NEAL FORD AND THE FANATICS - Get Together With Me / Pain - Hickory - 1967

The Fanatics are a band that seemed to release either amazing songs or absolute shit. Never really anything in between. Their polarized tendencies are perfectly illustrated with these two sides.

'Get Together With Me' is a useless, regrettable pop song and ultimately a waste of 2 minutes. I don't understand how a group of guys who can turn out gems like 'Woman' and this record's flip can willingly release such sugar-pop bullshit. It's not that I write off candy tunes as a whole, as a matter of fact I have a real weakness for a well written pop song, this just doesn't happen to be one. At all. It stinks.

Luckily, 'Pain' alone is worth this record's weight in vinyl. It's actually pretty surprising that The Fanatics aren't listed next to the garage and psych staples like the Blues Magoos or Count Five. They certainly released enough quality tunes to be a real contestant. While 'Pain' isn't the best thing they ever released, it certainly is enjoyable and could hold it's own on any given garage comp.

Maybe it's because they released so much garbage that they don't get the cred they really deserve...

Wah.

PsychedelicElvis