We The People - Too Much Noise

 I was turned on to We The People way back in the early 80's when I was playing in the Unclaimed - we covered both the incendiary "You Burn Me Up and Down" and the wild "Mirror of Your Mind" at the time. It seems like I have heard this album at some point since some of the songs - all originals - do seems familiar - hell, I wonder if I have the vinyl somewhere - will have to look! The booklet included here contains some excellent period photos of the group as well as some informative liner notes by garage guru Jeff Jarema.

Opening with the wacky guitar slides and feedback, "You Burn Me Up and Down" is a fuzz monster with a simple, infectious riff, cool chorus and perfectly snotty vocals. A true classic! A chunky chugger, "My Brother, The Man" sounds like it has influenced everyone from the Jackets to the Heavy! "By the Rule" is a hip, soulful, R'n'B number with a nice call'n'answer, the afore-mentioned "Mirror of Your Mind" is another stomper with pounding, tribal drums that are almost off-beat, noisy harmonica/guitar breaks and another catchy chorus, "Declaration of Independence" - written solely to coincide with their band name - is actually a nice, catchy, blues-eyed soul number, "Free Information" is a bit of a goof, and "Too Much Noise" - written do to neighbor's complaints about their practices - is good, but not great, and I didn't know/didn't remember that the incredible "In The Past" wasn't a Chocolate Watchband original, although the Watchband did almost a note-for-note cover of WTP's amazing original.

"Half of Wednesday" (apparently previously unreleased) is stylistically similar to "In the Past" melodically and with similar raga-riffs, while "(You Are) The Color of Love" is a terrific and memorable ballad in the Love (the band) tradition that I swear I've heard others do, but I can't place it (maybe I've just heard this version before and don't remember), and there's hints of the Monkees and the Byrds (in my ears anyway) in the harmony-drenched "Beginning of the End", followed by another kinda-throwaway novelty number, "He Doesn't Go About It Right", they get spacey and psychedelic in the more successful oddity "Alfred, What Kind of Man Are You" and the proceedings conclude with another immensely familiar number, the psych ballad "St. John's Shop", which, per Jarema, was their biggest radio hit.

Amazing comp of an amazingly talented and ferociously wild but also terrifically versatile band! Any garage rocker needs this one!