Reviews (page 5 of 8)
At this point I'm more impressed to learn that a psychedelic rock album from the late 60s DIDN'T make this list. It's not bad and "Onie" was beautiful, but come on now.
This was unexpectedly enjoyable. It definitely felt like the 70s, but also didn't feel repetitive.
7th September 2023 Listened while painting and scraping the front door in the blazing heat. Cheltenham then mum and dad’s. I liked this, reeks of 60s R&R with the dark, psychedelic edge.
30 minutos que geram uma surpresa bem agradável com a psicodelia sem maiores pretensões.
I was hopeful with the first three songs, but then I kinda lost interest. Still some good parts, but a lot of it is not stuff I will come back to. There's some cool elements in this album though. My favourite songs were Onie and Bangles.
It's one of those albums that plays in the background and you quickly forget about its existence. Except for one song - "I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night"
It is very inconsistent album. I was changing my mind almost every second song. Some of them are great but I appreciate consistency too much to give it more than 3,4
Not the psych treasure some people claim it is, but a pleasant enough garage rock album that has enough energy to keep things interesting despite the sometimes average songwriting.
The Electric Prunes' first album is a nice psyched record that I enjoy a lot, but very far from the best of its genre, especially in 1967. The opener song is a killer, that's for sure.
Nice atmosphere and some catchiness, not much else
Ok album, sounds like most of the late 60s music.
I had never heard of the Electric Prunes. Not bad. The Toonerville Trolley was fun.
Super strong MGMT vibes from the very first track, despite being separated by 3 generations. I'm also getting some Jefferson Airplane similarities throughout the record. Pretty good old-school psych rock. I appreciate the experimentation and use of various sounds and unorthodox instruments. Surprised that I haven't stumbled upon this group before. Fave tracks: I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night), Get Me to the World on Time, Luvin'
Very interesting album. A couple pretty experimental psychedelic tracks on here, and then a lot that are more run of the mill 60s rock. I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night) is a definite standout, the opening sounds like it could be well placed on an MGMT album. Fav Tracks: I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night), Are You Lovin' Me More (But Enjoying It Less), Get Me to the World on Time
Starts off promising, but fizzles a bit. An interesting band and story. Great name!
inconsistent album with some really great songs
30 minutes, ça se mange sans faim
Good album. Not every song is a winner but for the time its pretty solid.
Pretty decent
An extra star purely for weirdness
Someone gave the guys from The Association a six pack of beer and let them stay up past 7:00 PM
Somewhere between Beach Boys and the Doors, with a sprinkling of The Beatles. But, of course, not nearly as good as any of those groups. Come for the goofy band name, stay for the tight pants.
Pretty decent 60s rock. Not really sure what stands out about it other than it’s a little sloppier and less polished - which is cool I guess.
I like it, but it's dated 60's. Dreamy guitars and synth.
I've heard "I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night." Did not know it came from this band, originally. I will also give the band props because they ranged their musical styles from a lot of different pieces on the album. I was also surprised as to how short the album was, only 30 minutes. That last track on the album, "The Toonerville Trolley", though. Yikes. That was dreadful. Wikipedia says that much of the album's content was out of the band's control, as producer Dave Hassinger brought in the songwriting team of Annette Tucker and Nancie Mantz. It probably explains why the album seemed a little bit all over the place. They wanted to see what fans would gravitate toward. Still, I dug the songs, but they did sound pretty dated.
Psychedelic rock is another genre that I think is overrepresented on the 1,001 list. It's all the same after awhile and I don't see what all the fuss is about. And I am a rock fan. So yeah, these guys do really well to capture that fuzzy guitar sound with some eerie keyboard or synth going on in the background. It sounds like an acid trip. Were these guys pioneers of the sound? I don't think so. They epitomized the sound at the height of the psychedelic craze? Probably. Do I care? I'm not sure how much I do. It's not that this is a bad album, I'm just not sure how much I'd need to squeeze it in on my death bed. Let's go out positively - songs that I really, really enjoyed (above 3 star) were I Had Too Much To Dream, Are You Lovin Me More, and Sold to the Highest Bidder.
another late 60s Beatles knockoff 3.5
Not bad old school garage punk album. Recoding leaves something to be desired (as you’d expect) but an enjoyable listen overall.
The Prunes' brevity tends to the cute over a set that ends in the uneasily cozy. The songs are from a polyworld with less of the single happy face typical of psychedelia. The music, however, is very much in that world, a light shake away from the mainline.
This is pretty cool, but to be honest I already have a lot of sixties psychedelic rock in my own list, and so I'm not sure The Electric Prunes can make it now. I've seen their name before, and it was nice exploring this quite adventurous album, even if the gap between its highlights and its far less interesting cuts was quite wide in this case. Among the highlights, there is obviously the opener "I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night)". Three observations about this one: First, that tune is also the opening track of the legendary *Nuggets* compilation, about that overall "seedy" US psychedelic scene (wink, wink). And I have a sneaking suspicion the person who selected this debut for Dimery's list partly did it because they couldn't select that "Nuggets" record, as it is a compilation and not a studio album made by a single act. Secondly, funny how the melody in the first seconds of that track, before all hell breaks loose, reminded me of the one of Lee Hazlewood and Nancy Sinatra's "Summer Wine", which was released at the exact same time. Something was in the air, I guess. Unless one of the two writing teams got "inspired" by the other here... Thirdly, I can't help feeling that the working title of this song was "I Had Too Much To *Drink* Last Night", and that impression is so strong that it is even the word I'm hearing sometimes. Seems like the couple of writers who wrote most of the songs for this band had quite strange ideas. See "Try Me On For Size", which has a nice melody, but also potentially eye-roll-inducing lyrics. The line between cute and awkward (or even unwittingly gross) is easily blurred here, I think. These two women could write great stuff (yep, they were women), such as "Get Me To The World On Time"... But it seems a little strange that the Electric Prunes guys were being deemed as inferior songwriters by their record label, to the point that they were hampered in their own songwriting efforts, and that the main task was given to outsiders. Some of the tunes the guys from the band penned for this one are far from being ridiculous, especially "Luvin'". To talk about the album overall now, it's all over the place, and if that sort of thing can work in the favor of certain records, this is not exactly the case here. See the novelty ditties at the start of side B, and, more especially, the obnoxious album closer "The Toonerville Trolley". The other problem is that when it comes to sixties deep cuts (either psychedelic or not), I have the feeling there's better elsewhere. There are for instance the two following albums, already in Dimery's list: The 13th Floor Elevators - The Psychedelic Sounds Of The 13th Floor Elevators (1966) Country Joe And the Fish - Electric Music For The Mind And Body (1967) But those are not really *deep cuts*, I'll grant you that. Yet there's also relatively more arcane stuff that's probably as good or even better than the Electric Prunes: The Seeds - The Seeds (1966) / A Web of Sounds (1966) / Future (1967) -- that latter record being the more obscure of the three, and yet quite an interesting one. The Music Machine - (Turn On) The Music Machine (1966) -- That pre-punk, heavy "Talk Talk" single that was taken out of it is extraordinary. Pink Fairies - Never Never Land (1971) -- Another heavy prepunk LP with obvious psychedelic overtones, this time hailing from Britain. Count Five - Psychotic Reaction (1966) -- this one sounds less "psychedelic" to me, maybe, yet there's something a little sly and unpredictable in it that makes it an interesting listen nonetheless. And of course, if you want to find more psychedelic stuff, you can explore many other avenues, from weird disturbing acts such as Red Krayola to famous rock stars giving a more streamlined version of it, such as The Byrds... Under that light, I'd rather err on the side of caution before including that Electric Prunes debut in my own list. 3/5 following that list's specific purposes of singling out "essential" albums (and 8/10 for more general purposes: 5 + 3). Next please... Number of albums left to review: 557 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 216 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 104 (including this one) Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more essential to me): 127
I'll go 3.5, so standard 60s psychedelic jams
i appreciate the fact that they dabbled in so many genres but this doesn’t absolve from the fact that some of it just turned out sounding kinda goofy lmao
I liked, "I Had Too Much To Dream". A few others were pleasant enough.
Quite enjoyed this as background music but probably not enough to go back to it and ultimately pretty forgettable. Quite psychedelic sounding. Some was much better than others.
I love the sound of this album, lyrically and instrumentally. Interesting phrasing, cool guitar effects, and neat switch ups on the meter make this album really fun to listen to. The lead singles are great, I also really liked Bangles.
A wonderful psychedelic rock album. A true hidden treasure of the genre. Wasn’t too much substance here, but most of the tracks were enjoyable. Some tracks were annoying, but for the most part, fun. 3/5
Skipped (below a 3)
Pretty interesting blend of psych-rock & pop. It's short and sweet, which definitely did this album a favor. I can enjoy stuff like this in small doses.
I normally don't give anything from 1967 more than a 2 on principle, but this was pretty cool. It's still late 60s garbage, but I also dig its vibe. The two main singles are really good. Update: I was set to give this a 4 but towards the end there was too much whimsical bullshit, and they didn't write their own songs. 3/5.
It was ok, didnt move mountains but I enjoyed listening to it.
More psychedelic 60s
Paar richtig gute Songs aufm Album. Weitaus spannender als das Beatles Album davor.
About what I expected from a mid-to-late-'60s psychedelic rock album.
This is a fine psychedelic rock album, but it is plagued by filler tracks that are really useless and boring. The whole album doesn't make justice to the AMAZING opening track "I Had too Much to Dream Last Night". The first 5 tracks are pretty good, but the second half of the album is a huge let down. 6,7/10
A psychedelic band. A genre that is not discussed, but portions absorbed and have influenced other genres. Rate as a 3
i certainly didn't expect this type of music out of a band called "the electric prunes." i found a lot of similarities between the monkees--unfortunately in how the prunes didn't get much of an opportunity to play their own music and create their own lyrics. this album has the same feel as the early monkees albums, too. it's rather simplistic and straightforward. too many songs were lyrically not bad, but the opening lyric was the title of the song. overall pop-y and easy to listen to, but not super engaging.
Some of it interesting some of it filler
Mogoče bi mi bilo bolj všeč, če bi bila kvaliteta bolj prilagojena formatu, ki ga poslušamo danes. Sicer pa ok.
Not bad. I like it when it gets silly. That last song about the train or whatever boosts it from a 2 to a 3. I'll probably never listen to this album again.
It's a sound :) Love this whole 60's sound, and this is a band I'd never give across before. I'll probably stick to the Yardbirds mind you, but nice to make their acquaintance! Love a bit of wah wah though...
really weird but not altogether bad. 5/10
6/10. Pretty good, but I'm glad these 60's albums are always short.
Dunno what I just listened to but it wasn’t terrible. 5/10
Fun listen. I can imagine my dad tripping on LSD listening to this...
The opening track is amazing, career defining, responsible for launching a million garage bands. The rest of the album? Not so much
Never heard of this band or album before. Normally, I'm a fan of psychedelic music, but this wasn't really my jam. It was really weird, even for a psychedelic album. I didn't care for the vocals or lyrics, and the instrumentation wasn't exactly mind-blowing to me.
This is a totally fine ‘60s rock record. There’s nothing overtly memorable about any of the tracks here. Nothing standout so I think it helps the overall record. I did find myself jammin a few times
Generally a bop. I feel like alternative rock takes inspiration from this to this day, so it definitely seems influential. Personally, I'm not too much into alternative, but I certainly don't mind listening to this.
Garage rock. Ni fu ni fa.
This garage / psych rock band had some pretty good tunes. Unfortunately it was encumbered by some filler and novelty songs. 3 stars
Alright. Never heard of this band before. The first song was probably the best.
kinda silly
Passed by in the background - pretty standard 60's stuff.
I was a big fan of I Had Too Much to Dream a long time ago, but hadn't heard much else from the Prunes. The album is up and down, but all pretty dated (looking at you, last song). There are a few driving songs, but not enough consistency to push this higher.
Very quirky and more unique than the MANY late 60's albums on this list! "I Had To Much To Dream" is a great track I want to come back to.
I have this album on vinyl. I adore garage rock, and when I saw this in my local record shop, I bought it almost instinctively. I had known the band before, principally as the opening act on the epochal compilation Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965-1968 (an assemblage of mid-60s garage rock, proto-punk and spiky psychedelia that I assert is the greatest compilation of them all). The song they open Nuggets with, I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night), is a fantastic rush of speedy trippiness and buzz guitar that had already been one of my most beloved songs for over 15 years when I bought the album I'm currently reviewing. I was even bedazzled when I unsheathed the record and saw that the vinyl was purple. And it broke my heart. I put on the album with all the goodwill musterable in the world. I wanted to love this album as much as I love masturbation, and the opening track, the aforementionedly godlike I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night), promised so much. Unfortunately, it promised too much. No song on the album approaches that lightning-flash of an opener, and the rest just muddles around, showing little of the inspired eccentricity or sheer drive that characterises the best of garage rock. Some tracks, namely the faster ones about chicks, prove entertaining, but the pseudo-Britfolk with added nursery rhymes of The King is in the Counting House makes one wish they'd been drafted for Vietnam before they recorded such tosh (see also: The Toonerville Trolley). A album plagued by a detracting unevenness, I'll give it three stars, essentially for the magnificence of the opener. One great song can salvage a pretty dreary album. The thing is, the Electric Prunes weren't a bad band. Not quite a great band, but definitely capable of decent work. Their second album, Underground, is a better, more consistent plate, albeit one lacking a song as explosive as I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night). If one is looking for the figure responsible for the Electric Prunes' lack of sustained form, it's justifiable to indict David Hassinger, the band's producer. To the band's chagrin, Hassinger brought in a pair of outside songwriters, Nancy Muntz and Annette Tucker, to write most of the songs for the first album. Even though the pair wrote the best song on the album, much of the material they gave the band proved a distinctly ill-measured fit. With the second album, Hassinger had become too busy to control the sessions like before, so the Electric Prunes got a chance to write songs they were comfortable playing, and the improvement is palpable. Maybe you should just let bands be bands. However, Underground was not the smash Reprise Records wanted, So the third album, Mass in F Minor, not only returned to the Hassinger approach, it took it to the then-barely charted realms of monstrous rock folly. Mass in F Minor is a concept album based on providing a rock setting of the Catholic Mass, complete with Latin and Greek lyrics, written and arranged by David Axelrod. Now, you and I know that this had to have been an extremely bad idea. We are both right. The band were not proficient enough to play Axelrod's arrangements, so much of Mass in F Minor came from session musicians. Recognising their mistake of somehow re-enacting the Monkees in reverse, the original lineup quit. Hassinger owned the name to the Electric Prunes though, and continued doling out material under that banner. The fourth Electric Prunes album, Release of an Oath, was another Axelrod concept album with Christian and Jewish liturgies set to rock music, with one lonely original Electric Prune on the record (is the idea of setting liturgies to rock music better or worse than setting the Mass so? I can't decide). Hassinger produced one more, especially tawdry Electric Prunes release that just threw a few random longhairs into a studio solely so they could shovel out yet more slop. There endeth the saga of the Electric Prunes. To be honest, it's not the most diverting story from the wonderful world of rock. One wishes their tale were happier, but saying that, one wishes boybands weren't so conned. That doesn't mean you actually want to listen to New Kids on the Block.
Somehow sounds ahead of it’s time and of it’s time. Found this to be just ok.
Weird triply psychedelic rock. Ok, but not my jam
Mellow, very 60s sound which was quite nostalgic for me. Not something I’d listen to every day but good to pop up from time to time. 3*
Nothing special. Some psychy rythmic guitar, feels very of its age. A track from a later album (Holy are You) happens to be one of my favourites and seems like it could be from any period but not this. Very sixties, generally uninspiring. May have felt very different at the time.
Has the Brit-Rock feel, nothing too notable
first listen fun but short and definitely a debut
Was ok
Yup
Never heard of this band before and I think this album has some potential. I will definitely give this a second listen. Decent Physadelic rock.
I actually quite liked this, unlike most of you it seems. Was refreshing to have a nice, tight, short album with all the songs between 2 and 3 minutes. The opener is great, if it had been released by a band with a slightly less silly name it might be better known than it is, and there's a couple of other really good tracks on there. But there are also a couple of stinkers, particularly towards the end. So it's 3/5.
A caramel bomb of putrid villiany. It makes me feel both horny and depressed. Saddle the donkey, Pedro. We're going home.
Like waiting for a boner to go down
S'alreet. Another album on this list that seems to want to cover the bases of all music that was popular in the late '60s. Jack of all trades, master of none vibes.
Okay, this is a fine example of late 60's psychedelic garage rock, but nothing really special either. Not quite sure why it's on the list, but for some reason it has triggered me that one of my all-time favorite bands, Procol Harum, is NOT on this list at all. They were another band that released their debut album in 1967, which included one of the all-time greatest songs ever written, A Whiter Shade of Pale. Their first album could certainly be on this list, but any of their next few albums could also be represented due to their sophistication, blending of classical influences with rock and R&B, their unique instrumentation that included both piano and organ and frequent forays into orchestral music, their drummer (BJ Wilson) who was one of rock's all-time great drummers, their guitarist (Robin Trower) who is one of rock's great guitarists, and their chief songwriter and vocalist (Gary Brooker, RIP) who had a truly special voice and gift as a songwriter and pianist. I love (almost) all of their work, but if I had to pick one album to be on this list it would be their third album A Salty Dog from 1969. The title song is a landmark in progressive rock with one of the most beautiful string arrangements you'll ever hear, but the whole album is excellent. Anyway, I'm done with my rant now. But if you like late 60s/early 70s progressive/classical/baroque rock then you will not be sorry to dive into Procol Harum's catalog. There is a lot there to like. Back to the Electric Prunes - it's a fine album but nothing too special. 3 stars.
Just ok.
Oh how the definition of "garage band" has changed over the years. About half of this I rather liked, about half of it is ... twee? That feels like a ridiculous thing to say but it was the first adjective that came to mind.
ALBUM RATING: 3.3 ALBUM GRADE: C+ TRACK RATINGS: 1. I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night) - 4.0 2. Bangles - 3.5 3. Onie - 3.5 4. Are You Lovin’ Me More (But Enjoying It Less)? - 3.5 5. Train for Tomorrow - 3.5 6. Sold to the Highest Bidder - 3.5 7. Get Me to the World On Time - 3.5 8. About a Quarter to Nine - 3.0 9. The King Is in the Counting House - 2.5 10. Luvin’ - 3.0 11. Try Me On for Size - 3.5 12. The Toonerville Trolley - 2.5
Tried really hard to appreciate it as an entire work, but just couldn’t.
It was fine... I appreciated the softer sound. Went back and forth between typical classic rock to children's album.
Smooth, calming, and melodic at times, a little more rocking at others. Sometimes the songwriting is okay, sometimes it's just weird. This is a completely middle of the road album.
Overall, it was a good album that really felt like a teenage band, albeit a good one. Plenty of easy to listen to tunes with good riffs and hooks. Best: I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night) Worst: The Toonerville Trolley
Knew about but never really listened to this band. It was more interesting than I expected. The lyrics are a little hand wavey, does this actually say anything kind of typical of much of the era. And there is some of that odd inclusion of kind of old timey singalong numbers you sometimes got with the old psychedelia. Overall worth a listen though.
A great early psychedelic effort, some real fun use of tremolo, reverb, and drive to get that classic sizzling psych tone. Does lose the plot and wander off into weird genre experiments at the end, but for the most part is a laser-guided, driving LP that gets the job done.
While I don't think the album is consistent from start to finish, there is still some REALLY cool stuff on here.
Pretty dated, but not bad. 3/5
Rock psicodélico
Lyssnade i Gif-Sur-Yvette
Not for me.
3.5 Pretty consistent, garage-y psychedelic rock; thought of another album generated by this website by Paul Revere + the Raiders, “Midnight Ride”- but “The Electric Prunes” is more eclectic and fun in my opinion. 14/07/22
decent psychedelic 60 album, however this is mainly about the first part of the album as the end becomes more tame and has some odd songs
Cos calkiem nowego na liscie, mila odmiana, debiutancki material bandy Electric Prunes, bandy z hameryki zachodniego wybrzeza, z LA, rocznik 67, wiec psychodeliczne rokowanie trwa w najlepsze, tutaj slychac jego garazowa wersje, chociaz dziwnie sie tego slucha, bo czuje sie jakby polowa trakow byla robiona ciekawie i z zangazowaniem instrumentalnym, a polowa wydaje sie byc filerowatymi zapychaczami, a jest to zaledwie pol godzinny krazek, na ktorym zmiescilo sie az 12 trakow, wiec polowanie na hitowe single jak nic, bo w koncu debiutancki material bandy, ktora ma dosc nietypowa strukture, bo pieciu czlonkow jest creditowanych wokalnie i instrumentalnie, ale liryka jest autorstwa duetu pan Annette Tucker i Nancie Mantz, ktore byly wprowadzone do prac nad albumem przez zaborczego producenta Davida Hassingera, ktory nie pozwolil zespolowi tworzyc tego co by chcieli grac i wydaje mi sie, ze slychac to dosc mocno, bo niektore traki maja w sobie to cos, jak openingowy i had too much to dream last night, ktory stal sie takze okresleniem calego albumu chocby na spotifaju, az tak znaczaco wyroznia sie na tle reszty materialu, ale znjadzie sie jeszcze pare trakow wartych uwagi, w tym oni czy sold to the highest bidder, wiec odsluch dziwny, bo z jednej strony pozytywne wibracje roznorodnosc, ale z drugiej wylewa sie mialkosc liryczna i prostota tego bogactwa instrumentalnego na wiekszej czesci plyty, nie zapowiada sie zeby rowniez dalsza dyskografia zespolu miala cos do zaoferowania, bo rowniez wyprodukowana przez tego samego pana, do 69 nagrali jeszcze cztery albumy, czy teraz moze raczej tak krotkie plyty zalicza sie do epkow, a potem disband, choc wydaje mi sie, ze juz w 68 orginalny lineup sie wykruszyl i sam pan producent robil muzyke pod szyldem prunesowym, wiec dosc ironiczna nazwa w tym wypadku, na plejke dodam wspomniany openingowy utwor i onie
Solid old school psychedelic and blues rock
too much to dream last night a psychedelic classic; rest was pretty mundane
Odd album. The first song was a banger but the album was a grab bag of 60's psychedelic rock, songs that were almost 50's bubblegum pop, a medieval song, a silly ragtime song about the Toonerville Trolley (licorice dick anyone?). It's the 1960s, so the songwriter sometimes comes off as a bit of a weirdo when writing about women.
It was fine. I do like "I Had Too Much to Dream Last Night" a little, and the album mostly wasn't annoying, but it wasn't anything special either. 2.75
Sounds like Philly Boy Roy singing the Toonerville Trolley.
3.5
Sort of weird somewhat-psychedelic late 60s guitar rock. Not bad. 3.5 stars, rounded down because I liked the other 3.5 star album I listened to today a little more.
A fun 60s album by a band I had never heard of. A bit like a kinks/ Doors fusion. I guess there were lots of good bands like this and only a few reached the true echelons of legend status. 3 stars from me.
Meh
Ok
Classic 60's psychedelic rock. Doesn't do a lot to stand out from others with the same sound around the same time, but if you like this type of music you're sure to get some enjoyment from this album. 3.5/5
It was alright, but did not grab my attention all that much
Amusing era piece from the 60s. Funny names were all the rage, but if you played an awesome bassline you could sell records
strange mix of kinks, floyd, beatles and and a whole heap of sounds that sounds almost parody 60's now
Didn’t fully listen
Opened up fantastic, but the rest of the album was just ok
not my jam, but groovy
First Listen. Interesting sounds.
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.
Straddling the lines between mid-60s jangle and late-60s hardness, The Electric Prunes do a serviceable job in their twenty-nine given minutes of airtime with provided wisdom and whimsy that provides depth and versatility. Favorites: I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night), Bangles, Are You Lovin' Me More, Train for Tomorrow, Sold to the Highest Bidder, The King is in the Counting House, Luvin'. *Album was generated in early 2021, wasn't reviewed until July 4th, 2023*
I dig it
It's not bad, but a low 3.
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.
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.
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.
Not bad, not great
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
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.
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."
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
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.
Good mellow listen, but not much more. Favorite track might be Sold to the Highest Bidder
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.
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
Onie sounds a bit VU This is good stuff A good listen
De la época en la que empezó a formarse el rock, mezcla un poco de estilos, aunque sea a antiguo. Sensación de no aportar excesivamente. Se puede escuchar, pero no sorprende
Wild. Eclectic. Decent.
Not my thing... Noisy, psychedelic.
Very weird, very interesting. There’s two really good singles and the rest is kind of a mish-mash of varying quality.
first song was good then it got boring
Decent album. Hit or miss. I liked Onie though
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.
The B Side is great, which makes up for an average A Side. Overall, nothing remarkable, but an enjoyable 60s listen.
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”
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
Meh...
it was alright but i didn't like it that much. low 3
Was okay. Need to give it another listen
Kind of a fun listen--some interesting sounds and songs in there, but not something I'd return to.
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.
Was an alright album, nothing super special but a pleasant listen none the less. Highlight: Sold to the Highest Bidder
Cool late 60s drug record.
Yeah it deserves a 2
I remember telling myself when this album came out I should probably listen to it, but I never did. The only tune I recognize now is "I had too much to dream last night". I didn't like it then and that opinion hasn't changed. Reading the description of the album, it seems their producer didn't allow them to make the album they wanted to make. Too bad and too often what happens when artists are not allowed to realize their vision.
Most of this was fine but demerit for the Toonerville Trolley
Toonerville Trolley brought this down a whole star
kind mid 2/5
I don’t think I needed to listen to this album before I died
Bad band name, bad music. See folks, sometimes judging a book by its cover works out.
Has that quality of 'a debut album that shows good future potential'. It's a good time that rivals their obvious inspiration The Rolling Stones at its best (Get Me To The World On Time actually rocks), but then it slows down and does that quiet twee ballad track thing that every band seemed to be obsessed with including in the late 60s. *Toonerville Trolley*? It's not a funny bit. At their worst they're a Beatles ripoff without the charm. In the end you'd get the best value out of the album listening to the two singles listed on the dust jacket while safely ignoring the rest. Gets two stars since those two singles are actually pretty good. Fav Tracks: I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night), Get Me To The World On Time
Too much tremolo on the guitars. Too much reverb in general. I didn't completely hate it, but it was not memorable for me. Will not revisit.
Se han quedado muy anticuados.
i just don't fucking care about yet another Brit folks with guitars. this album just does exist. that's all I got to say.
I really wanted to dig this one, especially with those gritty, fuzzy opening tracks. It’s got some cool psychedelic moments, but the whole thing feels like a total mess. It’s not really a cohesive album... just a bunch of songs thrown together, jumping from solid garage rock to weird, vaudeville-style filler that makes no sense. The second half is a real drag, and the inconsistency is impossible to ignore. Those manic, novelty songs completely kill the dark, cool vibe they started with. I appreciate the few gems buried in there, but there’s just way too much skip-worthy fluff to make it a great listen. Honestly, just stick to the main singles and leave the rest of this headache inducing record alone.
Nah. Better as the acoustic prunes...
Not as good as tinned prunes! An okay album. Not sure why it's on the list though
This has to be one of the most blatant rip off I've encountered on this list. Other reviews here mention The Doors, but "Electric Prunes" is really just three kids standing on each others shoulders disguised as The Rolling Stones' "Aftermath." You have the baroque pop, R&B work-outs, and psychedelic rock of that album, only demonstrably worse. They even have a rock song with marimba on it! (a la "Under my Thumb") There are some nice tracks here, "Too Much to Dream," and as derivative as it is, "Onie." "Train to Tomorrow" is terrible except for the extended coda (a RS signature move, btw). But oh my, does pretty much everything on the B-side not work AT ALL. It just spirals down and down, from the corn-ball pop of "Quarter to Nine" to the laughably overconfident rockers "Luvin'" and "Try Me On For Size." But "The Toonerville Trolley" deserves a special mention as the worst song on the album. Yes, I know it's supposed to be a satire, but satire can also be lame. The more I listen to this, the more it reminds me of the fake songs from a movie set in the 60s when they can't license popular songs from the time. But it isn't unlistenable. So. A regrettable - TWO STARS
Not bad overall, given my deep hatred for 60s music. 2.75 rounded down to 2. Favorite track: Sold to the Highest Bidder
This was entirely unexceptional but not horrible.
Not terrible, but just so close to everything else that was being made at the time and doesn’t offer much. Onie was quite sweet though and Get Me to the World on Time was cool.
os cara levaram o conceito de lado B super a sério a segunda metade é realmente péssima, mas a primeira vai ok
Overall: 4/10 I didn't like the way this album sounds, and the songs are truly uninteresting to me. Such a bland, forgettable album that I genuinely have nothing to say about. Fav Song: About a Quarter to Nine
Que cosa tan aburridora
This is not bad but I can’t really say I liked it either. There’s a lot of weird albums like this from this era that exist in a void between psychedelic, baroque, and mid-60s boy band pop.
Painfully average…
Don’t know why this was made and definitely don’t know why it’s on this list. Every other band from that era did it better.
Groupe inconnu. Encore un album de rock dit 'psychédélique' pas très intéressant et dont le son a très mal vieilli (abus de tremolo et de reverb entre autres). Heureusement l'album est court ! =>2/5
Meh.
Yet another circle jerk entry on this list. The album's only claim to fame is that it's on this list. I saw 'garage Rock" and thought I might be into it. But it's just Lo-Fi, '60S psychedelic bullshit
Believe me classic rock is my wheel house but Jesus some of these psych albums just do not stand the test of time as far as replay-ability goes. And there’s tons of awesome shit from this same era. Idk. Same issue I have with the byrds album we just had. Foundational? Maybe. But damn at least put shit on when people were at the top of their game. This is just so boring. Nothing that sets it apart from any of the smaller bands I enjoy of the era. Knockoff doors POV. Onie was a banger and a save.
I mean, sure? Feels like Discount Kinks, and I don't even like the Kinks that much. They really let people do whatever they wanted in 1966, huh?
So boring
I generally like the 60s, psychedelic rock, and the overall vibe, but beyond the brief nostalgia for all of the above, I just kept wanting better bands. Give me the Kinks on their worst day, and I'm happy.
I mean, yeah, they were some of the first, but surely not some of the best.
Never heard of this band from 60s, listened to this once on the way to work and honestly - not that impressed! Sounds a bit like your average 60s psych band, I might give it only 2 stars here, it's listenable and not terrible but nothing great either.
Psychedelia abounds. Some of it sounds like the Byrds. But darker and less light. Man Track 3 sux. Most of the album isn’t too bad, but it feels like they are trying a too hard. Lyrics are very cliche. Also, the band name?! Thought this was gong for be a parody album. Ha!
Creo que con este album concluí que no me gusta la musica norteamericana de los 60 JAJJAJA. No me gusta nada nadísima en realidad. Opinión objetiva: seria para mi un referente de musica de la época, esta divertido Opinión subjetiva: detesto la musica de los 60
They kinda suck
Great first track. Not really feeling the rest. Last track was truly awful.
I wasn’t a huge fan. Quarter til 9 was good.
Talk about front loading a record. I thought the first two tracks were kind of cool. A dark 60s pop rock vibe. Maybe a little experimental. But man, it just devolves into garbage filler. And it’s only a 29 minute record. Didn’t do it for me. 2/5.
This was very mediocre psychedelia.
I wanted to like this, I really did. I love I had too much to dream last night it really hits that psych/garage sweet spot… but the rest of the album is filler, cod-baroque psych and for some reason a 4 minute long vaudeville fever dream. Starts strong, ends in chaos
This album has problems, chief among them the stereo mix. Godawful, terrible, no-good mixing. Secondly, very little coherence. Some songs on the A side, work well together and paint a picture of who this band probably is. Most of the songs on the B side are B side af and probably shouldn't have been recorded by anyone at all. Pretty miserable experience at times on the back half of this album. I think the best I can do is ⭐⭐
Real nothing. It must have been influential but I didn't enjoy it
Quite an interesting sounding record. Pretty unique for something released in 1967. I was actually quite enjoying this for the first few tracks but the second half is very hit or miss with a few really questionable sounding songs that didn't work for me at all. Still, this was a pretty solid listen overall, even if I won't return to it
Rather gimmicky sound - I can't say I love it, it is a bit too much all over the place. I dont think it has aged all that well, though I suppose they have some interesting sounds. I just can't imagine how you can be a big fan of this stuff. One song is a progressive rock song, the next one we are firing rennaisance piano sounds, just very confusing to me. It is OK, not much more. Thinking a decent 2.
Wow there, ease up on the tremolo effect on the guitar, buddy! Short and sweet album. Not my style, though. When songs are as short as these there's very little time to actually make a statement. Seems very much like an attempt to differentiate themselves from contemporary music. Today, that sounds more like a parody of their time. Is it absolutely necessary to hear this before you die? I'd rest easy if I hadn't had the chance. 2.0
I wish there was a two and a half. It's odd and short and definitely fun in spots. I just don't care so very much for the folk medieval revival flavor that seeped into everything on that era?
This was pretty dated psychedelic stuff.
Pretty lame album. Nothing in it that makes it worth being included in this list. Thankfully it was short.
Flaccid. Among the many bands in the British Invasion these guys don’t feel worthy of a footnote
Started out pretty strong. I Had Too Much to Dream is a strong song title, and the song itself is fine. I found myself thinking that I was enjoying the album more than I normally enjoy this genre, and then the last four songs hit. The King Is in the Counting House is a template for the worst of this genre. The last two songs undid any goodwill I had towards this album.
A 60s psych band that I've never heard of is probably not essential listening, but who the hell am I to judge that? 1960s music as a whole was always kind of a blind spot in my listening prior to this. This is an OK mid-60s rock album. It's not a whole lot more than that, instead being a mediocre and mostly unnotable example of that sound. The lyrics are not good at all, and the vocals are just mediocre Beatles imitations. This is not essential listening because it just treads the same ground as a ton of other rock groups from that period. "Toonerville Trolley" does not generate anywhere close to the same emotional response in me as it does in many other reviewers, though it is the worst song on a rather boring record. Also, "The Electric Prunes" is not a good band name, though "The The" is far worse. Get this off the list ASAP. This album is ranked #28 of 30 for 1967. Other 1967 albums rated by me: Are You Experienced?(2/30)-5 The Doors(3/30)-4 Surrealistic Pillow(7/30)-3 Songs of Leonard Cohen(9/30)-4 Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim(11/30)-4
Sounded generic. Like a cover band of The Animals or something.
No private session used for Spotify. If one couldn't tell by the name of the band that the album came out in the later half of the 60's then the music would definitely tell you. Nothing wrong with this music, just not a fan, and yes, that is how I rate things.
Meh
This sounds like a generic 60s compilation album by a mix of no-hit wonders. The fact that it's one band is surprising. There is zero artistic voice present. The quality of the songs is fine, if a bit bland. Their single that starts the album is pretty good.
# Album Name: Electric Prunes # Artist: Electric Prunes # Rating: 2/5 # Comments: Meh # Top Tunes: # Would I listen to it again? No
This was all over the place. The parts I liked I thought were pretty good and the parts I didn't were terrible.
A very poor mans early Pink Floyd.
No exposure to this artist so let's see what they're like. Eh, not impressed with the first few tracks. Sounds like bog standard 60s pop rock. So, there isn't much here that made me really want to give it another listen. It was fine in the way that most late 60s rock hits me. Why it was essential I'm not going to try to figure out. Doesn't really even warrant a second spin in the moment.
Shoulda called themselves the Shriveled Prunes for how weak and derivative they sound.
It started out interesting with tremolo-laden guitars. Fun fact, tremolo was one of the first guitar effects to be put in a stomp box. Do I really have to start keeping track of sgt peppers knockoffs or were the beatles not that original after all? Either way I don't appreciate additions like toonerville trolley.
Another late 60s somewhat experimental pop album. Can’t say I really enjoyed it, but I’ve heard worse records.
Weird experimental 1960s music, it was all right. Two stars.
The Electric Prunes is yet another 60s album I have been dealt on my way through the 1001 albums to hear before you die list and I honestly feel this decade has the most filler as this project is an utter mess for 29 minutes. The first 4 tracks are very solid with Onie being the obvious standout. After that though this album gets really weird and kooky and tries a lot of strange ideas with nothing really sticking like the straightforward and simple Garage Rock in the beginning. I will always give brownie points for being brave and trying new things especially in such an experimental time like the 60s, but for that era specifically so much of it is hot garbage that hippies and other "enthusiasts" will continue to suck off just because the wax is rare. Whatever man, The Electric Prunes have a few nice songs but that is it. Don't even get me started on The 13th Floor Elevators man....
All over the place. Some ok tracks and some atrocious. Mix the Kinks, Doors and Love then add no originality whatsoever.
I don't believe I've ever heard of them. This came out before I was born and even my dad didn't own this one. I was shocked to see "I Had Too Much To Dream" had 16M listens, it's never once come on classic rock radio. Miniscule listener counts for the rest of the album outside of "Onie" (agonizing song) with 6M listens, everything else was in the 300K range, which also surprises me because this is so obscure. I found nothing that makes this stand out from any other album from it's time period. It's weak musically, the vocals aren't compelling & the psychedelia sound gets old fast. "Sold To The Highest Bidder", the aforementioned "Onie", "The Toonerville Trolley" and "The King In The Counting House" are just annoying songs designed for someone tripping on acid maybe. Give me Stones, Beatles or Who over this crap any day. It sounds very dated and the production work was sloppy. They lasted 5 years
Meh. This didn't stand out to me. It felt a little thrown together, I didn't hear the story come through clearly. Favorite track: Onie
I'm Not Ready To Face The Light 1001 Albums Generator 294 (5/19/2026) The opener had me really excited for this, but nothing else even comes close. the album really falls off the rails around About A Quarter To Nine and never comes back. This very much feels like a random collection of songs rather than an album proper, and the majority of those songs are forgettable or even just bad. However, those few good-great songs keep it at a 2/5. Favs: I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night) Bangles Get Me To The World On Time Least Fav: The Toonerville Trolley
Gar nichts für mich. Schrammelig, langweilig
It’s alright. Onie is actually kinda pretty. Train for Tomorrow is good. But that’s really it. The rest is just boring. I don’t understand why this was selected for this list. Not enough here.
They blew their wad on I Had Too Much To Dream (a great tune).
Listenin’ more (but enjoying it less)
Aika tunkkaista ja köyhää brittimeininkiä.
So edgy and sarcastic. I dislike this stuff in any genre and any era.
Day845 - if this was the first dumb named, generic late sixties rock band i had to hear maybe i wouldn’t be so salty. boring and forgettable
2 stars So short but couldn’t quite keep my attention.
This felt like fairly down-the-middle 60’s psych rock until it became super goofy/corny in the second half.
Late 60's early 70"s rock... not a big fan
Starts off with some very solid psychedelic rock, but about halfway through it devolves into granny pish. Not too impressed.
Forgettable 60s rock keyboards.
I’m sad.
I like how they made almost a solid album and then decided to stick an absolute stinker right at the end to sour the whole experience. Absolute wet fart of a song. I Had Too Much To Dream and Get Me To The World On Time are good songs but most of the other songs feel generic to me.
I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night just sounds like such a parody track that it was hard to take anything seriously.
Tortureville Trolley Fave track: I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night)
Unremarkable, then gets incredibly stupid and silly. Skip the second half. 2/5
Not a bad album, but not good
ok psych rock. pleasant enough but unsure if its place on the list is warranted
More like the Boring Ass Prunes
Post-Beatles pop-rock. Catchy and fun.
2.4 2x not awful just weird and not great
A chaotic mix of all genres from the 1960’s. The first few tracks were cool, psychedelic rock. The other tracks were odd ball mix of ballads and folky songs.
On a blind listen, it sounds like it might have been significant when released, but not of much interst in the present. Simple pop rock with a bit of 'different' production may have been "far out" in the day but now sounds a bit surf rock, a bit pop jazz - a little bit what Cramps did well. Reading Wikipedia, I'm much more sympathetic - the band had two hits and found themselves making a record where nine songs were written by professional songwriters. "Luvin'", the only new original (apart from the singles name-checked on front cover), is catchy musically, but the lyrics are juvenile. The singing generally is often too "yelling young man" for my taste. Overall I'll say it's Pretty Poor, 3/10.
Very Kinks-ish, but not as… engaging?
2/5
Don't think I'll be listening to this again much
I shouldn’t subject myself to this weird shit.
Pretty boring 60s pop
2- Stars (4/15)
Not my kinda thing, very strange
the beatles did it better sorry :/
Een rock album uit de jaren '60, dan gaan toch vaak een beetje de alarm bellen af, maar gelukkig valt dat hier best wel mee! De muziek is behoorlijk afwisselend en voornamelijk instrumentaal zit het echt heel goed in elkaar. The king is in the counting house is dan weer echt geen goed nummer zeg, poeh. Krijg een beetje kinderliedje vibes daarvan, maar dat is misschien wel ook de bedoeling. De nummers zijn sowieso vrij kort, ik ben niet perse een fan van de 'grote' hit op dit album, maar het is grotendeels prima weg te luisteren. Is dit iets wat iedereen moet horen in zn leven? Dat is lastig te bepalen, dit is dermate oud dat wat ik hier van vind ontzettend gekleurd is door de tijdsgeest. Dit is muziek die je al 100en keren hebt gehoord, maar waarschijnlijk komt het grotendeels van na 1967. Moet daarbij wel zeggen dat de afwisseling me wel echt goed doet op dit album. Toonerville Trolley is denk ik het allerbeste voorbeeld van een band die perse nog een extra nummer op het album wilt hebben terwijl ze eigenlijk al een tijdje creatief uitgeput waren. Een meesterwerk in "Je moet je huiswerk inleveren maar hebt geen fuck gedaan dus gaat maar staan en improviseren in de hoop dat je iets goeds er aan over houdt" En net zoals meestal in deze situatie is ook dit echt niet best, laten we het er maar op houden dat ze niet bang waren om te experimenteren. FAVO: Get me to the world on time
The guitars had some cool stuff going, but the lyrics were pretty bad and it wasn’t terribly memorable
Not nearly as good as I had hoped. It felt like faux psychedelic music.
Not really sure what this was tbh, absolutely full 60s crap. Similar sounds to other stuff that has been done better.
Näh
All sounded the same
Favorite tracks: Train for Tomorrow, I Had Too Much to Dream, Are You Lovin' Me More I thought I would really like this based on the first half, but it just kept going downhill. 4 -> 2 stars for me
Kinda wild that for all their sense of psych rock style most of their initial material, hits included, were outsourced to a writing pair. As instrumentalists, they (or someone...) really had an ear for atmosphere, foreboding even. Elsewhere, they are chasing the sounds of the moment (or, more likely the producer who set them up insisted on shit like the harpsichord psychedelia number - why did these chamber pieces become a thing in the 60s?). It’s a real grab bag of Now That’s What I Call 1967! But the 2 psych rock singles, title track and Get Me to the World On Time, stand above the rest.
Similar to the Beach Boys. Some decent tracks, but mostly stinkers. This is supposed to be garage rock, but several of the tracks sound like soft rock. I'm surprised it's rated so lowly by other users. I personally don't like it very much, but I don't think it's much worse than other albums of this type that have higher scores.
This one simply does not stand the test of time. It was mercifully short, though. 1.8
the last song trully got me, it was super unexpected
The two singles are the only good tracks. Toonerville Trolley is heinous.
This reminds me of a radio station in San Antonio called "No Hit Radio". It's like the uncanny valley of 60's and 70's radio - things that in an alternate universe would have been hits but just aren't in our dimension. Close but just not quite there. Somewhere out there this is a 5, but in our little part of the multiverse is a 2. 2/5
This isn’t that great sober.
thank u next
please, in what universe is this a classic album?
One hit wonder that makes me wonder why it's on a list of required listens when, after 900 previous albums, I get this as a best example from 1967 instead of something worthwhile like Days of Future Passed by the Moody Blues.
First time listen Completely underwhelming psych rock. I don't already have much interest in this era of rock unless it's The Doors, but this album feels especially boring, has all of the worn out tropes you could ask for; the grating harpsichord song, the goofy vaudeville track, a few boring love songs. Listen to the first track and save yourself some time by skipping the rest. At least it was short. Fav Tracks: I Had Too Much To Dream Least Fav: The Toonerville Trolley. The King Is in the Counting House 2/5
It's unfortunate timing for the poor Prunes that I got their lone album right after a Kinks album from the same year. My tolerance for dismal 60s production values is already pretty low (although this is definitely better than the Kinks' "Face to Face"), and then to have a fairly uninspired set of songs (with "Onie" being the nadir, I think), nearly all of which were apparently forced on the band by the producer (who perhaps rightly judged that they lacked songwriting ability and hired a songwriting duo), just makes the comparison between the Electric Prunes and the Kinks even more stark, and not in the Prunes' favor. Their two singles--"I had too much to dream (last night)" and "Get me to the world on time"--are decent enough, and there's something compelling about the ferocity of "Sold to the highest bidder", but I'd have been more impressed if the band had had a hand in the writing; they seem kind of like the lesser cousins to The Monkees, without the stardom or rabid fans, although it's interesting to read that bands like MC5 and The Stooges were partially inspired by the Electric Prunes after buying the apparently widely available secondhand copies of this album after everyone realized that the Prunes weren't actually the next big thing.
Okay enough psychadelic rock album that starts stronger than it finishes. Felt bloated for an album under 30 minutes which is unfortunate. Couple of decent tracks, but failed to really keep me interested. Top tracks: I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night), Onie
A below average 60’s psych-rock album. It starts off quite promising with “I had too much to dream (last night)” which is easily the best song here, but then quickly spirals out into a series of songs that are either forgettable or somewhat annoying (the closing track especially is annoying.) this one just didn’t do a lot for me and there’s a lot of other, better 60’s psych rock I could listen to instead.
Meh
Fine enough album, but -5 stars for "The Toonerville Trolley"! "I Had Too Much to Dream" is a winner, but most of the rest is just ok. If pressed to listen to an album of this time as a representative, I'd prefer to listen to the Zombies. This is a 2 and one of those points is for Too Much to Dream
Not a fan
During the first chorus of the first track, which I’d never heard before, he sings, “I had too much to dream last night … too much to dream.” I knew he was going to sing the second “too much to dream,” and I suspect everyone else listening to the song for the first time did too. What is it about music that conveys that information to us? We all know, from some kind of cultural imprinting, what’s coming next. I thought that was interesting. More interesting than that song or any other song on the album. But it was fine and under 30 minutes. Efficiently average. I wish to time travel to the room where the band discussed writing, recording, and including on this album the final track, so I can encourage better decisions.
This was ok, though how it has managed to make a list of the 1001 albums to listen to before you die is beyond me. Would I listen to it again? No.
Such a moody picture for such a corn ball album. Nothing on this did anything for me. Glad to hear it, glad it’s on the list as something to hear, but just boring eh music. The harpsichord stuff sucks, that last song is awful. 1 is dunking on it but it might deserve it.
Im just not sure this is an album I MUST listen to
2.5 Liked about half these songs so I give it an average rating. The psychedelic stuff is actually the worst parts of the albums, it’s much better when they branch out and get a little varied. Onie is a nice little Bacharach/Sedaka-like tune. Are You Lovin Me More sounds like post-punk hardcore like Husker Du or something. Highest Bidder is some weird Simon/Alice Cooper mishmash. Some interesting stuff here, unfortunately there’s some boring stuff too. Thankfully 30 minutes long tho.
2.0 (29:15, 12 tracks, debut, 1967) Psychedelia, surprisingly American (garage rock) Album was OK some songs really pissed me off, others were decent. Glad I listening to this, won’t be coming back any time soon. There was a lot of drugs going on in the late 60's early 70's in the music seen. "The Strawberry Alarm Clock" (my mom had a lot of them), The Electric Prunes, The Chocolate Watchband, Tangerine Dream, Vanilla Fudge, Sugarloaf etc... food and some random otherness were a theme apparently. I feel like if the band had been allowed to write their own material it would have been a lot better - not going to award the boy band nature of this production and most of those songs blew, With the band having a busy touring schedule, the recording of the album was hurried in an effort to cash in on their recent success. The band was already composing material for what they hoped would be an album of their own design. However, much of the album's content was out of their control, as producer Dave Hassinger brought in the songwriting team of Annette Tucker and Nancie Mantz. They, alone, produced seven of the 12 tracks, much to the frustration of the band. Mark Tulin and James Lowe, the band's main songwriters, were limited to just one track, the song "Luvin'". The band considered some of the tracks to be filler and were disappointed in not having a choice in disclosing them. Tulin stated, "We had nothing resembling freedom, let alone total freedom, in the selection of our songs. Consequently, there are definitely songs that I do believe didn't belong on the album..." Sometimes referred to as the albums opening track “I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night)” a hit single and the band's signature tune. Simply a metaphor for a romantic dream hangover. Very 60’s trippy as most of the songs on this album written by Annette Tucker and Nancie Mantz “Bangles” - “You got what you want, but not what you need” – about some woman with bangles (anklets) and furs and all kinds of material possessions but without love. “Onie” - Lyricist Nancie Mantz revealed in an interview that she actually wrote the song for her daughter, Tracy. She changed the name to "Onie" because there was already a popular song titled "Tracy" at the time. Basically, a warning to not grow up too fast. “Are You Lovin' Me More (But Enjoying It Less)” - Annette Tucker derived the title from a cigarette commercial that used the slogan, "Are you smoking more but enjoying it less?" (I remember this ad in my dad’s Playboys). A female perspective garage rock band sexual tension and exhaustion song. "Train for Tomorrow" – fear of the future – it’s one of the ACTUAL Electric Prunes songs and I like it better than the fluff for sales team. "Sold to the Highest Bidder" somehow slips through my work’s NSFW filter with a full-frontal nudity woman playing a mandolin (or uke?) on Youtube, that’s good as a lot of these 1001 albums are blocked in part or full as NSFW. A lot of imagery from this album definitely fits into the category of ‘weird for weirdness's sake’ psychedelia – many 60’s hippies’ outfits, weird sunglasses, general late 60’s shenanigans. Songs about a gold digger. Has a 60’s take on Greek instrumentation and that damn pseudo-ukuleles sound. The album also contains another notable psychedelic rock composition, "Get Me to the World on Time". High energy sexual attraction (a play on Get Me to the Church on Time from My Fair Lady. “About a Quarter to Nine” – cover of a 1930’s song. Just straightforward looking forward to a date. “The King Is in the Counting House” – emotional neglect of children, you know who did this song better (well aside from “everybody”). . . Harry Chaplin. I hate this song and the stupid Baroque instruments “Luvin’” – Prunes song – sexual energy “Try Me on for Size” – faster more ballsy for Tucker, proto-punk but just another sex song “The Toonerville Trolley" – I fucking hate this song, makes me want to punch them in the face. Kind of a disillusionment about “make America great again” in 1967. I just hate the 1900’s piano bar riff and the lyric “tooting on his licorice stick” Track listing Favorite songs: Both Luvin’ and Train for Tomorrow (only Prunes songs) and I Had too much to Dream 1. "I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night)" 2:55 2. "Bangles" 2:27 3. "Onie" 2:43 4. "Are You Lovin' Me More (But Enjoying It Less)" 2:21 5. "Train for Tomorrow" 3:00 6. "Sold to the Highest Bidder" 2:16 7. "Get Me to the World on Time" 2:30 8. "About a Quarter to Nine" 2:07 9. "The King Is in the Counting House" 2:00 10. "Luvin'" 2:03 11. "Try Me on for Size" 2:19 12. "The Toonerville Trolley" 2:34 The Electric Prunes James Lowe – lead vocals (tracks 1, 2, 5–14), autoharp, rhythm guitar, tambourine Ken Williams – lead guitar James "Weasel" Spagnola – rhythm guitar, backing vocals, lead vocals (tracks 3, 4) Mark Tulin – bass guitar, piano, organ Preston Ritter – drums, percussion Dave Hassinger – producer, liner notes
This sounded like someone describing a fun time instead of actually having one. It’s very: “Bro you had to be there.” No, I did not. I respect the 60s. I do not respect how long some of these songs felt.
Got some nauseating instruments on this one man
easy listening in het kwadraat...
Didn't really grab me much, I do like the name of the title track alot and the sound of it was pretty good too. Band name is funny
This album is in desperate need for a remaster. Most tracks are dominated by a single instrument, burying everything else. Starts with a psychedelic surfer sound, then we get a jazz/swing song, then a children's song??, then back to rock. It was definitely interesting....
I guess it is an album from 1967, but man this was blander than bran flakes. Prunes is appropriate to be involved in the naming of this band.
Not nearly as interesting as their more famous cohorts of the era
A lot of the reviews say that the album is a mixed bag, and having listened to about half of it, I agree. I don't mind weird, silly, or stylized music, I even like it, but this album ranges from quirky banger to very generic, with the latter being the dominant. I don't know, maybe I had to be on drugs to enjoy it?
You know what? Maybe there should've been a war on drugs. You know what else? Using drugs and writing a song that's "woo i'm on the tooterville trolley xD lolz, my dad paid for my tuition" doesn't make you creative, it makes you a dime a dozen. Much like the culturally confused white people of the 60's who turned to opiates and buddhism, this is a creative dearth, and how this appears on the list is a mystery greater than the infinity of the cosmos. I've written every one of these reviews unencumbered by substances besides cafffeine and SSRI's and I feel i have said more interesting shit than yet another group of white Brits/Americans pretending access to an LSD dealer makes you a creative savant. Booooooooring 2 HIGHLIGHTS: Kaleidoscope Eyes and stepping into the dreamscapes clad in top hat and waistcoat and ZZZZZZZZZ
Didn't really grab me.
#1001Albums Electric Prunes by The Electric Prunes https://album.link/gb/i/655574615 The Electric Prunes were a garage band who were genuinely discovered playing in a garage by a record company exec who happened to be passing at the time. The album opens with a nice bit of late 60s psychedelia in I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night) but after that it’s very much diminishing returns with some second rate love songs and novelty numbers, with the whole album clocking in at 30 minutes. File under a historical curiosity rather than an essential listen. Fun game! Find your 60s psychedelic garage band name by combining your favourite dried fruit with a power source - mine is the Solar Sultanas! https://album.link/gb/i/655574615
It's ok, the opener is quite good! 10 on 10
The Electric Prunes was the collective noun used for Len Houmous’ wives 4,8,12 and 21. 1.6 1/12 I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night)
Just seems like a mid-60s rock album, indicative of the time period but does the one hit justify inclusion on this list? Where was the cultural impact of the Electric Prunes?
Didn't offend my ears, but didn't particularly excite them either. There was some fun instrumentation on a couple of them. That last track though, did someone lose a bet?
Not very good. The best song was the first one. Got bored after the first few songs. I guess they didn’t write their songs but added flourishes. It didn’t help.
Kind of boring. Like a bland version of the animals.
All down hill after the single. Sounds like the band in a sixties youth comedy made by squares.
5.5/10 I found a new song to annoy people with if they ever cross the line. Sounds like background music you might hear in an old 60s movie, like an out of pocket psych rock with a garage fuzzy effect going on highlights: I had too much to dream(last night), try me on for size, Onie
Familiar with Electric Prunes and remember their biggest hit; I Had Too Much to Dream from occasional radio play. They had that early sixties Brit invasion sound, but couldn’t complete with the likes of the Monkees (or the others.) Enjoyed the uke, and thought I heard some xylophone. But got a little goofy by the end. (2.2*s) Oh, by gee, by gosh, by golly…