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Groovin'

The Young Rascals

1967

Groovin'
Album Summary

Groovin' is the third album by rock band The Young Rascals. The album was released on July 31, 1967 and rose to #5 on the Billboard Top LPs chart and number 7 on the R&B chart. Eight of the songs were released on singles with the title track reaching number 1 on the Pop chart in the U.S.

Wikipedia

Rating

3.04

Votes

12560

Genres

  • Rock
  • Psychedelic Rock
  • Pop

Reviews

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May 03 2021
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2

Like thumbing marshmallows into the anus of a cat.

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Jun 11 2021
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2

Perfectly fine I guess, but nothing here differentiates them from the other 10000 bands chasing the Beatle's coattails in the late 60's

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May 07 2021
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3

I generally like this kind of 60s pop but as the album went on it wore thin with me, particularly when they got to "a place in the sun" which I thought was overdone.

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May 31 2021
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3

Probably the worst combination of band name and album cover I have ever seen. Actually not bad tho. Quite enjoyable with some really good tracks.

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Feb 15 2022
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2

There are some nice passages, but overall I don't get it. Unmemorable album that could be kicked out of the 1000 to make room for a more recent album.

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Jan 27 2021
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4

I wanted to hate this hippie nonsense, but then it had so many classic bangers.

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Jun 05 2021
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4

"Groovin" is a perfect, timeless song so this album has that already going for it (Groovin is a 5). "How Can I Be Sure" is another classic. And there's a song I only knew as a Pat Benetar song ("You Better Run"). The other songs don't really compare to those gems, but it's still a great listen overall.

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Mar 03 2021
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5

I enjoyed listening to this much more than I thought I would.... generally from listening to random music from this album generator, I think I'm realizing I like 60s music more than a lot of other styles/genres

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Feb 02 2021
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4

Dudes hit every genre in one album. A waltz halfway through the album? Come on...they did that

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May 20 2021
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4

This album was so much fun to listen to. So glad I didn't skip this recommendation

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Jul 24 2021
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4

Ce n'est pas moi qui vais rédiger la critique du jour, mais bien mon grand-père avec qui j'ai partagé l'écoute de cet album. À toi Papy : "J'ai beaucoup aimé entendre cette musique rock dont le rythme me rappelle ce que j'écoutais dans ma jeunesse. De belles voix avec des rythmes très dansants. Un moment rare que j'aimerais renouveler." Vous l'avez probablement remarqué, mon grand-père n'a aucun savoir-faire en terme de critiques musicales. Je me vois obligé de reprendre la main. L'album est nul. Les Rascals sont des merdes. Le leader du groupe, l'ignoble Dizzee Rascal nous offre une performance en dessous de tout. D'abord sur le titre Dizzee Rascal Type Beat, puis sur la chanson Zone dans laquelle il répète inlassablement "Laissez-moi chuis dans ma zone, Neksan Orelfeu, Orelzi, Dizfeu, Nekzi, Dizsan, I don't speak but french but Nekfeu, Orelsan, Dizzee, Neksan, Orelfeu...". À oublier.

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Apr 08 2021
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2

Mostly innoffensive stuff. Occasionally some jarring, incongruous guitar arrangements, as might be expected from a rock band doing soul, but on the whole they are probably the blackest sounding white men I've heard. David Cassidy was obviously a fan, he covered 2 of their songs. An interesting historical footnote, but not sure why it would be on any list of essential albums.

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May 12 2021
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5

Great album. It's another one of those where I already knew half of the songs, but hadn't quite figured out who the artist was.

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Feb 24 2021
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2

Kind of meh they sound like they are trying to ride the Beatles coat tails

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Apr 01 2021
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5

Big fan, very me! Surprised I hadn't listened to much of them before

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Dec 30 2021
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5

Excellent..forgot just how good this album is…dating myself, but this was a great era for music..listened a few times

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Feb 18 2022
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5

If you’re looking for great top quality 60s pop, this album is perfection. Sounds great, good run time, catchy and mellow songs, it’s all the jolly from that era.

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Apr 18 2022
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5

Hells yes. great stuff. very groovin.

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May 20 2022
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5

I love this group. When I first saw the cover I didn’t realize what was on this album. “How Can I Be Sure” with its wonderful 3/4 time and accordion. How did I not notice the red “This LP Has The Big Hit ‘How Can I Be Sure’” on the cover?! “Groovin’” with the wonderful birds. “A Girl Like You,” “A Place in the Sun,” “I Don’t Love You Anymore,” “You Better Run,” “A Place In The Sun.” That’s a lot of songs I recognize off this! This has a lot of soul sprinkled with bits of psychedelia that sounds great. Love this great specimen of 60’s pop!

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May 20 2022
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5

A lot of fun. Several songs I knew but not in their original form. I was totally groovin'.

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Jan 01 2023
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5

This was just really solid. Loved every song. Great listen.

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Jan 03 2023
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5

Holy cow! Such an amazing collection of songs... This is a killer album, and I'm adding it to my library for repeated listens.

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Feb 24 2023
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5

This album feels like a greatest hits album to me. There are a couple of weak tracks, but the Young Rascals put their stamp on blue-eyed soul here. Granted, it's like eating cotton candy and there isn't a ton of depth here, but I think that can be said for a lot of bands in the 1960's who were churning out pop hits.

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Sep 20 2023
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5

I love 60s pop music, so there was pretty much no chance I wasn't going to love this record. I'm familiar with the hits from The Young Rascals, but this entire album is solid top to bottom. My favorite tracks are probably, "A Girl Like You," "How Can I Be Sure," "Groovin'," "I Don't Love You Anymore," and " A Place in the Sun," so pretty much the entire record. A total delight to listen to!

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Nov 01 2023
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5

Great listen-I had kind of forgotten about this album. Great collection of songs.

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Nov 12 2023
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5

Not too shabby! This one is going into the rotation

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Feb 22 2024
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5

Super vibey! Really solid album from front to back.

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Mar 22 2024
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5

A pleasant surprise. I'll add this whole album to my regular rotation

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Apr 15 2024
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5

Oh, I love this group and their songs. While I listened to these songs when I was 10, I continue to appreciate them, even more today. I had no idea they had a song with such a strong Latin connection - Sueno.

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Jan 19 2022
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4

Don't think this could be more 1960s if it tried. Mild psychedelia? Three-chord garage rock? Trippy flute solo? Blue-eyed soul? Check, check, check and check. It all holds together really nicely though! Side two is the strongest, kicking off with the immortal summertime stroller 'Groovin'' and finishing on the wonderful 'It's Love'. My favourite cut, though, is the driving, aggressive 'You Better Run' - it kicks ass on a reasonably wimpy album. Very good all told.

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Jan 31 2022
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4

They have a nice sixties pop sound. I like the arrangements, though it looks like many of the artists (horns for example) go uncredited. The pop hits are catchy – it was good to hear “How Can I Be Sure” for the first time in 50 years or so. The 2 lead vocalists can sing. Looking at the albums that were released the same month in '67, we have The Who Sell Out and Headquarters by The Monkees, which sound spoofy and retro by comparison, except for I Can See for Miles, of course. This is an eclectic and well produced outing from a bunch of Italian guys from New Jersey.

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Jul 01 2023
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4

4.0 - If Zombies had gone in a more Motown direction instead of diving into Sgt. Peppers psychedelia, the result would sound something like this. Standout: “Groovin’” but it’s all pretty good. A solid little pop record from 1967 .

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Jul 06 2023
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4

I went into this one not expecting much, but I was very surprised at how much I enjoyed it. This was a very good album. I think I liked pretty much everything here. I actually kept having this album and song come up when I would search for Aretha Franklin's cover of the title track of this one, and I was pleased to find that the original is pretty good as well. I think I enjoy Aretha's version just a bit more though. I really enjoyed How Can I Be Sure and I Don't Love You Anymore, but as I said everything here is pretty good. Fun fact: The intro for Sueno is sampled in A Tribe Called Quest's track I Lost My Wallet in El Segundo. I immediately recognized it and was very surprised. Also a good song. I was debating on whether to give this a 4 or a 5, and if I had half stars it'd definitely get a 9/10, but I don't. I just don't think it quite reaches into that 5 category, though.

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Oct 16 2021
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3

Blue-eyed soul, with a psychedelic tinge - bonkers panning of the guitars, especially.

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May 20 2022
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3

Well, I can say for sure that the song Find Somebody was not meant to be listened to on headphones, because the complete switch between left and right ear for the guitar is super unpleasant. Like, it feels like my headphones are breaking in time with the music Setting that monstrosity aside, this is an interesting album. The famous songs don't really start until halfway through. The hits off of this album are great. Most of the rest of the songs are a bit dull. They are in the process of becoming a psychedelic band here, but it doesn't feel full formed yet. Perhaps that's appropriate since this is their last album as the Young Rascals before they dropped the "Young" 3/5 Fun at times, but also annoying at times and uninteresting at other times

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Feb 05 2023
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3

A diverting album with great production. Sort of like The Zombies meets Tom Jones.

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Mar 16 2023
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3

Quite easy to listen to and Groovin’ is a classic song. I don’t know if this is an album that everyone “has to hear” so I’m not rating it that high.

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Jun 14 2024
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3

So I was aware of this band as I was coming of age in the mid-70’s, but was never a fan of late 60’s pop, and had never listened to this album before – so it was a good exercise… Pros - I was worried when “A Girl Like You” & “I’m So Happy Now” comprised 2 of the first 3 tracks, as that stereotypical, late 60’s pop sound with the “required” pre-arranged pop brass charts just grates on my musical nerves – but thankfully those were the only poor tracks on the album… - I liked the diversity outside of the 2 mentioned above, as it seemed like they were experimenting – and I always appreciate that… - The 3 hits from this album were really well done for its time, and I gave all 3 of them 5-stars out of 7 on my ranking scale, so – - “How Can I Be Sure” - “Groovin” - “You Better Run” The last of the 3, was the original to the definitive version that Pat Benatar would record on her “Crimes Of Passion” album in 1980 – which was stunningly good, but kudos to the Young Rascals for creating it in the first place… Cons - The album was recorded in mono, and I get it was the late 60’s but, but that was kind of a drag… - The lyrical content outside of the hits, is absolutely dreadful schlock… The basic theme of the songs from start-to-finish is – - I’m looking for someone like you… - Okay, I found somebody… - Yay – let’s get married now… - Oh no – maybe I’m having some second thoughts… - Wait, maybe it’ll be okay… - Well I guess now we’ll just be groovin’… - Oh wait – maybe I really don’t think I love you anymore… - Uh – I’m pissed, so you better run and get away from me… Ugh… Anyways, based on the 3 top-shelf songs, combined with the creativity and diversity displayed throughout the album, I’m gonna give this a solid 3…

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Jun 14 2024
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3

New kid to the group. Hi guys! Seems a mix of styes across songs. Some blues influence, some 60s West Coast reverb in the guitars, some East Coast beach music. Find Somebody is the standout with that first note evoking U2’s Desire, the Safaries, or the opening scene of a Tarantino movie

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Jul 24 2024
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3

It’s perfectly fine 60’s pop/rock music.

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Feb 02 2022
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2

Not terrible but not very exciting. It's just there. One of those albums. There were so many big, game changing albums in 1967 and this ain't one of 'em.

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Feb 07 2022
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2

One stone cold classic soul song, one well know pure 60's pop hit. Throw in some baladeering, some straight rock and a spattering of everything inbetween and you get a band who don't sound like themselves. There doesn't seem to be a Young Rascals sound, and I for one am prepared to hold that against them.

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Nov 10 2022
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2

How is this released in '67 and not '63-'64? It sounds really outdated and I'm sure it must have done so at its release as well. There's a few fun songs, "I'm So Happy Now", "A Place In The Sun" and "It's Love". But mostly it just sounds like discount Beatles.

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Aug 20 2023
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1

"white soul" isn't a genre, it's cultural theft

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Jun 25 2021
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5

Basically flawless and a pure joy.

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Mar 16 2023
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5

That vibrato is something else. Also the nicest breakup song ever, barf

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Apr 05 2024
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5

Hatte Angst als ich die Jahreszahl sah, aber der rhythmische Groove der sich durchs Album zieht gefällt mir

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May 23 2024
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5

i think ultimately, this album in the grand scheme of things is not very important, but i adore it a lot. i don't know if it has aged very well - it definitely sounds like a mid-late '60s album and modern listeners may find it mundane, but i was raised on this album and the rascals in general. i think the crop of songs is great, the sound of the rascals, at the time, was fairly groundbreaking, and the musicianship here is extremely underrated, especially the drumming of dino danelli (some of the greatest fills of all time!). is this a monumental album from 1967, in hindsight? maybe not. i still love it a lot.

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Jun 21 2024
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5

Well I loved it. Might be considered boring but Groovin’ is just perfect. A masterclass for songs to get stuck in your head.

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Jul 04 2024
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5

The only rascals album I ever owned was the greatest hits, which i love every song on. But this brings a different feel. One that is more varied I think. Going to go buy this one on vinyl as listen to it. Great album.

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Oct 16 2024
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5

This album is groovin'. Great from top to bottom. Thoroughly enjoyed listening.

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Oct 20 2024
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5

This reminds me of sitting on the porch or the basement with my dad back in the seventies listening to the “oldies.” If I don’t give this 5 stars, he may haunt my radio until it knocks some sense into me. Besides, this album is just plain awesome.

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Oct 28 2024
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5

"Groovin'" is the third album by American rock band the Young Rascals. Blue-eyed soul is the Wiki-listed genre. It's that and a lot more. Eight of the eleven songs were released as singles. The Young Rascals included Felix Cavaliere (vocals, keyboards, organs), Eddie Brigati (vocals, percussion), Gene Cornish (guitar, vocals, bass, harmonica, percussion) and Dino Danelli (drums, percussion). Commercially, the album reached #5 in the US. A prancing piano opens "A Girl Like You." Cavaliere strong on the vocals. Soulful with the horns. Great male and female backing vocals. Here's your blue-eyed soul. A dark, edgier guitar begins "Find Somebody." A tambourine and keys. They're venturing into pyschedelia on this one. Brigati on the vocals. Three songs, three different lead singers. Gene Cornish takes the reins on "I'm So Happy Now." Excellent vocals, horn accentuated. The drumbeat and music is very poppy 60's. The first side ends with the tremendous "How Can I Be Sure." Another prancing piano intro with Brigati on lead vocals. Strings and a trumpet. Wow, they've successfully gone cabaret/baroque. The self-titled "Groovin'" opens side two. Birds singing and a more Latin American beat welcome us in this chill song. A melancholic harmonica. It's the one song I had heard the most on this album. Just in case you wondered if they can rock, exhibit "You Better Run." Pounding drums, harder-edge guitar and Cavaliere wailing. Garage rock at its finest. The album closes with "It's Love." A swirling piano and, yes, flutist Hubert Laws enters the song. An interesting jazz-rock fusion of sorts. What makes this 1001 challenge worth it is when across an album you had little to no idea about and it blows you away. I've had it happen a handful of times and this is one of those albums: a fantastic album! There is so much to like here. Three different lead vocalists, all outstanding, as are harmonies and backing vocals. Yes, blue-eyed soul but also 60's pop, garage rock, pyschedelia, Latin American beats, R&B, ballads, jazzy and cabaret/ baroque pop. Eight of eleven songs were singles but the album has a great flow. No fillers. An album everyone needs to hear.

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Jan 22 2021
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4

Liked what I heard, Spotfiy was missing half the album

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May 18 2021
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4

Some upbeat rock, a pretty fun listen.

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Feb 11 2021
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4

Great album, and was super smooth from beginning to end.

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Apr 12 2021
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4

Easy listening 60's jams. Would be good for like the background of a party with parents.

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Jul 21 2021
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4

Great album, plenty of soul. I was expecting something more psychedelic based on the cover but this was really enjoyable. I once had an empty LP sleeve of this album that I repurposed to house a loose J Dilla vinyl, and I’m thrilled to actually hear what it was I didn’t have. Favorite tracks: A Girl Like You, Sueno, Groovin’, Find Somebody. Album art: Love this one, very fun. Bizarre caricatures, but the colors and the vibe are undeniable. 4/5

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Jul 21 2021
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4

I enjoyed this album much more than I anticipated. It may have been because I watched Once Upon a Time In Hollywood recently and this felt like it was ripped right from the soundtrack. Just a sort of folksy rock group trying to grove and have fun. What else would you expect from some young rascals in the late 60's. Album cover is very strange but it was probably a strange time.

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Jul 21 2021
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4

Really liked this album. Fresh look at the 60-70’s and just laying around and listening to the past .It was really Groovin😊. Surprised how many of these songs I’d heard before but not knowing it was the Rascals. Great harmony and lyrics. This was a surprise

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Mar 29 2021
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4

Solid work. Very easy to listen to with a couple of classics in there I never knew came from them. 3.5 rounded up.

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Mar 29 2021
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4

Nice chilled 60s vibes. Nailed on for a 3 until Groovin’ came on. Instant elevation to 4

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Mar 11 2021
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4

Really enjoyed that, particularly How Can I Be Sure. Better than the David Cassidy version. Also Groovin. Will definitely listen again. ****

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Mar 01 2021
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4

I really liked this album. Feared it would be 60's dreamy nonsense but it is really good. Spans a few genres.

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Apr 01 2021
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4

Really loved this! Lovely chilled vibes for a sunny day

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Apr 08 2021
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4

I really enjoyed this album, listened to it twice. Reminded me of my folks and hearing it in the 80s when I was a bambino

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Jun 02 2021
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4

Enjoyed it from the first song. Fun, happy album.

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Jul 16 2021
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4

-Nice drum fills and bass riffs in "Sueno" -"You Better Run" really stands out as must heavier than the rest -"Place in the Sun" is upbeat -Pretty standard early rock, a little chilly for my taste

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May 25 2021
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4

Rating: 7/10 Best songs: You better run, A place in the sun, How can I be sure

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Jul 10 2021
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4

Notable songs: A girl like you , I’m so happy now, how can I be sure, groovin Notes: I enjoyed this album. Love the vocals and the overall soulful sound of this album. Obviously groovin is a classic and it kicks off with a great intro in a girl like you. Interesting concept with you better run… it has this blues type of feel, they pulled it off really good. Overall 4/5

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Jul 30 2021
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4

i actually really liked the majority of these songs. i thought they were fun, different enough, and had good music overall

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Aug 09 2021
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4

Notable disc de pop seixanter, amb influències d'r&b i alguns temes molt destacables, com 'You Better Run', que després versionaria Pat Benatar o 'How Can I Be Sure', un dels grans singles del '65. De la resta, a diferència d ela majoria de discos de l'època, no hi ha gaire ompliment, una molt bona col.lecció de cançons

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Aug 29 2021
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4

It's a pretty decent 60's psychedelic-ish album. That being said, that is my jam so I will rate it a 4. If you like Ogden's Nut Gone Flake, 13th Floor Elevators, Forever Changes, you should go ahead and give this one a try too. Highlights: 1, 2, 3, and 6.

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Aug 29 2021
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4

I really liked the first side of the album. It was really different from what I expected out of a 60's album, and it pulled "psychedelic" well in my opinion. The second side was way worse as it follows a weird narrative and I don't like spoken word in music. Favorite track: Groovin'

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Sep 21 2021
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4

Enjoyed this, not heard of them before but like a boy band version of Dusty Springfield

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Sep 30 2021
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4

Love it. Late 60s pop with a bit of soul. Good voice, resembles Blood Sweat and Tears singer. Thoroughly enjoyable - 4 stars.

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Oct 11 2021
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4

Only about half the songs are on Spotify, which was a shame. Really enjoyed the songs I did hear. Not sure why they were not huge, or why they have been forgotten if they were a big deal.

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Oct 15 2021
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4

Cool 60s rock album. Nothing breakthrough, but enjoyable.

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Oct 28 2021
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4

A pretty fun '60s pop album! Very good for doing the dishes to. You could find better music from this genre and decade, but you could also do a lot worse. Glad I listened to it.

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