Name: Wants a Piece of You
Brand: Big Beat
SKU: 61050391
Price: 27.15 USD
Availability: InStock

Wants a Piece of You

Rating

Performer Notes

She includes: Nancy Ross, Sally Ross.
Recorded between 1966 and 1970.
Although credited to She, this 19-track disc has five circa 1966 recordings by the Hairem, along with She's 1970 single and a dozen unreleased tracks from the late '60s. The only reason this might achieve greater notoriety than the usual generic garage/psych release is via the novelty of hearing this raunchy style--an almost totally all-male domain--performed, written, and sung by women. The Hairem cuts are primitive in the extreme, with ominous and minimal melodic content. "The Snake" succeeds via its Middle Eastern ambience and outrageously provocative (for the era) vocal and lyrics, but otherwise the songwriting is no great shakes and the performances, particularly the drumming, amateurish (which is not a compliment). The She material is more accomplished, but pretty derivative of late-'60s psychedelic and hard rock trends, though delivered with some admirable aggression. Sometimes the Doors influence is evident in the organ and the Jefferson Airplane influence felt in the harmonies and tunes; "When I Was a Little Girl" has that forlorn early San Francisco psych ballad feel, while the demo version of "Outta Reach" ends with phrasing ripped straight off the end of "White Rabbit." Sure this CD is interesting as a rare example of women performing in this style during this era, but on its own terms the music just isn't special. ~ Richie Unterberger