Beat Chic: Dream Babes Volume Seven

Beat Chic: Dream Babes Volume Seven
Reviewed by Sadie O., 8/21/07
Brit girl groups from 1963-1966 or so. Rockin’ pop, mostly danceable, often dramatic, and very often extremely reminiscent of something you can’t quite place – guess a lot of 60’s pop was maybe a bit derivative? Nah… Anyway, highly enjoyable listen throughout, with moments of pure pop brilliance. If you still have any Mary Quant makeup and fishnet stockings, now’s the time to sport em…
No FCCs – we didn’t do FCCs back then! 2 and 3 best – all good.
1. 2:09 **aggressive yet goofy little pop song about the Beatles; singer has a very odd accent.
2. 2:16 ****hyperspeed with farfisa and unusual high harmonies. A little bit country, somehow, and just absurdly fun.
3. 2:31 ****alarming male chorus, even more alarming female vocals. Bouncy, poppy – perfect.
4. 2:21 ***shit, hold on – where did I put my gogo boots? Dance number – I think you could combine the twist and the pony – with your Alabamy sister? Goodness.
5. 2:25 **midtempo and dramatic with piano and echo on the vocals. Very Leslie Gore-y.
6. 2:18 ***midtempo and squeaky, but with a bit of Bond Girl horns. Way danceable! Oooh, tell him, girl! Go on!
7. 2:44 ***rockin’, honkin’ sax, but what in the hell are they talking about? Points for bass guitar solo – 10 seconds long, but great!
8. 2:05 **harmonica and truly disturbing lyrics. Hobbies – hm.. dancing, boys, or “you”? Run screaming, potential hobby!
9. 2:59 *midtempo dramatic ballad, breathy vocals… just so weird! Damn, how did we survive the 60’s, anyway?
10. 2:03 **midtempo, Monkees guitar, harmonizing teen love-lorn chick angst. Goodness!
11. 1:54 ***great little rocker, shimmy shimmy koko bop –and Polly really DOES have a strange accent… One helluva screamer though…
12. 1:58 **cute chick cover of the Herman’s Hermits hit. Whee!
13. 2:13 ***midtempo garage rock, great music, overwrought chorus. Great twangy guitar!
14. 2:08 **Oooh, tough girl delivery (not very tough lyrics, though. Rather incongruous sax solo. God, the drama, the angst!
15. 2:22 **very British-invasion, downtempo, heartbreak in a pre-pubescent register.
16. 2:08 ***Motown-y music, but with throaty lead vocals.
17. 2:19 ***vaguely Herman’s Hermits-ish, fun vocals – very pop and lightweight, but fun.
18. 2:31 *dramatic and mod, downtempo. Rather funny vocals, totally overwrought instrumentation.
19. 2:46 *more high drama pop – about a girl with really nosy friends…
20. 2:24 ***midtempo strut, strong delivery (more teen angst), terribly emotional, too much tamborine.
21. 2:25 ****vaguely psychedelic pop, car song rhythm guitar, vocals both light and strong – nicely done. What does it MEAN, though?
22. 3:37 ***dramatic spoken Shangri-Las intro, downtempo big band Motown-style music. She can’t sing that well, but it’s a big, big song – and positively epic, at 3.5 minutes!