MINING FOR MUSICAL GOLD:
GREG SHAW ON "NUGGETS 2"
By ROBERTO CALABRO
(Originally published in the Italian mag Fun House, issue n. 3)
Greg, you wrote the liner notes of both Nuggets boxed-sets, but above all
you’re one of the most important record collectors and rock critics of
the Sixties. From your privileged point of view, what are the biggest differences
between the American and the European bands of the Nuggets-era (I mean music
and attitude)?
I believe that in America there was more of a sense of freedom to do anything
you liked, no matter how crude or ridiculous, without the pressure of considering
the possibility of commercial success. Bands in England especially all thought
they had a chance for a hit, so they tended to be more polished. In America
they could hope for a local hit, and maybe it could spread, but there's a
big difference between being out in the middle of the desert in Texas, recording
a song like "Green Fuz" and being in London with the music industry
all around and everyone eager to discover the next sensation, and your buddies
Pink Floyd entering the charts that week... For this reason, I find the bands
on Nuggets 2 box sound much more alike than on the American box, where each
track is distinctly different.
Who influenced who? Were the American bands influenced by the British Invasion
or were the British influenced by the 50’s rock’n’roll which
was redefined into beat/garage-sound then ? Or was it just an endless circle
of feedback?
Impossible
to generalize. One of my favorite phases of 60s garage was 1963, when nobody
had ever heard of England, and songs like "Louie Louie" and "Surfin'
Bird" were drawing on 50s R&B to create something really new. That
influence was joined by the British one, but always in America there were
many streams of influence, from rockabilly, rock and roll, surf, r&b,
soul, British, folk, blues, and regional styles too. In England, the American
rock & roll influence (and also the Brill Building pop influence, which
was just as big I think) was foremost until about 1964-5, but then they began
to develop an original pop style. But because England didn't have any regional
or local music tradition that could be adapted to rock, they always looked
more towards the States.
The Sixties were important not only for music and arts, but also for social,
cultural and political aspects. What were the deepest differences between
the USA and Europe from this point of view?
I don't feel qualified to speak about culture and politics, sorry. I believe
each country has its own unique history of these things, and probably many
heavy books about it…
The original "Nuggets" was released in 1972 when the beat/garage-punk
era was already gone and the rock-scene was in the hands of progsters/hard-rock
bands. Then it was almost ignored, but ten years later it was considered as
"holy bible" and it became the milestone for all the new bands who
started the Sixties revival during the 80s. Why did it take so long for "Nuggets"
to be discovered and its value fully understood?
At the time of its release "Nuggets" was given the lead review in
Rolling Stone and it was praised in every rock magazine. Sales were low because
it was the wrong time for that music. Only a few of us maniacs cared. But
you seem to forget that it was reissued in 1976 on Sire and became the direct
inspiration for a lot of the people who started punk rock. It was rediscovered
in the '80s when Rhino put it out again and began their series, and by that
time there were new garage fans who were hearing this music for the first
time, and forming their own bands. I think it's one of those things each generation
must discover in turn.
Now we’ve got in our hands a second volume of Nuggets which covers Europe
and other countries. Which is the value of this release (compared to the original
one), apart from giving collectors and Sixties-fans the chance of saving lots
of money in buying the original seven inches?
Nuggets reaches a lot of people who would never even know this music existed.
Collectors still pay the high prices for the originals, but "Nuggets"
will be heard by many thousands more who are discovering for the first time
that the garage/psych scene didn't just happen in America. It completes the
story. But you should probably also know that nearly everything on the Nuggets
boxes has been readily available at low prices on underground compilations
since the '80s.
In the liner-notes of the vol. 2 you say that beat/garage-punk bands were
discovered all over the world in countries you could never believed like Turkey,
Israel, Cambodia, South Africa or Latin American ones. How and why could this
kinda music spread all over the world?
I believe much of it was brought by U.S. Army guys who were stationed in these
countries. But I still don't understand how it got spread so widely.
Do you really believe there will be a third volume of Nuggets (rest of the
world)?
What rest of the world? I don't believe there will be a third, but I think
there is room for Rhino to release some of the second choices that were left
off the first albums. They would probably use a different title for that.
If they do it at all.
Just a curiosity to satisfy at the end: why onto this European release
there isn’t any Italian band?
I had nothing to do with the selection. I was given a list of the songs, and
wrote my article. Personally, I don't see why Canada is on Vol II when it
is such a close neighbor of the US, with bands going back and forth across
the border for touring and recording, etc. Everyone has favorite groups who
were left off, and questions about why some things were included. I think
there were about 8 compilers who each had their favorites to suggest, and
it was narrowed down from there. Ultimately it was the taste of those who
made the final decision that prevailed. I agree there were many fine Italian
bands who were worthy to be included. "The rest of the world" is
a pretty big place, and perhaps they should have made it a two-part series.
Write to Gary Stewart and suggest it!
