Genre: pop
Rating: 2 stars **
Title: Meet the Generations Combo
Company: Justice
Catalog: JLP-158
Year: 1967
Country/State: Durham, North Carolina
Grade (cover/record): VG- / VG
Comments: clean top and bottom seam splits; inscription on front cover from keyboardist Gary Jacobs
Available: 1
GEMM catalog ID: 4983
Price: $400.00
Any self-respecting Justice fan knows what to expect from one of these albums. Basically if you're looking for musical originality or instrumental dexterity, then you're just out of luck. For better or worse, as one of the last acts to record an album for Justice (their 1967 album was the label's last official release), The Generation Combo weren't an exception to that rule.
That said, even though I'm a big Justice label fan, it took a little while for me to warm up to "Meet the The Generations Combo". Part of my problem stemmed from the fact these guys were allowed to stray from the label's patented garage band sound. Exemplified by material like 'Hold On I'm Coming' and 'It's a Man's World' their occasional forays into popular soul were slighly unnerving. For gawd's sake 'Fool In Love' and 'Searching for My Love' included female backing vocals !!! Still, low-fi garage remained the dominant genre and there were enough Justice features to make this one worth a couple of spins. At his best lead singer Tommy Parsons was competent, though on tracks like their lobotomized cover of The Left Banke's 'Walk Away Renee'' and 'Try Me' he sounded like a frog in heat. Similarly the rest of the band were only marginally proficient. Special credit to drummer John Galifinakis who may have worked his as* off to stay in tune, but couldn't find a groove to save his life. Blown notes, flubs, out of tune instruments and other missteps were rampant and on occasion you had to wonder if these guys were actually all playing the same song. Did that sound kind of harsh? Maybe, but then check out their meltdown performance on the closer 'Try Me'. You'll wonder how they managed to get through the song.
"Meet the
Generations Combo" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Hold On I'm Coming - 2:10
2.) Night Train (instrumental) - 2:15
3.) Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying - 2:40
4.) Fool In Love - 2:28
5.) This Is a Man's World - 2:31
6.) Walk Away
Renee - 2:37
(side
2)
1.) I've Been Hurt - 2:17
2.) Cleo's Mood (instrumental) - 2:21
3.) Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye - 2:35
4.) Searching for My Love - 2:12
5.) I Feel Good - 2:06
6.) Try Me - 3:05