Something Happening (studio album) by Paul Revere And The Raiders

From Kingturtle 04/01/2016 18:05

a very underrated LP. Also, i think they'd be better remembered today if they didn't have such a silly band name.

After the rather disappointing album "Goin to Memphis" Mark Lindsay and the Raiders returned in the best way with one of their finest albums, "Something Happening". Do not be fooled by the unadventurous and cream puff-like cover – this is a great album. Producer Terry Melchior wanted was no longer there and production responsibilities were shifted to Lindsay, who also wrote all the songs on "Something Happening".

The group had during most of their career had some trouble keeping pace with the rapidly changing trends in those years, and their American Revolutionary War soldier costumes did not help if you wanted to be taken seriously. Now many years later, these things mean less and one can only note that "Something Happening" is a fine album which measures with the best pop-psych from this period. Musically the Monkees from their most psychedelic period including "Head" easily come to mind, but there is also much in common with groups like The Nazz, Amboy Dukes and of course the Beatles.

Most songs are catchy without being predictable and boring. The albums opens beautifully with "Happening Intro / Too Much Talk". "Too Much Talk" was also a single hit for the group, but the version is quite different – a lot of ingenuity and energy has been put into this track. There are lots of phasing and fuzz guitars on tracks like "Communication", "Get Out of My Mind" and "Free". There melodic ballads that would have fitted perfectly to the Monkees' Davy Jones; eg. "Happens Every Day" and "The Good Times". Donovan hippie style can be heard on the light "Love Makes the World Go Round" while "Burn Like a Candle" lyrically belongs in the more serious end.

Very evocative is the quiet "Observations From Flight 285".

The three singles "Too Much Talk," "Don’t Take it so Hard" and "Happening 68" are all strong and actually quite different. The former is a distinctly psychedlia number, "Don’t Take it so Hard" is catchy pop, while "Happening 68" is irresistible pop-soul.

All in all, a very well produced album full of fine songs where Lindsay got a very good opportunity to show his versatility as a singer and a songwriter.

A guilty pleasure filled with good tracks and a couple of outstanding ones. Overlooked jewel.