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Thursday, December 7, 2023

The Weeds - Aka The Lollipop Shoppe (1966/68 us, superb acid garage psych, 2007 digipak remaster)



The Weeds were Fred Cole's (later founder and frontman of the legendary Dead Moon) second band but the suits being suits forced the band to moonlight under the cutesy Lollipop Shoppe tag to lure in sweet-toothed teens. Thankfully, the sound doesn't change from name to name; this is tough, acid-laced garage rock from the cradle of the sound, the Pacific Northwest. The Weeds gained notice in garage rock circles, and their only single, "It's Your Time" b/w "Little Girl," has become a collectors' favorite. It is a snarling, raw example of '60s punk, and the a-side appeared on one of the Nuggets anthologies.

This is the first official reissue of The Weeds (a.k.a. The Lollipop Shoppe), authorized by Fred Cole. Life for a young band on the road & on the way up is a merry chaos. When "You Must Be a Witch" proved to be a hit single, The Weeds were hot. The group regularly opened for The Doors, The Seeds, and Moby Grape as well as a few one-offs with the likes of Buffalo Springfield, Janis Joplin, and Jefferson Airplane. This is `60s garage/psychedelia as its best. A long-awaited re-issue, the album has been beautifully re-mastered by Mark "Bosshoss" Taylor.
Tracks
1. It's Your Time (Dennis Wynne, Eddie Bowen) - 2:22
2. Little Girl (Van Morisson) - 3:00
3. You Must Be A Witch (Fred Cole) - 2:46
4. Underground Railroad (Fred Cole, Ron Buzzel) - 7:43
5. Baby Don't Go (Bob Atkins, Fred Cole) - 2:42 
6. Who'll Read The Will (Bob Atkins, Fred Cole) - 2:30
7. It's Only A Reflection (Eddie Bowen) - 3:08
8. Don't Look Back (Fred Cole) - 2:33
9. Don't Close The Door On Me (Fred Cole, Ron Buzzel) - 4:25
10.It Ain't How Long (Eddie Bowen, Fred Cole) - 2:44
11.It's Makin' It (Eddie Bowen, Fred Cole) - 2:30
12.I'm Gonna Be There (Bob Atkins, Fred Cole) - 2:41
13.You Don't Give Me No More (Bob Atkins, Fred Cole) - 2:17
14.Sin (Fred Cole) - 2:25
15.Mr. Madison Avenue (Bob Atkins, Fred Cole) - 2:35
16.Who's It Gonna Be (Fred Cole) - 2:29
17.Stop (Fred Cole) - 4:00
18.No Good News (Eddie Bowen) - 3:14

The Weeds 
*Fred Cole - Vocals
*Ron Buzzel - Rhythm Guitar 
*Eddie Bowen - Lead Guitar
*Bob Atkins - Bass
*Tim Rockson - Drums