The Definitive Downliner Sect Singles A's and B's

The Downliner Sect were one of the original British blues/R'n'B bands of the early 1960's but they never garnered the fame'n'fortune of their contemporaries like the Stones, Yardbirds or even the Pretty Things. Most likely this was due to more primitive style, raw vocals and somewhat sick sense of humor. But, nonetheless, they were another essential combo whose influence is felt to this day and who continue to play shows!

Don Craine and company mined the same material as their peers, with tough takes on the likes of "Cadillac", "Roll Over Beethoven", "Beautiful Delilah" (some wild lead guitar work here!), "Shame, Shame, Shame" and "Green Onions" (pretty freakin' different without keyboard and with some frantic guitar solos). There's plenty of musical references to the likes of Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry and even the Coasters (their version of "Little Egypt" is one of their best numbers), as well as lots of self-references, like "Be A Sect Maniac", "Sect Appeal" (both Diddley steals) and "Leader of the Sect" (a twisted interpretation of "Leader of the Pack").

They get a lot poppier in "Find Out What's Happening" and "Wreck of the Old 97" (more high speed guitar here), wail on some harp in "Insecticide" (I guess that is technically self-referential, as well?) and then they become the premier death-blues band of the 60's with the tunes from The Sect Sing Sick Songs and more. The afore-mentioned "Leader of the Sect", the gruesome grave-robbin' (although I suppose it is "robbing" if you get in, rather than taken anything out) of "I Want My Baby Back", the fairly straight-forward blues of "Midnight", a couple of sick, 50's-styled ballads with demented vocals in "Now She's Dead" and "Waiting In Heaven Somewhere" (I hope they didn't think that they would get on the radio with this subject matter!), there's a vaguely country-ish "I Got Mine" ("Waiting..." was C&W-tinged, as well), a super quiet (mainly guitar and vocals, with the rhythm section mixed down very low), minor key ballad in "Bad Storm Coming", and then they get back to the business of wailin'-harp-led R'n'B in "Lonely and Blue".

"All Night Worker" is a great, upbeat R'n'B/rocker and "He Was a Square" is a hip garage riff-rocker. Probably the closest that the band came to a hit is their fuzztastic ode of unrequited love to a manikin, "Glendora" - swingin' beat, fierce fuzz guitars, one of their better lead vocals and super cool backing "heys!", "ahs" and "do-do's" along with great lyrics. If they had more songs like this one then they would have been a hit machine! That said, "I'll Find Out" is another fine garage rocker, though "The Cost of Living" has a bit more of a pop sensibility that, while not bad, doesn't really work - guess they were trying different styles at this point! They're back on point with the R'n'B, bass-driven raver "Everything I've Got to Give" (which the Tell Tale Hearts did to great effect in the 80's) and although it's not as great as the original, their cover of the Remains "I Can't Get Away From You" is solid and they close on a high note with the swingin' start'n'stop garage rocker simply titled "Roses".

This is a terrific collection and while the group was a bit too raw to achieve the hit status of some of their peers, the Sect were a force to be reckoned with and have left behind a heckuva legacy. Any 60's fanatic should acquire this one!