If this world were truly fair and just then The Creation should’ve been HUGE. I mean I should be able to call up my local oldies rock station that plays “Wild Thing” by The Troggs when it feels like gittin’ down and hear “Making Time” and “How Does It Feel To Feel?” at least 20 times a day shouldn’t I? However this is not the case. Yet The Creation remains a righteous, rocking band unafraid of indulging in Psychedelic whimsy. They shouldn’t be left at the bottom of history’s trash bin so here’s my humble review for you.
If you were to ask me “Le Sam how aware of The Creation were you before this collection came out?” I’d have to ‘fess and say “not much.” Outside of knowing who their #1 fan was - Alan McGee, head of Creation records - I knew nada. McGee obviously named his highly influential record label after them and before that was in a band named after one of the Creation’s B-sides “Biff Bang Pow!” I believe they’re on the new huge sequel to Nuggets which covers the the non-American garage rock scene as well.
What I really love about this comp. is how Guitarist Eddie Phillips like the best of the 1960’s UK guitar alchemists (Townsend, Richards, Clapton, Beck, Page, Harrison, Lennon, the Davies bros., Marriot, Barrett and many others) and the rest of The Creation channel raunchy sass one minute then sensitive pathos the next. The Creation’s debut single “Making Time” makes this intensely clear as Phillips makes the guitar sounds during the “solo” like one big long vicous breakdown with a little bit o' Tourette’s syndrome thrown in.
All the while Vocalist Kenny Pickett raggedly reflects opining “Why do we have to carry on? Are we singing the same old song?” Later, you get the half anthemic rave-up/half anthemic gentle reflection of last night’s romantic triste of “For All That I Am.” Here Pickett reminisces dreamily while the band just pounds at him relentlessly. Phillips was the first using a violin bow on his guitar (this idea was later jacked by Jimmy Page in Zep.) Their best tunes have a Mod-ish sense of humor (almost Who/Kinks-like) and no wonder ultra-hip production god (and early Who/Kinks knob twiddler) Shel Talmy produced the whole of this (both mono and stereo versions as well.) This whole collections just screams "The party starts right now!” and that alone should be reason enough to buy it.
This collection is like a half Singles Collection/Half Odds & Sods thang (I’m not sure if The Creation ever made a full length LP.) You get both mono and stereo versions of a few songs and some kick-ass live versions from a German beat show (where they were major stars in Germany.) The mastering is sublime making Phillips sound more fercious and the band more mighty. If you do indeed feel this disc be more than sure to get Vol. 2 of the Complete Collection called Biff Bang Pow!
by Le Samourai, 01/09/2001
Tracks
Disc 1
1. Making Time (Eddie Phillips, Kenny Pickett) - 2:56
2. Try And Stop Me (Eddie Phillips, Kenny Pickett) - 2:26
3. How Does It Feel To Feel (Bob Garner, Eddie Phillips) - 3:03
4. Tom Tom (Bob Garner, Eddie Phillips) - 2:57
5. Nightmares (Eddie Phillips, Kenny Pickett) - 3:12
6. If I Stay Too Long (Bob Garner, Eddie Phillips) - 3:23
7. How Does It Feel To Feel (Bob Garner, Eddie Phillips) - 2:39
8. For All That I Am (Paul Kahan, Stephen Friedland) - 3:04
9. Uncle Bert (Jack Jones, Kenny Pickett, Kim Gardner, Ron Wood) - 2:33
10.Cool Jerk (Donald Storball) - 2:18
11.Bony Maronie (Larry Williams) - 3:29
12.Ostrich Man (Eddie Phillips, Kenny Pickett) - 3:02
13.I Am The Walker (Eddie Phillips, Kenny Pickett) - 2:45
14.For All That I Am (Paul Kahan, Stephen Friedland) - 3:09
15.Nightmares (Eddie Phillips, Kenny Pickett) - 3:13
16.How Does It Feel To Feel (Bob Garner, Eddie Phillips) - 3:38
17.Instrumental #1 (Bob Garner, Eddie Phillips) - 2:51
18.I'm A Man (Ellas McDaniels) - 3:03
19.That's How Strong My Love Is (Roosevelt Jamison) - 2:32
20.Making Time (Eddie Phillips, Kenny Pickett) - 3:13
Disc 2
1. Biff Bang Pow (Eddie Phillips, Kenny Pickett) - 2:25
2. Painter Man (Eddie Phillips, Kenny Pickett) - 2:53
3. Life Is Just Beginning (Bob Garner, Eddie Phillips) - 2:57
4. Through My Eyes (Bob Garner, Eddie Phillips) - 3:05
5. Midway Down (John Wonderling, Lewis Shapiro) - 2:44
6. The Girls Are Naked (Bob Garner, Jack Jones, Kenny Pickett) - 1:57
7. Can I Join Your Band? (Eddie Phillips, Kenny Pickett) - 3:03
8. Sweet Helen (Kenny Pickett) - 3:00
9. Hey Joe (Billy Roberts) - 4:10
10.Like A Rolling Stone (Bob Dylan) - 3:04
11.Mercy, Mercy, Mercy (Joe Zawinul, Johnny Guitar Watson, Larry Williams) - 2:32
12.Sylvette (Bob Garner, Eddie Phillips) - 3:28
13.Biff Bang Pow (Eddie Phillips, Kenny Pickett) - 2:24
14.Painter Man (Eddie Phillips, Kenny Pickett) - 2:51
15.Can I Join Your Band? (Eddie Phillips, Kenny Pickett) - 3:04
16.Midway Down (John Wonderling, Lewis Shapiro) - 3:01
17.Life Is Just Beginning (Bob Garner, Eddie Phillips) - 3:58
18.Life Is Just Beginning (Bob Garner, Eddie Phillips) - 3:22
19.Painter Man (Eddie Phillips, Kenny Pickett) - 2:19
20.Try And Stop Me (Eddie Phillips, Kenny Pickett) - 2:20
The Creation
*Kenny Pickett - Vocals
*Eddie Phillips - Guitar
*Bob Garner - Bass
*Jack Jones - Drums
*Dave Preston - Drums
*Ron Wood - Guitar
*Tony Ollard - Guitar