

Before he became Patti Smith’s lead guitarist, Lenny Kaye compiled 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 15: Psychotic Reaction by The Count Five
From: San Jose, California
Rating: 10/10
PSYCHOTIC REACTION – Count Five [2:56]
(Kenn Ellner/Roy Chaney/Byron Atkinson/John Byrne/John Michalski)
Personnel/SEAN BYRNE: vocals, guitar * JOHN “MOUSE” MICHALSKI: lead guitar * RON CHANEY: bass * CRAIG “BUTCH” ATKINSON: drums * KENN ELLNER: harmonica, vocals
Produced by JOE HOOVEN-HAL WINN
Recorded in Los Angeles, CA
Double Shot single #104 (6/66); Pop #5
‘Psychotic Reaction’ is among the most beloved garage rock songs of the 1960s. It was commemorated in Lester Bangs’ 1971 essay “Psychotic Reactions and Carburetor Dung”, notable for using the word “punk” to describe garage rock. Punk dates back to Shakespeare, but hadn’t been used to refer to music.
The Count Five formed in San Jose California. Friends John Michalski and Ron Chaney had previously played together in bands like the surf-rock outfit The Citations. They recruited Irish-born vocalist Sean Byrne. They were notable for wearing Count Dracula-style capes on stage.
The band devised ‘Psychotic Reaction’ as an instrumental. Their manager, Sol Ellner (the harmonica player’s father) suggested that Byrne write lyrics for it. Byrne was inspired by a college health education lecture, filching the name ‘Psychotic Reaction’ for the song.
It’s a garage rock classic, with a great hook and fuzzy guitar riff. It’s unusual for a band to have a full-time harmonica player, but it works here, adding some tunefulness to offset the distorted guitar.
The Count Five made an album, also titled Psychotic Reaction. But they never recaptured the same success and broke up in 1969.
Read More
- Psychotic Reaction on Powerpop.blog
- Nuggets Song by Song
- 1960s Album Reviews
More Nuggets
Nuggets II: One Third by The Majority

Nuggets: Steppin’ Out by Paul Revere & the Raiders

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

Nuggets II: It’s My Fault by The Rattles

Nuggets II: Slaves Time by The Slaves

Nuggets: The Witch by The Sonics

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

Nuggets: Laugh, Laugh by The Beau Brummels

Nuggets: I See the Light by The Five Americans

Nuggets: Complication by The Monks

Nuggets II: Come On by The Atlantics

Nuggets II: Vacuum Cleaner by Tintern Abbey

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

Nuggets: My World Fell Down by Sagittarius

Nuggets: Romeo and Juliet by Michael and the Messengers

Nuggets: Knock, Knock by The Humane Society

Nuggets: Are You Gonna Be There (At The Love In) by The Chocolate Watchband

Nuggets: No Time Like The Right Time by The Blues Project

Nuggets: Run, Run, Run by The Gestures

Nuggets: Strychnine by The Sonics

Nuggets: You Must Be A Witch by The Lollipop Shoppe

Nuggets II: Break It All by Los Shakers

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

Nuggets: Louie Louie by The Kingsmen

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

Nuggets II: Why Don’t You Smile Now by Downliners Sect

Nuggets: Dirty Water by The Standells

Nuggets: Little Girl by Syndicate of Sound

Nuggets: I’m Five Years Ahead of My Time by The Third Bardo

Nuggets II: The Madman Running Through The Fields by Dantalian’s Chariot

Nuggets: Sometimes Good Guys Don’t Wear White by The Standells

Nuggets: Pushin’ Too Hard by The Seeds

10 Best Songs on the Nuggets Boxset

Nuggets: Put the Clock Back on the Wall by The E-Types

Nuggets: Last Time Around by The Del-Vetts

Nuggets: Primitive by The Groupies

Nuggets: Little Bit O’Soul by The Music Explosion

Nuggets: Open My Eyes by Nazz

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

Nuggets: Bad Little Woman by The Shadows of Knight

Nuggets: (Would I Still Be) Her Big Man by The Brigands

Nuggets II: Touch by The Outsiders

Nuggets: Nobody But Me by The Human Beinz

Nuggets: Who Do You Love by The Woolies

Nuggets: Let’s Talk About Girls by The Chocolate Watchband

Nuggets: Talk Talk by The Music Machine

Nuggets: I’m Gonna Make You Mine by The Shadows of Knight

Nuggets II: Pictures of Matchstick Men by The Status Quo

Nuggets II: Dance Around the Maypole by Acid Gallery

Nuggets: Why Do I Cry by The Remains

Nuggets: Open Up Your Door by Richard & the Young Lions

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

Nuggets: The Little Black Egg by The Nightcrawlers

Nuggets: Blue's Theme by Davie Allan & the Arrows

Nuggets: Spazz by The Elastik Band

Nuggets II: Sad by The (Australian) Playboys

Nuggets: Just Like Me by Paul Revere & the Raiders

Nuggets: Hey Joe by the Leaves

Nuggets: Too Many People by The Leaves

Sugar and Spice by The Cryan’ Shames

Nuggets: Respect by The Vagrants

Nuggets: Mr. Pharmacist by The Other Half

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

Nuggets: Incense and Peppermints by Strawberry Alarm Clock

Nuggets: Journey To The Center Of The Mind by The Amboy Dukes

Nuggets II: Glendora by Downliners Sect

Nuggets: You’re Gonna Miss Me by The 13th Floor Elevators

Nuggets: She’s About A Mover by Sir Douglas Quintet

Nuggets: Time Won’t Let Me by The Outsiders

Nuggets II: No Presents For Me by The Pandamonium

Nuggets: Going All the Way by The Squires

Nuggets: Johnny Was A Good Boy by Mystery Trend

Nuggets: I Wonder by The Gants

Nuggets II: No More Now by The Smoke

Nuggets: Sit Down, I Think I Love You by The Mojo Men

Nuggets: Psychotic Reaction by Count Five

Nuggets: It’s Cold Outside by The Choir

Nuggets: Voices Green and Purple by The Bees

Nuggets: What Am I Going to Do? by The Dovers

Nuggets: Action Woman by The Litter

Nuggets: Bad Girl by The Zakary Thaks

Nuggets: Hold Me Now by The Rumors

Nuggets: Beg, Borrow, And Steal by The Rare Breed

Nuggets: No Friend of Mine by The Sparkles

Nuggets II: You Can Be My Baby by The Red Squares

Nuggets II: How Does It Feel to Feel by The Creation

Nuggets: Are You A Boy Or Are You A Girl by The Barbarians

Nuggets II: I’m Your Witchdoctor by Chants R&B

Nuggets II: I’m Just A Mops by The Mops

Nuggets: Lies by The Knickerbockers

Nuggets: Blackout of Gretely by GONN

Nuggets: Love's Gone Bad by The Underdogs

Nuggets: Outside Chance by The Turtles

Nuggets: The Trip by Kim Fowley

Nuggets: Liar, Liar by The Castaways

Nuggets: Moulty by The Barbarians

Nuggets: Farmer John by The Premiers

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

Nuggets: I Think I’m Down by the Harbinger Complex

Nuggets: I Want Candy by The Strangeloves

Nuggets II: The Train to Disaster by The Voice

Nuggets: One Track Mind by The Knickerbockers

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

Nuggets: Don’t Look Back by The Remains

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

Nuggets II: My Life by Thor’s Hammer

Nuggets II: Nothin’ by Ugly Ducklings

Nuggets: Sweet Young Thing by The Chocolate Watchband

Nuggets II: Rosalyn by The Pretty Things

Nuggets II: When The Alarm Clock Rings by the Blossom Toes

Nuggets: I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night) by The Electric Prunes

Nuggets: Double Yellow Line by The Music Machine

Nuggets: Tobacco Road by Blues Magoos

Nuggets: Out Of Our Tree by The Wailers

Nuggets II: But You’ll Never Do It, Babe by The Boots

Nuggets: A Public Execution by Mouse

Nuggets: Run, Run, Run by The Third Rail

Nuggets: I Ain’t No Miracle Worker by The Brogues

Nuggets II: Flight from Ashiya by Kaleidoscope

Nuggets: Optical Sound by The Human Expression

Nuggets II: Bat Macumba by Os Mutantes

Nuggets II: Bad Little Woman by The Wheels

Nuggets: 7 and 7 Is by Love

Nuggets: Fight Fire by The Golliwogs

Nuggets II: Get Yourself Home by The Fairies

Nuggets: You Burn Me Up and Down by We The People

Nuggets: Why Pick On Me by The Standells

Nuggets II: Real Crazy Apartment by Winston’s Fumbs

Nuggets: So What! by The Lyrics

Nuggets II: No Good Without You Baby by The Birds

Nuggets: Jack of Diamonds by The Daily Flash

Nuggets: I Need You by The Rationals

Nuggets: Follow Me by Lyme & Cybelle

Nuggets: Live by The Merry-Go-Round

Nuggets: Story of My Life by The Unrelated Segments

Nuggets: Falling Sugar by The Palace Guard

Nuggets: A Question of Temperature by The Balloon Farm

Baby, Please Don’t Go by The Amboy Dukes

Nuggets: I Live in the Springtime by The Lemon Drops

Nuggets: Wooly Bully by Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs

Nuggets: Mindrocker by Fenwyck

Nuggets: An Invitation to Cry by The Magicians

Nuggets: Oh Yeah by The Shadows of Knight

Nuggets: You Ain’t Tuff by The Uniques

Nuggets II: Kicks and Chicks by The Zipps

Nuggets: Psycho by The Sonics

Nuggets II: The Bitter Thoughts Of Little Jane by Timon

Nuggets: She’s My Baby by The Mojo Men

Nuggets: Mirror Of Your Mind by We The People

Nuggets II: I Wish I Was Five by Scrugg

Nuggets II: Here Come the Nice by The Small Faces

Nuggets: Codine by The Charlatans

Nuggets: Journey to Tyme by Kenny and the Kasuals

Nuggets: Night Time by The Strangeloves

9 Comments
Leave a ReplyCancel reply
Read about the discographies of musical acts from the 1960s to the present day. Browse this site's review archives or enjoy these random selections:
More review pages
Marshall Crenshaw Album Reviews
1980s
Punk and New Wave Miscellany
1970s - Punk and New Wave
Sandy Denny Album Reviews
1970s

Lorde Album Reviews
2010s,New Zealand
I add new blog posts to this website every week. Browse the archives or enjoy these random selections:
More blog posts
Great B-Sides: Urge For Going by Joni Mitchell
1970s,Great B-Sides,Song of the Week
Natalie Merchant and 10,000 Maniacs Albums Ranked
1980s,1990s,Album Rankings
Fever by Carly Rae Jepsen: Great B-Sides
2010s,Great B-Sides,Song of the Week
The New Pornographers' Albums: Ranked from Worst to Best
2000s,2010s,Album Rankings
10 Best Elton John Songs
1970s,Song Lists,The Ten Best Songs By...
Great B-Sides: This Christmas by Shoes
Great B-Sides,Song of the Week
Subscribe
Subscribe to receive new posts from Aphoristic Album Reviews.









This is one of my favorites off of the Nuggets collection. This song could be a definition of what a garage band is/was. I love the video as well. I have to wonder where those girls are at now.
Yup, one of the most garage rock songs on the album. Some of the girls could be in an aged care facility by this point….
That is sad to think about!
They sounded pretty cool.
Yup, it’s a garage rock clasic.
I loved this song from my hometown band (though being only 11 years old at the time, I wasn’t aware they were from San Jose).
Second Nuggets band from San Jose right – also Syndicate of Sound.
I don’t know if you’re an NBA fan, but Aaron Gordon of the Denver Nuggets is also from San Jose.
Cool track. Don’t know if I’m sold on that harmonica part, but I like most everything else. Especially the hyponotic bassline. So many songs on the Nuggets collection have good bass parts. They used to give it more space in the mix back in the 60s. Maybe because it was harder to record it in that era? Most places didn’t have or use DIs back then.
That sound like a good theory about the lack of DIs giving the bass more prominence.