LEWALLEN BROTHERS - Hitch-Hike! (1964-1968) Byrds, the Beau Brummels, and the Zombies CD
COLLECTABLESThe '60s were filled with garage bands that could play up a storm covering other peoples' material, but the Lewallen Brothers made a sound that had the immediacy of those bands and the kind of polish that one associated more with the Byrds, the Beau Brummels, and the Zombies. The fourteen songs on this CD come from sessions dating between November of 1964 and April 1967, and it's like listening to good outtakes by the Beatles or the Roulettes. Some of it was a bit retro in its time ('What More Can I Say,' with its soaring harmonies, chiming rhythm guitars, hot drumming, and memorable hooks, could have competed with the Beatles if only it had been cut in 1964 or 1965, not the spring of 1967), but it all sounds sweet today, and, in terms of the pleasure that it will elicit, is nearly as essential to any collection of '60s rock & roll as any album ever cut by the Byrds or the Zombies. By the mid-1960s, the Lewallen Brothers were opening for musical acts such as the Turtles, the Beau Brummels, and Paul Revere and the Raiders. Ironically, the heavy live schedule impeded them from recording consistently. Music critic Bruce Eder explains Their impeccable harmony singing, coupled with their considerable instrumental prowess and their tight sound, made them highly desirable both as a warm-up act as well as a backing band.Ó This collection includes their classic songs from 1964-1968, including ÔOnly a Dream,Õ a song which led to the band Õs numerous performances on Dick Clark's famed TV show, Happening Õ68. Typical Collectables label packaging, including the omnipresent small drill-hole, for this long out of print disc.