Teenage Head

I'd like to say "Teenage Head is awesome" and leave it at that, but some people might mistake that review for R. Kelly's life motto.

Unless this is just one person's personal list, i dont understand how this album could be considered an album you HAVE to listen to.

Teenage Head by The Flamin’ Groovies (1971) The 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die project presents wonderful opportunities for expanding the musical horizons of the serious listener. There are those albums that are pleasant new listening experiences created long ago—albums that breathe new life into the heart of the listener with their interesting and long-forgotten virtuosity and creativity; albums that you’re eager to add to your collection; albums that inspire deep philosophical reflection on perennial issues; albums that make powerful political statements; albums that were ahead of their time; albums that should have been classics. This album is not one of them. Dropped tempos, sloppy accompanying instrumentals, boring guitar riffs, mechanical bass lines, bad backing vocals, uncreative mixing, mindless lyrics, monotonous interludes, and over the hill rockabilly grooves, all demonstrate that The Flamin’ Groovies are a poor imitation of The Rolling Stones (when they’re not being a poor imitation of the early Elvis Presley [“Evil Hearted Ava”!—yuck]). Compare this album with the Stones’ Sticky Fingers, released the same year, and grab the Ipecac. These guys might have sufficed to play at your high school prom—yours, but not mine. Did you ignore this in 1971? If you did, it was for good reason. 1/5

At first I thought this was an album called Flamin’ Groovies by Teenage Head, which I was looking forward to. This is great. One of my new “I can listen to every track without skipping” albums. Looking it up on Wikipedia, Mick Jagger apparently said this was a better version of Sticky Fingers, and I agree. Rockabilly edging into proto-punk. I love this so much. Favourite track: “Whiskey Woman”

finally, an answer to the question: "what if the rolling stones were good?"

Mick Jagger doesn't know what the fuck he's talking about. "Sticky Fingers" takes this shit to the cleaners and then some.

For a band I've never heard of, this album was freaking great. It's everything I love about The Rolling Stones with a healthy dose of Violent Femmes sprinkled on top. This came out the same year as "Sticky Fingers" even. Apparently, after listening to "Teenage Head" Mick Jagger was like, "Oh yeah. That's what we were trying to do with 'Sticky Fingers' but they did it better." And he's not wrong. Put the two albums up against each other and "Teenage Head" just might come out on top. Absolute monster of an album.

These boys FUCK! Kinda like The Rolling Stones with a little of The Stooges thrown in. There’s almost no way they weren’t an influence on Eagles Of Death Metal and early Kings Of Leon. Pretty fun album!

just a bit of bluesy rock, but has that kinda proto-punk 70s sound coming through a bit. not too bad but I'll probably never listen again. 3/5.

i am so bored of guitar music man band and the same seven rock covers

why are there so many albums like this on this list

Poundland Rolling Stones

What an awesome record! A perfect blend of blues, rock and even rockabilly. I really enjoyed listening to it.

I'm surprised I have never heard of this band before. They play excellent early garage rock. I gave this album three listens, and each time was better than the last. I am going to check out their other stuff.

How had I never heard of these guys before? They sound like a mix of Rolling Stones and CCR. 70s, right? There's no error. That's my kind of music. Every time I think I've heard everything about this decade, I'm always surprised! 5 stars of course.

Just as a personal preference, I would have chosen their next album, “Shake Some Action” instead of this one. The power pop on that record resonates with me a little more than the blues-based songs here, but this one is still good.

i love their refusal to jump on the bandwagon of the times, and instead just rip up some awesome bluesy rock & roll. fantastic album

Very blues, very loud. The sound is totally on point but the songwriting does nothing for me. I'm mostly just along for the ride with this album, letting it go from one song to next while soaking in the sheer bluesiness of it all. Overall good.

Decent album, but nothing that rocked my world lol

Eh. I've heard a million albums that sound like this. Did this have to make the list?

Amazing record from track 1 to the end - from pure party garage rock to acoustic folk blues. I can imagine that Evil Hearted Ada influencing the psychobilly Lux Interior of The Cramps with it’s circus mirror reflection of Elvis. As for comparisons, I’d listen to this before the Stones every time.

The Cramps before The Cramps

I'd never encountered the Flamin' Groovies, these guys ROCK. Shades of the Stones and CCR. Good find.

Interesting albums with lots of blues and inspiration from other artists. Could hear hendrix, dylan, and elvis in a few songs. Liked the different vibes throughout the album

This band reminds me a lot of the Rolling stones but maybe the band and the lyrics aren't as controversial? They have that 70's rock/blues thing going though I'm not sure if there is anything totally exceptional about this album. Maybe it's here because Mick Jagger thought they were better than the Rolling Stones?

1001 albums has introduced me to a new genre that I think of as "60s punk". Now, this came out in 1970, but I would say it was an example of that sound - taking the basic 1950s Rock n Roll elements but in a rougher, harsher, more DIY way. I liked this. I might return to it. I might not. I'd give it was a 3.5 stars if I could.

I’d never heard of Flamin Groovies before this album and it’s not bad. I would say that there is definitely a noticeable Rolling Stones influence to the band’s sound. Which is not a bad thing, there are noticeable influences from multiple artists on the record. But I was left thinking “most of these songs could be on a Rolling Stones album”.

I've heard this band in the past, but never properly checked them out. This one apparently is the third and greatest album, just before one of the founding members left. It's quite pleasant. 30 mins of throwback rock n roll with a country tinge and some blues cover songs. If you are a big fan of 1950s/60s rock classics, you would definitely have a blast with this. I tapped my toes along to the whole thing, and there weren't any dull moments. But it's not a style I'm particularly enamoured with. 3.5

not my thing really

Handgemachte Rockmusik ohne Schnickschnack! So muss es sein! Endlich eine coole Neuentdeckung!

Love, love, love this album!! When I read the quick wiki on them to get a background, I thought it was cool that Mick Jagger gave them a shout out as being legends (I was even reading a book about Mick at the time). When I listened, there were a few songs I recognized, but I am totally shocked that they are NOT a household name!!! I would say they are as good, if not better than the Stones (not that I’m a huge fan of them). Will add this to my collection for sure as I’ve come back to listen to it multiples times already! Listen again: yes Purchase for my collection: yes Favourite Song: almost all of them!

It's a nice 1970's rock album. It's a fun listen, and it is reminiscent of The Rolling Stones.

Proper good

So I can't agree with Mick Jagger this album is what the Stones were trying to do with Sticky Fingers. The Stones did the blues-rock better. Saying that, I can hear Mick Jagger singing "Yesterday's Numbers" and "City Lights." It's uncanny to me. I had never heard of Flamin' Groovies, mostly because I think the name of the band and the name of this album are so dumb it creates embarrassment others may think you are either a pedophile or a hippie. Flamin' Groovies is right down my alley, as this sort of blues-rock done with a bit of an edge is what I like to hear. Anything that sounds like the Stones and a blues-y Faces is welcome to my ears. I am really glad I got to hear this album.

Band I never hear but glad to have met

Never heard this before. Instant classic. Punk rock Rolling Stones.

Garage rock. No los conocía... ¡Vinilo!

Loved this!

cool

Oh yeah ; ))

This was cool. Nice riffs and whiskey woman.

Fantastic! Gritty garage band sound with a lot of energy. Now in my rotation

If Ween had made a 70s blues style album it would've sounded kinda like this, so that's good cos Ween is sick

Rawk and rolle. 5 motherfuckin' stars.

This albums is a ton of fun. It’s super rowdy and just rocks in a pure, unselfconscious way. Total blast.

Great

The Flamin Groovies are one of the most underrated Groups of all time. just Listen to "Hairs on Fire", its a mixture of Zappa Meeting John Coltrane. Or "Leave the driving to Me", a Fantastic Blues Flavored romp. Their Guitarist Jim Washburn is a great Rhythm player and Dex Mannings Vocals are powerful , much like Steve Marriott. The only Clinker on this LP is their Version of "Coffee And Tea", its too mellow. But the Rest of the LP is a Musical Joy

an absolutely flawless blend of rock and blues, reminiscent of The Rolling Stones, but still bursting with original character — 10/10

Reminds me of my dad’s pub band (compliment)

That was an unexpected burst of joy.

I definitely hear the co.parisons to the Stones, but I enjoyed the more raw edge and rockabilly nature of this. I was tapping my toe to pretty much every track. Sounds like a bunch of guys just playing music they love in a fun way.

This is THE best thing I’ve listened to in a long time! Wow, I’m blown away. This fucking rips. The slide guitar, the RIFFS, that ramp up at the end of Whiskey Woman, the title track, this is amazing stuff. Can’t believe I’ve never heard of them. This is going right in the regular rotation.

This is a great listen. On par with some of the Stone's stuff from the same era. Putting this into my rotation.

One of the greatest albums ever recorded.

This was really fucking good

Garage rock. No los conocía... ¡Vinilo!

I love the Flamin Groovies.. They could have picked the album before or after and I would have been happy too. Dirty bluesy garage rock sound can't be beat.

Muy sorprendente disco. Quizá a ratos no suena de 1971 sino de 1964 o algo así, pero la verdad es que me gustó mucho. Combinación agradable de Rock psicodélico y Blues, transicional de la época. Le doy la razón a Mick Jagger, este disco es mejor que uno de los Stones. Y encima la versión de lujo trae unos covers que tampoco tienen desperdicio.

Puro rock

It's Been A While I guess, But Life Is Good, You're Doing Well. Keep On Focusing On The Process. And Go With The Flow That You Like.

You can draw a direct line from this to my sweetheart Detroit 90s-00s rock scene. Hell yea

Fucking great.

I enjoyed this bluesy early 70s rock way more than I expected to. The recording sounds fantastic and the music is really well done. The performances are so energized and visceral. These guys are really great here! Loved the rockin' tracks like "High Flyin' Baby" and "Have You Seen My Baby." "Yesterday's Numbers" has a fantastic vocal performance... one of my favorite tracks. The title track's rockin' blues vibe and supporting harmonica runs through this album like a freight train. Great stuff! There's a great bluesy vibe really evident in "City Lights" about a country boy headed to NYC to see 'the empire's tallest building where the plane shot that big monkey, and they killed him.' You also get a dose of the 50s in songs like "32-20", "Evil Hearted Ada" (which could be an early Elvis song) and "Doctor Boogie" (with a particularly fun performance by the lead singer). The last song of the original album release "Whiskey Woman" is a great closer to the album. Love this song. I prefer stopping there for the album listening experience and not playing the six additional tracks added in 1999. Not that any of the additional songs are bad - in fact I liked them - but the album really feels most complete in its original incarnation. Maybe I'm just getting tired of great albums feeling a bit compromised when bonus tracks are tacked on willy-nilly in their re-releases. I really dig this album... happy to welcome Flamin' Groovies aboard my musical library!

groovy hehe

I hear a lot of Wilco

Did we really need yet another 6+ minute cover of "Louie Louie"? Other than that, though, I did enjoy this one. A solid garage rock jam.

Solid rock and roll.

❤️2️⃣ find a record I have never heard of where the band cares not about anything but playing great

some groovy tunes

When he sings "You gotta mow your lawn if you wanna get along" is he singing what I think he's singing? Too much of this invites unfavorable comparison to the Stones but it's pretty great. If I were the Black Crowes I would have quit when I first heard these guys.

Sounds about like early 70’s Stones

I liked this Definitely listen

Somewhat generic, but I did enjoy it overall. Nice instrumentals with decent vocal work. 'Whiskey Woman' was my fave.

Nice try Diddy. But really, this was great.

Some of the best rock blues I've ever heard come out of this era. Jagger (reportedly) was correct. This beats the socks off of the Rolling Stones. Oh, hey! The lyrics for "Louie, Louie". Nifty! The longer this goes on, the more it's growing on me.

Solid blues rock

I enjoyed this album! The music is mid and rock but okay. 4/5

Pretty fun. Better than the Stones

This is fun to listen to, but feels derivative. Basically The Rolling Stones, with a dash of Elvis.

A band I knew nothing about but pleasantly surprised by how good this was, definitely has the Sticky Fingers era Stones-y vibe, but there's a bit of rockabilly there and definitely a proto-punk energy. Plenty of great riffs, will have this on rotation for sure

70s SF band, blues and rock. Contemporaries of the Stones. Feels like link btw traditional rock ’n roll and modern rock. Elvis vibes. A good time. Rockabilly.

Scrappy classic rock Sharp as a tack guitar hooks With blues influence

First of all, this album is fantastic. Each track is full of energy and rips right out of the gate. It’s classic rock n’ roll at its best - with streaks of hard blues. It’s an incredibly fun album and fully defines the era - and definitely gives the British Rock clan a run for their money. The only problem is that it almost sounds too much like The Rolling Stones. I however, got over it very quickly. The best track is Whiskey Woman.

I think Teenage Head was also a band? Never heard this before. Recognized one track from maybe a Tarantino movie? Good stuff though, would for sure go back and listen again!

Lots of different, fun rock ideas at a quicker tempo

great fun

I first discovered this band during my punk exploration a long time ago. What really surprised me was that when I looked up how old their songs were, I was shocked to find out they were from the early ’70s—I had originally assumed they were from the early ’80s. It just goes to show how ahead of their time they were, while still embracing rock and blues influences from a generation before them. If you like garage rock and punk with a bluesy, rockabilly edge, these guys are the kings of that sound. They also have a raw, gritty, and unpolished energy that adds even more texture to their music. One of my favorite songs from them isn’t on this album because it was only released as a single, but around the same time Teenage Head came out, they also released Slow Death. If you haven’t heard it, it’s definitely worth checking out.

A 7

In a cooler timeline than this one these guys are The Rolling Stones.

Pretty good rock and roll.

This album is pretty rockin! Only reviewing the first nine songs (ending with Whiskey Woman) per the original album track listing. Sounds like this was compared to the Rolling Stones at the time, and there are obvious similarities. And Evil Hearted Ada has very Elvis vibes. Love the overall energy and the blend of blues and rock. I'm surprised I've never heard of these guys, they're pretty great. Really enjoyed this!

Groovy rock

this sounds like a wild metaphor, but this record feels like the platonic ideal of a summer camp. it's fun, super active, a bit embarrassingly folksy, and overall feels like you're just having a good time in the woods with a bunch of dudes playing their instruments. i'm not really a fan of 70's blues rock revival, and parts of side B indicate some influence from the more noxious Stones tunes of the era, but i'd argue side A is flawless if you like loud, freewheelin' garage rock. i've only known the Groovies from "Shake Some Action", and i don't think this record displays any range from that first impression, but this casts them as true acolytes of the rock 'n' roll cult, not just fanboys. can you really call it revivalism if the sounds you're playing were just barely developed less than a decade ago? that's not nostalgia, that's stubbornness, which i respect just a bit more. also what a cool guitar. my dream is to find a Dan Armstrong Ampeg just hanging out in someone's garage for $200. my entire life would change if that happened.

4.3 - This album really grew into something great. First couple I was a bit apprehensive, but loved it by the end

Lots of great songs on here!

First thought upon listening…Rolling Stones. And I’ve since read that Mick thought the same. Good album. I’ll keep listening.

The original classic rock dickriding album. Buddy Holly cover in 1971 is crazy. They do it really well though. Great sound, tight band, really nice harmonies. Actually enjoyed it most of the way through.

Favorite Track: Louie Louie

## Overview of *Teenage Head* by Flamin' Groovies Released in March 1971, *Teenage Head* is the third studio album by the San Francisco rock band Flamin' Groovies. The album showcases a blend of garage rock, blues, and rock 'n' roll, characterized by its raw energy and catchy melodies. Produced by Richard Robinson, the album reflects the band's transition from their earlier sound towards a more polished yet gritty approach. ### **Lyrics** The lyrics of *Teenage Head* are notable for their youthful exuberance and social commentary. They capture the spirit of rebellion and disillusionment typical of the early '70s. - **Title Track "Teenage Head"**: This song lyrically embodies a sense of teenage angst and identity crisis, referencing contemporary issues like war and societal decay with lines such as “I’m a child of atom bombs / And rotten air and Vietnams.” This positions the song as an anthem for a generation grappling with existential threats. - **"Whiskey Woman"**: This track stands out as a power ballad that explores themes of love and longing, showcasing vulnerability amidst the album's otherwise raucous energy. - **"Doctor Boogie"**: With its humorous undertones, this song employs playful lyrics that mix domestic life with sexual innuendos, reflecting the band's knack for blending fun with deeper themes. Overall, the lyrics are infused with a blend of humor, rebellion, and poignancy, making them relatable to a wide audience. ### **Music** Musically, *Teenage Head* is marked by its energetic guitar riffs, catchy choruses, and a mix of rockabilly influences. - **Instrumentation**: The album features prominent slide guitar work and harmonica, adding a bluesy texture to the rock foundation. Songs like "32-20," which is a reinterpretation of Robert Johnson's blues classic, exemplify this blend effectively. - **Vocal Delivery**: Roy Loney's vocal style ranges from playful to intense, capturing the essence of each track's mood. His performance on "High Flyin' Baby" is particularly noteworthy for its infectious energy. - **Production Quality**: Richard Robinson's production is clean yet retains a raw edge that complements the band's garage rock roots. The clarity allows each instrument to shine without overshadowing the overall sound. ### **Themes** Thematically, *Teenage Head* explores several interconnected ideas: - **Youth Rebellion**: The album captures the essence of youthful defiance against societal norms. Tracks like "City Lights" reflect urban experiences while echoing sentiments of freedom and exploration. - **Nostalgia and Disillusionment**: Many songs convey a sense of nostalgia for simpler times while simultaneously addressing the disillusionment faced by youth in a rapidly changing world. - **Humor in Life's Struggles**: The band often employs humor to address serious topics. For instance, "Evil Hearted Ada" uses light-hearted storytelling to discuss romantic entanglements. ### **Influence** *Teenage Head* has had a lasting impact on various music genres: - **Garage Rock Revival**: The album's raw sound has influenced numerous garage rock bands that emerged in the late '90s and early 2000s. Its combination of punk energy with classic rock elements set a precedent for future musicians. - **Power Pop Movement**: Following this album, Flamin' Groovies shifted towards a more power pop-oriented sound. Their influence can be seen in bands like Big Star and later acts such as The Replacements. - **Cultural Reference**: Mick Jagger reportedly acknowledged *Teenage Head* as a superior take on blues-infused rock compared to contemporary works, highlighting its significance within rock history. ### **Pros and Cons** #### Pros - **Energetic Performances**: The album is filled with high-energy tracks that are both engaging and memorable. - **Diverse Musical Styles**: It successfully blends various genres including blues, rockabilly, and garage rock. - **Lyrical Depth**: The lyrics resonate with themes of rebellion and youth culture while maintaining an accessible charm through humor. - **Influential Sound**: Its raw production style laid groundwork for future rock movements. #### Cons - **Limited Mainstream Recognition**: Despite its quality, *Teenage Head* did not achieve significant commercial success at the time of release. - **Inconsistent Quality**: Some tracks may feel less polished compared to standout songs, leading to an uneven listening experience for some listeners. - **Niche Appeal**: The blend of styles may not appeal to all audiences, particularly those who prefer more mainstream rock sounds. ### Conclusion In summary, *Teenage Head* by Flamin' Groovies is an essential listen for fans of classic rock and those interested in the evolution of garage rock. Its combination of energetic performances, lyrical depth, and diverse musical influences makes it a standout album from the early '70s. While it may not have achieved widespread acclaim during its initial release, its legacy continues to influence musicians today. The album serves as both a snapshot of its time and a timeless expression of youthful rebellion that resonates across generations.

Those are some good grooves