Various - Looking Back - 80 Mod, Freakbeat and Swinging London Nuggets

a mammoth eighty-track compendium of the finest (mostly) british mod sounds of the 60s, housed in a clambox with a 48-page booklet. 'looking back' boasts a smattering of previously unissued gems from the likes of a wild uncertainty, tony rivers and the castaways, the thoughts, the trekkas and the knave. many tracks are new to cd, including nuggets from the lloyd alexander real estate (who later became audience), and soul obscurities from maynell wilson, hoagy benson and watson t. brown and explosive. 'looking back' is compiled and annotated by paul weller biographer and long-time mod observer john reed and designed by andy morten (shindig magazine, rev-ola). many of the rarities here are drawn from cult british labels such as planet, ember and chapter one. other obscurities were only issued abroad (the sorrows, the alan bown set). many of the artists, such as arthur brown and the groundhogs, went on to enjoy huge success. the valentines, for example, were fronted by a pre-ac/dc bon scott!