An incredibly hard to find relic of the
mod revival
years,
Something Old Something New Something Borrowed...
is a 13-track roundup of rarities that peaks, on side two, with a fiery live sequence that reminds listeners just how ill-suited many of these bands were to the studio environment -- and just how readily
Squire
bucked that trend. Their natural habitat remained the sweat- and beer-soaked atmosphere of a tiny club packed with parkas and Union Jacks, and the seven live songs here are delivered with a frenzy that can readily be compared to a maniacal cross between vintage
Jam
and classic
Kinks
. But the studio held no fears and, if you can image the first
Beatles
album slammed through the sound of classic
Flamin' Groovies
, with all the wide-eyed enthusiasm and tunefulness that that implies, you'll be close to capturing the sheer joy of
. Alternate versions of band favorites
"I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend"
(no relation to
the Ramones
number),
"Teenage Girl,"
"Get Ready to Go,"
and
"The Face of Youth Today"
all highlight side one, while the concert sequence hits so many peaks that it's difficult to play favorites -- 19 minutes of nonstop
mod
mayhem whose only drawback (shared with the studio side) is its somewhat weedy sound quality. Crank up the volume and beat on the bass, however, and all of
's greatest qualities still come bleeding through. And you'll be
"Walking Down the King's Road"
in no time! ~ Dave Thompson