Electric Prunes
The Electric Prunes
1967
Album Summary
The Electric Prunes, sometimes referred to as I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night), is the 1967 debut album by the American garage rock band, the Electric Prunes, released on Reprise Records. The first track, "I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night)", was a hit and became the band's signature tune. The album also contains another notable psychedelic rock composition, "Get Me to the World on Time". The album was listed in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.
WikipediaNever heard of them before, but really dug the first tune “I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night).” Great song and great lyrics. How have I never heard this before? The second track “Bangles” again drew me in right away. I want to see this lady’s dressing room and vanity. Fantastic fun lyrics. “Onie” took it down a notch into a pleasant, dreamy tune that I liked a lot. Made me wish I was wandering through the streets of a new town gazing into shop windows wearing boots and a mini skirt. After changing my name to ‘Onie’ of course. Clever lyrics abound. “Are You Lovin’ Me More (But Enjoying it Less)”. Great sixties sentiments like “Sold to the Highest Bidder” and “The King Is In His Counting House”. A delightful cover of “About A Quarter to Nine”. Some quality sexy time with “Luvin’” and “Try Me On For Size”. And a couple of transportation songs, “Train for Tomorrow” and “The Toonerville Trolly”. Speaking of… “The Toonerville Trolly” is a generous helping of Cool Whip on this fabulous album! I started literally laughing out loud on a public bus - so much fun! But I found myself wondering if ‘ridin’ the Toonerville Trolly’ might be a euphemism for something else… and imagining all the possibilities. Throw in the artsy album cover featuring the band in the same pose as a modern art rendition of them and it’s pretty much everything I could ask for in a 60s album. So glad to have been introduced to The Electric Prunes!
i’d never heard of electric prunes but i was pleasantly surprised! love it!
I really enjoyed this one. It was like... a darker version of the Beatles and the Beach Boys, kinda the way the Wiki page described.
Fun and standout psych garage, this honestly surprised me. There was more chaff here than I'd normally allow for a four star album, but the kernels of wheat that came out really were golden.
Especially liked 'Sold to the Highest Bidder'. Some really fun fast moving tracks on this one. At points it felt like it was straddling the edge of being endearingly goofy and annoyingly so
Good album which has a lot of missed potential unfortunately, would have wished that the more exotic and medieval sounding songs were more plentyful
I liked the short songs. not enough people writing 2 minute songs these days
WHAT IN THE FUCK IS THE TOONERVILLE TROLLEY I HATE IT SO MUCH. There are some really sorta... creepy at times psychedelia goodness in here, mixed with filler songs. I really enjoyed stuff like "I had Too Much to Dream", and "Get me to the World on Time", "The Highest Bidder" a solid 3/5!
Interesting contrast to the Animals.. they focused on politics, prunes focused on girls with more than a touch of misogyny...
People seem to think irony as a pop-culture phenomena was a 90s thing, but I’m realizing that there was a whole wave of it in the late 60s as psychedelic bands inexplicably made entire albums of joke songs with ragtime piano. I’m guessing everyone was burnt out by the end of the 60s. I feel like I should like this but it’s just lame, the whole side B is especially kind of unbearable. Favourite track: “I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night)”
Another that had a few good tunes, interspersed by Nursery rhymes and rubbish
This album feels quite manic, some cool songs and some others I really don't care for at all. First track might be my fav, the rest are sorta meh. Like Toonerville Trolley is sort of horrible. An interesting debut for sure.
Starts as a psychedelic fever dream but then kinda goes all over the place, ending on a bizarre sarcastic joke. If the material were more consistently psychedelic like the opening track or "Get Me to the World on Time" it'd be 4 stars but I have to round down to 3 for the jarring tone shifts.
This album was not available on my music streaming service. Instead, I listened to the second album "Underground". Which was quite good.
Wow! Sometimes, this project really surprises me with this kind of thing: An album and even an artist or band that I never heard about before and became a fan instantly. The first song sounds a little bit ~strange~ but when I got the vibe for it, it's a great album with the right number of songs and an excellent set (more songs could be too much)
I’m so torn between a 4 or a 5 for this one. I absolutely love it. It’s heavy, it’s psychedelic, it’s eerie. But just about every song is so great. A really overlooked album.
Vaguely familiar with some of their music. Classic 60s psych. A couple of less interesting songs on this album, but not enough to detract from the whole experience.
No coneixia el disc; considerava la banda un one hit wonder del protogarage, pel primer tema, i m'ha sorprés molt positivament que el disc estigui tot ell, sinó a l'alçada, molt a prop del seu single més conegut. 'Train for Tomorrow', 'Sold to the Highest Bidder', 'Get Me to the World on Time'... tot temes punyents i reivindicables
This is a very different sounding album with a variety of eclectic styles. It would be hard to belive that songs like Onie, Sold to the Highest Bidder and the Toonerville Trolley could be wriitten by the same band, but in fact, they were wriiten by a song writing team that the band was forced to use. Nevertheless, it really stands out compared to alot the stuff that came out in 1967.
These guys were clearly listening to everyone at the time. The Beatles, Beach Boys, and Rolling Stones influence is clear. However, the Electric Prunes are clearly doing their own thing and doing it very well. Their music is varied, psychedelic, and dark. They are also experimenting with sounds and instrumentation in a way that still sounds interesting over 50 years later
I've heard of The Electric Prunes but the name is such an unsuccessful attempt at humor, I kind of assumed they were a parody, like Spinal Tap. But here they are. (And maybe Spinal Tap's got an album on this list so this doesn't really prove that they're a "real" band. In fact some of these songs reminded me of ST's Cups and Cakes.) Anyway... I liked this. The music definitely evokes a specific time period. These guys look awfully serious on the cover, though, for playing songs that are quite silly. I guess they're mad because their producer made them sing songs they didn't even write! How often has it happened that an all-male band sang so many songs written by a couple of women? (Oh, but looking closer, I guess they're recreating the B&W illustration behind them which is...what? Why isn't THAT the cover?) In addition to Spinal Tap, I was reminded of The Guess Who and The Hollies. I enjoyed I Had Too Much to Dream, Are You Loving Me More, Sold to the Highest Bidder, Get Me to the World on Time, and About a Quarter to Nine. The ragtimey Toonerville Trolley was a delightful surprise at the end.
Another new one for me. I love the opening track and biggest hit, "I Had Too Much to Dream," with its wonderful psychedelic 1967 sound. The songs that keep with this sound are my favorites. I like the sound of "Train for Tomorrow" and "Try Me On for Size" has a good marimba in it. What kind of name is "Onie?" I really enjoyed the whole thing, although I'm not sure ending with "The Toonerville Trolley" was the right way to go. Was the piano solo supposed to do that?
Jaaa hier hou ik van. Psychedelica die ik nog niet ken. Versie van Nature boy is fantastisch
Genuinely enjoyed. The last track was really weird until I realized what it was doing
I can hear a lot of other bands in their sound, they certainly seem like they weren't afraid to try out different styles. It was a bit of bizarre familiarity despite never hearing of this band before.
The intro track here is the intro to the famous Nuggets compilation. If you heard that song first, of course you'd be hooked. It's a psychedelic garage masterpiece. The sudden chord and vocal changes in the rest of the tracks are exhilarating and keep you on your toes. This is the closest thing to postpunk in the 60s with the lofi garage-style and high experimental sounds. They all have compelling premises but I find them to be incomplete. They don't evolve their ideas very much which is a bit of a disappointment. But for a 60s album, it doesn't get more creative than this. I seriously have no idea what the next track is like. After banging my head against a concrete sidewalk to "Get Me to the World on Time" how would I know I'd casually strolling down that sidewalk on a sunny afternoon to "About a Quarter to Nine?"
Great album, must listen to it again sometime. Favourite songs: - Onie - Get me to the world on time - About a quarter to nine
A really enjoyable visit to sixties America, here a band in a groove and mood designed, it seems, to appeal to an older, sophisticated audience not otherwise screaming at the British Invasion bands. If lacking any crazy memorable tracks, still a pretty decent album of its era.
adelantado a su época, sonidos frescos, me gustó para estarlo escuchando de fondo, tiene un algo
[16/09/2022] Liked it. I didn’t listen to it well enough to comment more lmao. 3.5 or 4 I think.
A great psychedelic garage rock album with some incredible songs like "I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night)" and "Get Me To The World On Time" and some songs that shouldn't have been on the album (Onie) Enjoyed this a lot!
Going into this record without any prior knowledge, it was a blast to listen to the stylistic variety the record had to offer. Every track offered a grounded period-standard psych rock motif fused with other prominent sounds of the time. Really enjoyed the trip the album took me on, from the blissful melody in 'Onie' to the Stones-esque rock flair in 'Get Me to the World in Time'. Its a real shame the album closes with 'The Toonerville Trolley'. That track made me want to gouge my eardrums.
60s psychedelia. Interesting, as it feels like a more pure sound as opposed to the radio fodder you imagine from the time, but every now and then you get a song you could imagine on some flower power TV show. Apart from that, raw vocals, tempo changes, definitely challenging the sounds of the times.
Was an alright album, nothing super special but a pleasant listen none the less. Highlight: Sold to the Highest Bidder
Durchwachsen. Der Wikipedia-Artikel über die Platte beschreibt es eigentlich ganz gut: wenn die künstlerische Kontrolle bei den Produzenten liegt, kommt eben solch eine übermäßig gefällige Platte mit merklich Füllmaterial dabei heraus. Dennoch ist der Band ihr kreatives Potential anzumerken. Bisschen viel Tremolo-Effekt.
Kind of a fun listen--some interesting sounds and songs in there, but not something I'd return to.
I liked some of the ideas that had worked its way onto this one, but after a hectic day, I wasn’t able to recall most of the album. Which is a problem that keeps it from a higher rating
This album was hit or miss for me. There were songs that were really great and then there were some that I wasn’t feeling. Pretty good overall, but definitely not their best album. Favorite tracks: “I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night,” “Train For Tomorrow,” and “The King Is In The Counting House”
The B Side is great, which makes up for an average A Side. Overall, nothing remarkable, but an enjoyable 60s listen.
A mosquito was buzzing at me as the insect sounds at the beginning of the album started. I almost turned the flyswatter on Spotify. Perhaps I should have. I really have had enough of psychedelic. I like the stuff that some bands were doing in that time period but what I'll call fringe psychedelic is wearing on me. I always thought I would have enjoyed being 18 - 21 yo in the Summer of Love but now I wonder. Perhaps the brown acid would have made the fringe psychedelic more bearable. When the Electric Prunes leave the Psych Ward they play some fun stuff. Toonerville Trolley, the last track, is a bit of ragtime and quite enjoyable. Final note: They weren’t doing themselves any favours when they chose the band’s name. OK it's the weekend and I'm in a generous mood so, because of Toonerville and, more important, because the album is only 29 min long, I'll give it a +1.
Very weird, very interesting. There’s two really good singles and the rest is kind of a mish-mash of varying quality.
I applaud anyone who takes risks and goes outside the box in music. I liked some of what they did in this album but the overwhelming feeling was “other bands did this style better, and I’d rather just listen to that” 2.5/5
New band and all new music to me. It was easy to recognize the era that this music comes from (60s psychodelia). No tracks stood out as potential additions to my personal playlist, and there wasn't anything that I wanted to skip. This album is officially okay.
Good mellow listen, but not much more. Favorite track might be Sold to the Highest Bidder
I wanted to love this because it's my favourite period and one of my favourite genres but the quality just wasn't there. Good with a couple of standout tracks but not great. The songs are an uneven mix of psychedelica, baroque pop and whatever you'd class the last track as. The thing that really killed this though was the terrible mastering. Most of the tracks were badly balanced with most of the instruments heavily skewed to the left. Really bizarre and irritating to listen to.
A very eclectic mix of 60’s musical styles. I could hear Beatles, stones, maybe a bit of the doors as well. Enjoyed it but not something I would rush to listen to
3.7 - More tuneful than psychedelic, this album's a fun blend of musical theater, pop, rock, white soul, with light inflections of psychedelia. It's definitely better than the record cover suggests - once you get past the awful band name, the silly hit track title, the knock-off Beatles hair and the momma's boy outfits, there's actually a lot to like. Standouts: "Onie", "Sold to the Highest Bidder" and a surprising cover of "About a Quarter to Nine."
Iskreno puno je psihodeličnih rock bandova bilo u drugom dijelu 60ih, ali s obzirom da je bilo stvarno dobrih bendova, albuma, ovaj album je just okay. Nije loš, sasvim okej je, ima boljih u ovom području. Ne dam dvojku jer bi onda bilo baš onak jadno da spada sa nekim albumima kojima sam dao dva koji su to zaslužili, ovima dajem malo respiratorne pomoći pa će ih to držati na klimavoj trojci.
I Had too Much to Dream, Onie, Are You Lovin’ Me More, Sold to the Highest Bidder 👍🏼 BANGERS. Very plucky guitar work which is kinda fun. The rest feels kind of gimmicky, almost like childrens music. 5/10
Cet album ne laissait présager rien de bon, mais c'était finallement pas mal du tout, et pour cause: ces bonnes vieilles prunnes electriques ont bien pris soin de copier un maximum le style des Beatles, que ce soit musicalement ou physiquement. Un tel effort de reproduction est souvent synonyme de bon album dans le générateur, comme nous l'ont prouvé par exemple les Beau Bummels par le passé. 3/5 par conséquent.
Ces prunes électriques passent dans le générateur comme un éclair avec leur album très court et auront au moins eu le mérite de ne pas nous déranger, sans pour autant nous avoir fait vibrer. Un trois sur cinq logique, donc.
Another almost indistinguishable Summer of Love from psychedelic album. Some tracks play it safe and folky, others try too hard to be far out man.
The only tracks that are really grabbing me on this are: 1. I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night) 4. Onie 6. Sold To The Highest Bidder 11. Try Me On For Size The rest is sounding pretty generically psychedelic. It's good, but just not my cup of tea.
strange mix of kinks, floyd, beatles and and a whole heap of sounds that sounds almost parody 60's now
Amusing era piece from the 60s. Funny names were all the rage, but if you played an awesome bassline you could sell records