Mops "Rock 'N' Roll '70" 1970 ***

For the first time, I'm presenting a record that's not part of my record collection. Not on purpose; I bought GS Original Stock 5 by The Mops during my recent visit to Japan, mistaking it for their sophomore effort, Rock'n'Roll 70. I then downloaded the album I thought I had bought on MP3 and listened to it while driving to work, proceeding to write my review based on what I heard. Then, when I played the actual vinyl at home, I realized my mistake: even though both albums use the same cover photo, one of them is really a compilation. The Japanese song titles on the back cover were no help to me; do you think I can tell whether this "朝まで待てない" or this "朝日のあたる家" means "House Of The Rising Sun"? Anyway, since I took the time to write the review already, I thought I'd post it here anyway. And, for your information, I'm not the only one who made this mistake; rateyourmusic also lists GS Original Stock 5 as a  different issue of the original Rock'n'Roll 70 LP rather than as a completely other album. 

On the left, a photo of the LP I bought in Japan. On the right, the one this review is about:

The Mops are considered to be Japan's first psychedelic rock band; their debut Psychedelic Sounds in Japan (1968) featured fuzz-laden covers of Jefferson Airplane, Doors, and Animals songs. It was pretty good, but seemed to be a bit too eager to jump on the flower-power bandwagon. Their third one Iijanaika (1971), which I've already reviewed here, presented a heavier, less commercial, aspect of the band. Rock 'N' Roll '70, recorded between those two, is mostly ignored; like their debut it features mostly covers, but unlike it, it fails to capture the zeitgeist. If anything, it's divided between nostalgia for the classic blues and rock'n'roll of the 50's and early 60's and their future progressive heavy sound. "Rock'n'Roll" (which singer Hiromitsu Suzuki pronounces "Lock en Lol😂") is a wild rockabilly incorporating Little Richards' "Good Golly Miss Molly" and sounds like a precursor to the same-named Led Zeppelin track. "Jenny Jenny '70" is a more straight Little Richard cover. "Ain't That Just Like Me" is a fun little rock'n'roll ditty (previously covered by The Coasters, Searchers, Hollies etc) and "I'm A Man" is a Spencer Davis Group song; both are tough, well-played, versions but too short and missing any distinctive characteristics. I find myself wishing they had elongated them or added some nice solos, 1970 wasn't the 3-minute radio era when these songs first appeared. Hiromitsu was a big Eric Burdon fan, so he covers two Animals songs here: wild R&B "Club A Go Go" and their classic "House of The 'Lising' Sun". The latter features an interesting bridge utilizing a string section (or, more likely, mellotron) and a (possibly traditional Japanese) reed instrument. The other ballad here is a rather lackluster version of The Beatles' "Elenore Rigby". "My Babe" sounds like a blues cover, but I'm not sure (it's not the familiar Little Walter tune of the same name). The rest sound like band originals, and are of arguably more interest. The album opens with Hendrix-like psychedelia of "Participation" - one of the record's highlights, along with "Kyoko", a Groundhogs-like prog-blues hard rocker. "Get Got Gotten" treads similar ground while "Body And Soul" is a hard rock-garage-soul hybrid similar to modern groups like The Gories and Bellrays. In the end, despite the fact that they choose to sing in English and that this LP is obviously intended as a tribute to their early British/American R&B/Rock&Roll influences, there's something very Japanese about it; I don't just mean the singer's accent, but also the fact that all these influences seem to be processed with an alien sensibility - of someone who was steeped in Western culture but not necessarily of it. As it turns out, the album is quite rare, especially on vinyl. So, if you can find a copy (even CDs are rare) I say get it, it's worth adding to your collection. Just make sure it's the one on the right.

**** for Participation, Rock 'N' Roll, House Of The Rising Sun, Kyoko, Body And Soul

*** for My Babe, I'm A Man, Jenny Jenny '70, Eleanor Rigby, Get Got Gotten, Ain't That Just Like Me, Club-A-Go-Go