus’ Peter Murphy and Japan’s Mick Karn) - “His Box”, as well.

No Thanks! The 70’s Punk Rebellion
Rhino Records are wonderful at putting compilations together, aren’t they? Although, as with Left of the Dial’s selection, if punk and new wave music interest you, you’ll likely have heard a great deal of what is to be found here. If not…I can’t think of a better introduction. Would make a great gift to an angsty teen.
Key Tracks: Television - “See No Evil”, the Modern Lovers - “Roadrunner”, The Stooges - “Search and Destroy”, The Fall - “Bingo Master’s Break-Out!”, Suicide - “Rocket U.S.A.”, Magazine - “Shot By Both Sides”

• LABEL-SPECIFIC

Just Say Sire: The Sire Records Story
I’m not typically the sort to seek out music based on the label it is on, but I have found Sire to have been one of those record labels to consistently release excellent stuff. It’s a potpourri here, you are not likely to have heard all of what is offered up previously. Key tracks: The English Beat - “Mirror in the Bathroom”, Tin Tin - “Kiss Me”, Tom Tom Club - “Genius of Love’, The Undertones - “Teenage Kicks”