Before he became Patti Smith’s lead guitarist, Lenny Kaye compiled the 2 album set, Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era. Released in 1972, the two-LP set covered American garage rock and psychedelia from the years 1965-1968 and was a major influence on punk rock. Rhino Records reissued an expanded version of the set in 1998, with 118 tracks in total. I’m profiling and rating each of these 118 tracks, working backwards.
Track 35/118: Spazz by The Elastik Band Release Year: 1967 From: San Francisco, California Aphoristic Rating: 8/10
SPAZZ – The Elastik Band [2:45] (David Cortopassi) Personnel/DAVID CORTOPASSI * RUSSELL KERGER * RUSTY KURIG * VINCE SILVERA * SCOTT WILLIAMS Producer unknown Recording location unknown Atco single #6537 (11/67)
‘Spazz’ is probably the most controversial song on the Nuggets set. I disagree with the song’s message, but it doesn’t affect my rating of the song.
The Elastik Band’s career never took off, largely due to their first single ‘Spazz’ enduring a backlash. It’s what we’d refer to as “being cancelled” in modern terminology. The band may have some defence – the word “spazz” is apparently less offensive in the US than it is in the UK. But at the same time, it’s a mean-spirited song – in particular, the semi-intelligible first line seems to be making fun of people with disabilities.
It’s a shame because there’s a lot to like musically. It has an endearing sloppiness, and it hits a strange point between blues and psychedelia. The singer is charismatic, and the song’s main hook – “people gonna think, people gonna think, you’re spazz!” – is memorable.
The band’s career never really recovered from the controversy around ‘Spazz’. They earmarked the song ‘I Would Still Love You’ as their second single – it’s a nice tune that sounds a bit like The Left Banke or The Beatles.
But they’d signed with Universal, who had other ideas. They forced them to record a cover of the Jimmy Webb song ‘Tunesmith’, rushing their version out to compete with another band, The Bards. It was sweetened with female backing singers. The versions were released simultaneously, confusing DJs, and neither received radio play.
Graham Fyfe is probably the only music blogger to appreciate Neil Diamond and Ariana Grande. Aphoristic Album Reviews features reviews and blog posts across a growing spectrum of popular music.
7 Comments
New song for me and not one of the best in this collection.
Both songs….musically they are ahead of many of their fellow Nugget artists. They sounded really tight and professional. Yes it was mean spirited… when I was a kid I do remember many people saying “don’t spazz out” and that meant to calm down. We had no clue what it meant at that age…they should have known better though.
I know this song from a mixtape a friend made me about 20 years ago. Maybe more like 30 actually. I had no idea it was connected to Nuggets. It’s a mad mess of a tune but even with its mean unPC spirit it’s gonzoid fun.
This always seemed more like a novelty record to me than garage rock or a Nugget but I like it anyway. Thank God it was made in the 60s and not today or we never would have got to hear it cuz the Woke mob woulda come after them and strung them up or run them out of town or burned down their house or whatever they’re doing these days.
Maybe they would have just said “that’s not very nice” it’s rare the empathetic incite violent acts based on their empathy. But sure, go off.
Maybe it’s rare where you live, but any place I’ve ever lived their so-called empathy is turning every city in the country into a violent nightmare of death and destruction. All the time. And they have no problem with it.
New song for me and not one of the best in this collection.
Both songs….musically they are ahead of many of their fellow Nugget artists. They sounded really tight and professional. Yes it was mean spirited… when I was a kid I do remember many people saying “don’t spazz out” and that meant to calm down. We had no clue what it meant at that age…they should have known better though.
I know this song from a mixtape a friend made me about 20 years ago. Maybe more like 30 actually. I had no idea it was connected to Nuggets. It’s a mad mess of a tune but even with its mean unPC spirit it’s gonzoid fun.
This always seemed more like a novelty record to me than garage rock or a Nugget but I like it anyway. Thank God it was made in the 60s and not today or we never would have got to hear it cuz the Woke mob woulda come after them and strung them up or run them out of town or burned down their house or whatever they’re doing these days.
Maybe they would have just said “that’s not very nice” it’s rare the empathetic incite violent acts based on their empathy. But sure, go off.
Maybe it’s rare where you live, but any place I’ve ever lived their so-called empathy is turning every city in the country into a violent nightmare of death and destruction. All the time. And they have no problem with it.
The Woke Mob?