The Morticians "Freak Out With..." 1987 (1998 reissue)***

There is a certain kind of music associated with the 80's: synthesizers, big snare drums, above all clean, sterile sound. You see as MTV overtook radio, groups acted as TV salesmen of their own records adjusting their image and sound accordingly. But that's only part of the story: There was also a diverse alternative music scene catering to underground musico-cultural tribes. One of the most obsessive was the neo-psychedelic movement, intent on reproducing the sounds created by a score of semi-forgotten bands circa 1965-1968. Central to that was the reissue mania that started with Lenny Kaye's compilation Nuggets and continued with Pebbles, Back From The Grave, and many many others. These 60's revival bands favored a raw live sound and shunned all the modern studio techniques that producers of the era were so proud of, and which make 80's productions sound so lifeless and artificial nowadays. For some reason, while that garage punk renaissance flowered in the U.S. and continental Europe, the U.K. produced few worthwhile examples. Most, like The Prisoners and Headcoats, had a distinct English flavor which drew inspirations from the 60's without reproducing the Nuggets/Pebbles 60's sound as American bands of this kind did. The Morticians took the middle road, by covering the classic garage rock songbook while giving it their own spin: lots of distorted guitars, reverb-heavy production, psychedelic effects. Their sole LP is even split between a punk and a psych side to accommodate both directions. The punk side opens with band original "Now She's Gone", featuring groovy organ and fuzzed-out guitars, followed by intense -and fairly faithful- covers of the genre classics: "Action Woman" (The Litter), "Don't Need Your Lovin'" and "Sweet Young Thing" (Chocolate Watch Band), "Blackout Of Gretely" (The Gonn)," E.S.P." (Beaver Patrol), and "I Need You There" (The Chessmen). The psych side has a heavier jam-like feel, influenced by West Coast acid rock and the Pink Fairies. "Spiral Bat" incorporates a bit of "Who Do You Love", the Bo Diddley rocker as played by Quicksilver Messenger Service. "Carolyn", all swirling organ and fuzzy guitars, is probably a reference to Carolyn Jones, the original TV Morticia Adams, who inspired the band's name. A couple more covers follow, "Song Of A Baker" (Small Faces) and a freaked out version of  Country Joe & The Fish's "Section 43" (named "Section 44"). The album cover is obviously a tribute to Frank Zappa & The Mothers' 1966 debut, and was issued in two different colours: pink or green. 10 years later it was re-released on  CD with 2 bonus tracks: garage-punk "I Don't Care" and a cover of Donovan's "Hey Gyp (Dig The Slowness)". For some, the overabundance of covers would immediately relegate this band to rock's 2nd Division. I, personally, am not bothered by it. It's like the blues: there's a songbook of maybe 100 songs which every band goes back to. Even when they don't succeed to put their own spin on them, if they play well and put their heart in it, it makes for good listening. That's all I need in order to dig the Morticians!

**** for Now She's Gone, I Need You There, Sweet Young Thing

*** for Action Woman, Don't Need Your Lovin', Blackout Out Of Gretely, E.S.P., Spiral Bat, Carolyn, Song Of A Baker, Hey Gyp (Dig The Slowness)

** for Section 44, I Don't Care