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(If they only had Mick - they would have out Rolling Stoned The Rolling Stones)

Of all the so-called "British Invasion" bands of the 1964-1965 period, the one that stands out as being criminally ignored by U.S. audiences would have to be The Pretty Things. They were without question one of the most raw, loud and rowdy bands of the period, which may have been the reason they weren't picked up by any labels in the States until the late 60s. Reading press reports from New Musical Express and Melody Maker, their concerts and club dates were near-riots and their personal exploits became stuff of rock n' roll legend. It was said The Rolling Stones, whom various members of The Pretty Things were associated with early on, paled by comparison. They were, above all, a huge influence on a number of blues-based bands of the period - not only The Rolling Stones, but The Yardbirds and several others.

This track, Can't Stand The Pain, epitomized who they were during those early days when I picked up one of their first eps on import "The Pretty Things On Film".

If you're not familiar with them - now's the time to get acquainted with a legend.

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(The Creation - When they said their music was red with purple flashes, they weren't kidding)

Back to the 60s tonight with the dawn of psychedelia and Freakbeat. Creation were one of the cornerstones of the wild aggressive turn pop music had taken. Along with The Who, The Creation were a totally visual and sonic experience, taking the music to a new level. Fronted by singer Kenny Pickett, with guitarist Eddie Phillips whose technique of bowing his guitar predates Jimmy Page's use of it with Led Zeppelin by a few years, the band also included such luminaries as Kim Gardner and Ronnie Wood (Rolling Stones). Gardner and Wood joined later, as did other members, but Phillips and Pickett were founding members. Their first incarnation from 1966-1967 yielded tracks like the one tonight "How Does It Feel To Feel", which was released in two different versions; one for the US and the other for the UK. The insane guitar solo is from the US version, which doesn't appear on the UK version. The band went through a quick dissolve, but resurfaced in early 1968 with new members and continued until the end of 1968. From that point on, the band has achieved legend status and has been cited by countless musicians as a pivotal influence. Their songs have been reissued several times and even their rare TV appearances have made it over to YouTube in recent months.

Definitely a band worth checking out if you've never heard them before. They came along at a time when being outrageous was a completely new concept. And they wore it incredibly well.