

Before he became Patti Smith’s lead guitarist, Lenny Kaye compiled the two-album set Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era. Released in 1972, the two-LP set covered American garage rock and psychedelia from 1965 to 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 6/118
From: Tyler, Texas
Aphoristic Rating: 9/10
A PUBLIC EXECUTION – Mouse [2:32]
(Knox Henderson/Ronnie Weiss)
Personnel/RONNIE “MOUSE” WEISS: vocals, guitar * With THE TRAPS – HARRY “BUGS” HENDERSON: lead guitar * ROBIN HOOD BRIANS: piano * JERRY HOWELL: organ * DAVE STANLEY: bass * KEN “NARDO” MURRAY: drums
Produced by ROBIN HOOD BRIANS
Recorded in Tyler, TX
Mouse and the Traps came from Tyler, Texas. It’s known as the rose capital of the US, and as the first US city with an adopt-a-highway programme.
Mouse and the Traps surely hold the record for the longest gap between a debut single and a debut album. ‘A Public Execution’ was released in 1966 (although it was credited solely to their frontman). Their debut album, Walking in Dylan’s Shoes, was released in December 2020.
The Dylan link makes sense. ‘A Public Execution’ sounds uncannily similar to Highway 61-era Dylan. The nasal vocal, framed by swirling organ, comes straight from the mid-1960s Dylan playbook, although it’s a strong enough song to stand proudly on its own feet.
The band released enough singles to fill a compilation but never released an album in the 1960s. It’s a shame because they’re one of the stronger Nuggets bands to my ears.
The members mostly continued in music, in country and rockabilly bands. The original band reunited in 1986 during the Texas Sesquicentennial celebration – they performed at Flag Pole Hill in Dallas in front of an estimated audience of 7,000.
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Nuggets: Double Yellow Line by The Music Machine

Nuggets: Blackout of Gretely by GONN

Nuggets II: Vacuum Cleaner by Tintern Abbey

Nuggets: I Need You by The Rationals

Nuggets: Last Time Around by The Del-Vetts

Nuggets: Jack of Diamonds by The Daily Flash

Nuggets: Primitive by The Groupies

Nuggets: Voices Green and Purple by The Bees

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Nuggets: My World Fell Down by Sagittarius

Nuggets II: Real Crazy Apartment by Winston’s Fumbs

Nuggets II: Kicks and Chicks by The Zipps

Nuggets: It’s A-Happening by The Magic Mushrooms

Nuggets II: Rosalyn by The Pretty Things

Nuggets: Journey to Tyme by Kenny and the Kasuals

Nuggets: I Wonder by The Gants

Nuggets: Bad Girl by The Zakary Thaks

Nuggets II: No More Now by The Smoke

Nuggets: Double Shot (Of My Baby’s Love) by The Swingin’ Medallions

Nuggets: So What! by The Lyrics

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Nuggets: Sweet Young Thing by The Chocolate Watchband

Nuggets: Mindrocker by Fenwyck

Nuggets: The Trip by Kim Fowley

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Nuggets: Out Of Our Tree by The Wailers

Nuggets: Optical Sound by The Human Expression

Nuggets: Johnny Was A Good Boy by Mystery Trend

Nuggets: She’s My Baby by The Mojo Men

Nuggets: Romeo and Juliet by Michael and the Messengers

Nuggets: Maid of Sugar – Maid of Spice by Mouse and the Traps

Nuggets: Nobody But Me by The Human Beinz

Nuggets II: Nothin’ by Ugly Ducklings

Nuggets: At the River’s Edge by New Colony Six

Nuggets: Let It Out (Let It All Hang Out) by The Hombres

Nuggets II: Break It All by Los Shakers

Nuggets II: No Good Without You Baby by The Birds

Nuggets: (We Ain’t Got) Nothin’ Yet by the Blues Magoos

Nuggets: Get Me to the World on Time by The Electric Prunes

Nuggets: An Invitation to Cry by The Magicians

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Nuggets: I Want Candy by The Strangeloves

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Nuggets II: Pictures of Matchstick Men by The Status Quo

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Nuggets: One Track Mind by The Knickerbockers

Nuggets: Fight Fire by The Golliwogs

Nuggets: Shape of Things to Come by Max Frost & The Troopers

Nuggets: Can’t Seem To Make You Mine by The Seeds

Nuggets: Knock, Knock by The Humane Society

Nuggets: Action Woman by The Litter

Nuggets: A Question of Temperature by The Balloon Farm

Nuggets: I Live in the Springtime by The Lemon Drops

Nuggets: Stop! Get A Ticket by Clefs of Lavender Hill

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Nuggets: Incense and Peppermints by Strawberry Alarm Clock

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Nuggets: Wooly Bully by Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs

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Nuggets II: I Wish I Was Five by Scrugg

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Nuggets: Liar, Liar by The Castaways

Nuggets: Hey Joe by the Leaves

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Nuggets: Diddy Wah Diddy by Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band

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Man, that’s a great-sounding garage rocker! Based on that song, I have to agree with you it looks like a pity Mouse and the Traps didn’t release any albums in the ’60s.
I like hearing that mid-1960s Dylan sound from someone else – makes it weird that not much music really sounds like that.
That was a nice little song.
Yeah, one of the better Nuggets IMO.
This is one band I’ve never read about. Usually I at least recognize the name…but this is really cool. It does remind me of that Dylan sound…a wash of sound that doesn’t breathe.
I read this Saturday Night and checked them out. I listened to Walking in Dylan’s Shoes album…it’s not bad covers at all…I liked some other stuff by them as well.
I might post something by them as well…a song called You’re Gonna Miss Me.
I like their style.
Yeah, I guess never making a studio album makes them a bit less prestigious? Although making it onto the original 1972 Nuggets is a pretty good badge of honour. There wasn’t much about them online.
Yea the post will be small…I love bands like this with a mysterious past and maybe just bad timing.