California Rock ‘60s ‘70s (Passport)

 

Picture: C     Sound: C     Extras: D     Compilation: C+

 

 

Several labels have put out compilation sets about the kind of West Coast-produced Rock of the 1960s that ran into the 1970s.  Passport’s California Rock entry clocks in at less than 40 minutes, but has some interesting material just the same, as follows:

 

1 - 3) Happy Together, She’d Rather Be With Me and Elenore from The Turtles

          4) Break My Mind from Linda Ronstadt

5) The Beat Goes On and What Now My Love? (two clips) by Sonny & Cher

6) I Feel A Whole Lot Better by The Byrds

7) Little Deuce Coupe by The Beach Boys

8) Sloop John B by Brian Wilson (solo on The Mike Douglas Show)

9) California Dreamin’ by The Mamas & The Papas

10) No Love Today from the film Mother, Jugs & Speed by Michelle Phillips of The Mamas & The Papas

 

 

The two versions of Sonny & Cher doing What Now My Love? shows the more natural 1960s style versus the semi-Vegas style they later used for their hit TV show that had a major tendency to butcher the arrangements and mute the energy out of them.  It was that kind of questionable Pop that would mark her solo 70s hits in particular and makes them an unintended laugh riot.  Wilson’s performance is painful, historic and bittersweet.  Ronstadt is good in an early appearance.

 

The 1.33 X 1 image is soft throughout, but is usually NTSC color videotape.  The Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono is also flat and often is several generations down.  It is worse when you consider they are starting with old monophonic tradedowns of stereo hit records with TV’s notoriously bad audio standards of the time.  That gets al the more frustrating when the song is so good.  There are no extras.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo