Girls In The Garage Volume 8＜Light Pink Vinyl＞

Like Pebbles and every other garage music series that gets beyond three volumes or so, the quality of material lowers the higher the volume numbers of Girls in the Garage, as the pool of available choices dwindles. This at least (like all Girls in the Garage installments) covers a wider scope of styles than most garage comps, from the almost Rosie & the Originals-sounding doo wop-influenced track by Shammy and the Famous Ruis Family to the pop-psychedelia of Tony & Siegrid. The best efforts are taken from a 1966 single by Merrilee Rush, future one-shot artist of "Angel of the Morning" fame, but previously the lead singer of Merrilee & the Turnabouts; these are surprisingly gutsy, both on the sullen pop number "It's Alright" and the uptempo dance tune "Party Song." A novelty worth noting is "Sock It to Me" by Judy Carne, the British actress noted for saying that phrase on the Laugh-In TV show in the late '60s. Otherwise it's just routine '60s rock on the raw side, with the Liverbirds the only act that might incite even vague recognition among collectors. ~ Richie Unterberger