Back from the Grave (series)

Last updated
Back from the Grave (series)
Back from the Grave logo.JPEG
Compilation album seriesby
Various Artists
Released1983–2015
Recorded1960s
Genre
Label Crypt

Back from the Grave is a series compilation albums of 1960s garage rock created and compiled by Tim Warren [1] and released by Crypt Records. The series originally consisted of eight LP records released between 1983 and 1992. Volumes seven and eight were double albums. Starting in 1994, the series was reissued on compact disc. Due to the longer playing times offered by CDs, the first seven volumes were contained on four discs, save for a few tracks that were omitted. And, while all of the songs on the first four CDs are included on first seven vinyl albums, they do not necessarily correspond to the individual LPs bearing their same titles. However, the Volume 8 CD corresponds almost directly its LP double-LP counterpart, but with the addition of four bonus tracks not included on the LP. The eight vinyl albums are titled consecutively "Back from the Grave, Volume 1, Volume 2, Volume 3, Volume 4, Volume 5, Volume 6, Volume 7, Volume 8, Volume 9, and Voume 10". In similar fashion the five CDs are titled "Back from the Grave, Volume 1, Volume 2, Volume 3, Volume 4, Volume 8, and Volumes 9 & 10" (which are both included on one CD). There are no volumes 5, 6, or 7 for the CDs. Two separate LPs for Volume 9 and 10 were released in 2015 as well one CD, released the same year, which combines Volumes 9 and 10 onto one double-length disc.

Contents

Description

The music

Unlike many garage rock compilations, the Back from the Grave series focuses exclusively on the rawer and more aggressive side of the genre. Psychedelic rock is categorically excluded. The series also includes very few pop- or folk-oriented songs. As a result, the albums are primarily populated by louder songs that are characterized by fuzztone guitars, rough vocals, and are clearly influenced by groups such as the Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds, the early Kinks, and the Pretty Things. The lyrics and performances tended to focus on anger, lust, and cheating girlfriends, matching the often chaotic music. According to the liner notes, the songs were recorded by American groups, between 1964 and 1967.

Packaging

The series tends to follow the packaging format established by the Nuggets album and the Pebbles series: each volume includes detailed liner notes that include basic information about each song and group, such as origin and recording date. However, the Back from the Grave series' liner notes are very distinct. The information that they present suggests especially thorough research, often including humorous anecdotes about the artists included, information about the circumstances of the recordings, and brief biographical sketches of the groups, in addition to more basic information. The Back from the Grave series was one of the first to actively seek out bands for this sort of information, sometimes even paying royalties to bands included in the compilations. [2] The liner notes are also notable for their distinctive style – they tend to be highly enthusiastic, full of intentional spelling errors and slang, humorous asides and tangents. They are noticeably opinionated, and often include tongue-in-cheek insults directed at psychedelic, art rock, and commercially-oriented music. [3] As a result, the notes convey a conversational tone. The albums also include photographs of the included groups, and the covers tend to elaborately drawn cartoons by Mort Todd that feature zombies (intended to personify the music found on each volume) emerging from graves and "attacking" various manifestations of the pop-and-progressive-oriented world that had come to musical prominence by the end of the 1980s, such as disco music and MTV.

Reception

Back from the Grave is considered one of the most important and influential garage rock compilations series ever assembled. Though it takes a much narrower approach to the genre, the tracks compiled on its ten volumes are considered to be of exceptionally high quality throughout. [4] Back from the Grave's influence can be seen in other series that take a similar approach to compiling garage records. [5]

Albums

LP series

CD-exclusive series (released 1996–2000)

The tracks on each of these CDs, though all featured in the LP series, did not coincide with the track listings of the individual corresponding LPs. Only the "Volume 8" CD coincides with track listing on the corresponding LP, but adds several bonus cuts. There were no volumes 5, 6, or 7 released in this sub-series.

Re-mastered CD/album series (one and two-digipacks, released 2015)

Each of these CDs contain either one or two LPs worth of material on one disc and correspond more closely to the original LPs, however there are differences. Volume 8 was not released with this sub-series, but could be considered as forming a bridge between Volume 7 and Volumes 9 & 10.

See also

Related Research Articles

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<i>Pebbles Box</i> 1987 compilation album

The Pebbles Box is a 5-LP box set of mid-1960s garage rock and psychedelic rock recordings, primarily by American bands. Several years later, a similar 5-CD box set was released that was called the Trash Box. The Pebbles Box purports to collect the first five volumes of the Pebbles series, although there are fewer songs than on the original LPs: 72 total tracks on the five discs, as compared with 86 on the original LPs. Also, as is generally true of the CD reissues of these five volumes, the tracks differ significantly on all five discs as compared to both the original Pebbles LPs and the later Pebbles CDs in the corresponding volumes; and the surf rock rarities on Pebbles, Volume 4 have been eschewed entirely.

<i>Trash Box</i> 2004 compilation album

Trash Box is a 5-CD box set of mid-1960s garage rock and psychedelic rock recordings, primarily by American bands. This box set is similar to the earlier Pebbles Box and includes almost all of the same recordings in that box set, along with numerous bonus tracks at the end of each disc. Supposedly, the Trash Box collects the first five volumes of the CDs in the Pebbles series. However, as is generally true of the CD reissues of these five volumes, the tracks differ significantly on all five discs as compared to both the original Pebbles LPs and the later Pebbles CDs in the corresponding volumes; and the surf rock rarities on Pebbles, Volume 4 have been eschewed entirely. Overall, there are 109 tracks in the box set as compared to 101 songs on the individual CDs and 72 tracks in the Pebbles Box.

Nuggets is a series of compilation albums, started by Elektra Records in 1972 and continued by Rhino Records thereafter. The series focuses primarily on relatively obscure garage and psychedelic rock songs from the 1960s, but with some hits and pop-oriented songs also included.

<i>Essential Pebbles, Volume 2</i> 1998 compilation album

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<i>Teenage Shutdown!</i> (series) 1998 compilation album series by Various Artists

Teenage Shutdown! is a series of garage rock compilation albums assembled by Tim Warren of Crypt Records, best known for his Back from the Grave series. Most of the volumes in the Teenage Shutdown! series, gravitate towards the more raw and aggressive examples of the genre, but some volumes also reflect different aspects of garage rock, such as frat rock, soul-influenced rock, as well as folk rock and psychedelic. The series currently consists of fifteen LP's and CD's, which unlike the Back from the Grave series, are identical in both formats. The first ten installments were released in 1998 and the remainder in 1999 and 2000. The first volume Jump, Jive and Harmonize, was culled from the collection of 45-rpm singles owned by Mike Markesich. The series tends to follow the packaging format employed by other garage compilation series such as Pebbles and Back from the Grave: each volume includes detailed liner notes, for this series written by Mike Markesich, which include basic information about each song and group, such as origin and recording date. The information that they present reflects thorough research, including information about the circumstances of the recordings and brief biographical sketches of the groups. The various albums in the series occasionally include photographs of groups not actually included on the track listings, sometimes even going as far as to have such bands pictured on the front sleeves. Currently, there are fifteen volumes in the series.

<i>Back from the Grave, Volume 2</i> (CD) 1996 compilation album

Back from the Grave, Volume 2 (CD) is the second installment in the Back from the Grave compact disc-exclusive series of garage rock compilations assembled by Tim Warren of Crypt Records. It was released on August 23, 1996. Its track listing differs from that of the LP version, which is part of the Back From the Grave LP-edition series, also on Crypt. In keeping with all of the entries in the series, and as indicated in the subheading which reads "Raw 'n' Crude Mid-60s Garage Punk!," this collection consists of many songs which display the rawer and more aggressive side of the genre and are often characterized by the use of fuzztone-distorted guitars and rough vocals. Accordingly, the set generally excludes psychedelic, folk rock, and pop-influenced material in favor of basic primitive rock and roll. The packaging features a booklet containing well-researched liner notes written by Tim Warren which conveys basic information about each song and group, such as origin, recording date, and biographical sketches, usually written in a conversational style that includes occasional slang, anecdotes, humorous asides.

<i>Back from the Grave, Volume 3</i> (CD) 1996 compilation album

Back from the Grave, Volume 3 (CD) is the third installment in the Back from the Grave compact disc-edition series of garage rock compilations assembled by Tim Warren of Crypt Records. It was released on August 23 1996. Its track listing differs from that of the LP version, which is part of the Back From the Grave LP-edition series, also on Crypt. In keeping with all of the entries in the series, and as indicated in the subheading which reads "Raw 'n' Crude Mid-60s Garage Punk!," this collection consists of many songs which display the rawer and more aggressive side of the genre and are often characterized by the use of fuzztone-distorted guitars and rough vocals. Accordingly, the set generally excludes psychedelic, folk rock, and pop-influenced material in favor of basic primitive rock and roll. The packaging features a booklet containing well-researched liner notes written by Tim Warren which conveys basic information about each song and group, such as origin, recording date, and biographical sketches, usually written in a conversational style that includes occasional slang, anecdotes, humorous asides. The liner notes are noticeably opinionated, sometimes engaging in tongue-in-cheek insults directed at other genres of music. The booklet also includes photographs of the bands, and the front cover features a highly satirical cartoon by Mort Todd depicting revivified "rock and roll" zombies who have just emerged from the grave to "drop in a pit" all adherents of supposedly "heretical" pop and progressive music which have come to prominence over the years.

<i>Back from the Grave, Volume 8</i> (CD) 1996 compilation album

Back from the Grave, Volume 8 (CD) is numerically, though not chronologically, the fifth installment on campact disc in the Back from the Grave series of garage rock compilations assembled by Tim Warren of Crypt Records. It was released on August 26,1996. The primary reason why there were no releases for Volumes 5, 6, and 7 in the CD-specific series, is that the track listings on the albums and CD's differed dramatically, and that most of the songs included on the first seven volumes of the LP series were configured onto the first four CDs. Making matters more complicated, Vol. 4 of the CD-specific series was actually released in 2000, four years after the release of Volume 8. In 2015, a totally new re-mastered CD series of Back from the Grave is in the process of being released, which will adhere more closely to the track listings of the LPs, and will bring the series for the first time into multi-medium coherence.

<i>Back from the Grave, Volume 1</i>

Back from the Grave, Volume 1 is the first installment in the Back from the Grave series of garage rock compilations put together by Tim Warren of Crypt Records and released in 1983 on LP. In keeping with all of the entries in the series, and as indicated in the subheading which reads "Rockin' 1966 Punkers," this collection consists of songs which display the rawer and more aggressive side of the genre and are often characterized by the use of fuzztone-distorted guitars and rough vocals. The set generally excludes psychedelic, folk rock, and pop-influenced material in favor of basic primitive rock and roll. The packaging features well-researched liner notes written by Tim Warren which convey basic information about each song and group, such as origin, recording date, and biographical sketches, usually written in a conversational style that includes occasional slang, anecdotes, humorous asides. The liner notes are noticeably opinionated, sometimes engaging in tongue-in-cheek insults directed at other genres of music. The packaging also includes photographs of the bands, and the front cover features a highly satirical cartoon by Mort Todd depicting a revivified "rock and roll" zombie who, along with his macabre cohorts, has just emerged from the grave to "bury" all specimens of supposedly "heretical" pop and progressive music which have come to prominence over the years, such as disco music and MTV.

<i>Back from the Grave, Volume 2</i>

Back from the Grave, Volume 2 is the second installment in the Back from the Grave series of garage rock compilations put together by Tim Warren of Crypt Records on LP. It was released in 1983. In keeping with all of the entries in the series, and as indicated in the subheading which reads "16 Garage Punkers," this collection consists of songs which display the rawer and more aggressive side of the genre and are often characterized by the use of fuzztone-distorted guitars and rough vocals. The set generally excludes psychedelic, folk rock, and pop-influenced material in favor of basic primitive rock and roll. The packaging features well-researched liner notes written by Tim Warren which convey basic information about each song and group, such as origin, recording date, and biographical sketches, usually written in a conversational style that includes occasional slang, anecdotes, humorous asides. The liner notes are noticeably opinionated, sometimes engaging in tongue-in-cheek insults directed at other genres of music. The packaging also includes photographs of the bands, and the front cover features a highly satirical cartoon by Mort Todd depicting revivified "rock and roll" zombies who have just emerged from the grave to "burn on a skewer" all adherents of supposedly heretical pop and progressive music which have come to prominence over the years, such as disco.

<i>Back from the Grave, Volume 3</i> (LP)

Back from the Grave, Volume 3 (LP) is the third installment in the Back from the Grave series of garage rock compilations put together by Tim Warren of Crypt Records. It was released in 1984. In keeping with all of the entries in the series, and as indicated in the subheading which reads "Mid 60s Garage Punkers," this collection consists of songs which display the rawer and more aggressive side of the genre and are often characterized by the use of fuzztone-distorted guitars and rough vocals. The set generally excludes psychedelic, folk rock, and pop-influenced material in favor of basic primitive rock and roll. The packaging features well-researched liner notes written by Tim Warren which convey basic information about each song and group, such as origin, recording date, and biographical sketches, usually written in a conversational style that includes occasional slang, anecdotes, humorous asides. The liner notes are noticeably opinionated, sometimes engaging in tongue-in-cheek insults directed at other genres of music. The packaging also includes photographs of the bands, and the front cover features a highly satirical cartoon by Mort Todd depicting revivified "rock and roll" zombies who have just emerged from the grave to "drop in a pit" all adherents of supposedly "heretical" pop and progressive music which have come to prominence over the years.

<i>Back from the Grave, Volume 4</i> (LP)

Back from the Grave, Volume 4 (LP) is the fourth installment in the Back from the Grave series of garage rock compilations assembled by Tim Warren of Crypt Records. It was released in 1984. In keeping with all of the entries in the series, and as indicated in the subheading which reads "Wild Mid-60s Garage Punk Screamers," this collection consists of songs which display the rawer and more aggressive side of the genre and are often characterized by the use of fuzztone-distorted guitars and rough vocals. The set generally excludes psychedelic, folk rock, and pop-influenced material in favor of basic primitive rock and roll. The packaging features well-researched liner notes written by Tim Warren which convey basic information about each song and group, such as origin, recording date, and biographical sketches, usually written in a conversational style that includes occasional slang, anecdotes, humorous asides. The liner notes are noticeably opinionated, sometimes engaging in tongue-in-cheek insults directed at other genres of music. The packaging also includes photographs of the bands, and the front cover features a highly satirical cartoon by Mort Todd depicting revivified "rock and roll" zombies who, on this occasion, with the help of Batman's sidekick, Robin, have taken the 1966 TV series Batmobile out for a "wild joyride" and are intent on causing as much mayhem as possible and "lassoing" unsuspecting bystanders—only on this outing, their "victims" are more "randomly selected" than as customarily portrayed on Back from the Grave sleeves.

<i>Back from the Grave, Volume 5</i>

Back from the Grave, Volume 5 is the fifth installment in the Back from the Grave series of garage rock compilations assembled by Tim Warren of Crypt Records. It was released in 1985. In keeping with all of the entries in the series, and as indicated in the subheading that reads "16 Crazed Bone Crunchin' Mid-60s Garage Punkers", this collection consists of songs which display the rawer and more aggressive side of the genre and are often characterized by the use of fuzztone-distorted guitars and rough vocals. The set generally excludes psychedelic, folk rock, and pop-influenced material in favor of basic primitive rock and roll. The packaging features well-researched liner notes written by Tim Warren which convey basic information about each song and group, such as origin, recording date, and biographical sketches, usually written in a conversational style that includes occasional slang, anecdotes, humorous asides. The liner notes are noticeably opinionated, sometimes engaging in tongue-in-cheek insults directed at other genres of music. The packaging also includes photographs of the bands, and the front cover features a highly satirical cartoon by Mort Todd which depicts revivified zombies, in customary fashion, returning to wreak havoc, this time exacting joyful revenge on whole chunks of the human race, by using a variety of noxious substances and even resorting to the nuclear option, while a handful of their victims wallow in a "hydroconformic acid hot tub."

<i>Back from the Grave, Volume 6</i>

Back from the Grave, Volume 6 (LP) is the sixth installment in the Back from the Grave series of garage rock compilations assembled by Tim Warren of Crypt Records. It was released in 1986. In keeping with all of the entries in the series, and as indicated in the subheading which reads "17 Loud Unpsychedelic Wild Mid-60s Garage Punkers," this collection generally excludes psychedelic, folk rock, and pop-influenced material in favor of basic primitive rock and roll, usually consisting of songs displaying the rawer and more aggressive side of the genre often characterized by the use of fuzztone-distorted guitars and rough vocals. The packaging features well-researched liner notes written by Tim Warren which convey basic information about each song and group, such as origin, recording date, and biographical sketches, usually written in a conversational style that includes occasional slang, anecdotes, humorous asides. The liner notes are noticeably opinionated, sometimes engaging in tongue-in-cheek insults directed at other genres of music. The packaging also includes photographs of the bands, and the front cover features a highly satirical cartoon by Mort Todd which depicts the customarily vengeful deeds of revivified zombies, but this time, in a version of the future based on a retro-vision from the past, replete with flying saucers, these defiantly "earthly" creatures have taken Crypt records' makeshift fighter-plane for a joyride into orbit for the purpose of not-so-safely depositing their "musically heterodox" victims into the outer reaches of space.

<i>Back from the Grave, Volume 9</i>

Back from the Grave, Volume 9, released on LP in 2015, is the ninth installment in the Back from the Grave series of garage rock compilations. Like all the entries in the series it was assembled by Tim Warren of Crypt Records. As indicated in the subheading which reads "Raw Blastin' Mid 60s Punk," this collection consists of many songs which display the rawer and more aggressive side of the genre and are often characterized by the use of fuzztone-distorted guitars and rough vocals. In typical fashion, the set generally excludes psychedelic, folk rock, and pop-influenced material in favor of basic primitive rock and roll.

<i>Back from the Grave, Volume 10</i>

Back from the Grave, Volume 10, released on LP in 2015, is the tenth and to this date latest installment in the Back from the Grave series of garage rock compilations. As indicated in the subheading which reads "Snarling Snotty Mid 60s Teenage Garage Punk Hoot!," this collection consists of many songs which display the rawer and more aggressive side of the genre and are often characterized by the use of fuzztone-distorted guitars and rough vocals. In typical fashion, the set generally excludes psychedelic, folk rock, and pop-influenced material in favor of basic primitive rock and roll.

<i>Last of the Garage Punk Unknowns, Volumes 1 & 2: American Teenage Garage Hoot 1965–1967</i> 2015 compilation album

Last of the Garage Punk Unknowns, Volumes 1 & 2: American Garage Teenage Hoot 1965-1967 is a compilation album of 1960s garage rock available on compact disc and is the first installment in the CD version of the Last of the Garage Punk Unknowns series created and compiled by Tim Warren for Crypt Records. It was released and 2015 and combines volumes 1 and 2 of the LP counterparts in the series. As indicated on the front sleeve, most of the songs were recorded by American groups between 1965 and 1967. Packaging includes detailed liner notes that include basic information about each song and group, such as origin and recording date. The albums also include photographs of included groups, and cover artwork reflects the mid-1960s style graphic presentation popular on record sleeves of the time.

Last of the Garage Punk Unknowns is a series compilation albums of 1960s garage rock created and compiled by Tim Warren and released by Crypt Records in 2015 and 2016. The series consists of a total of eight LP's and four CD's which each combine each of the corresponding LP's onto one compact disc. Like Crypt Records' Back from the Grave series, the Last of the Garage Punk Unknowns entries include the raw and aggressive numbers characterized by the use of fuzztone-distorted guitars and rough vocals, yet the songs tend to be more melodic and inclusive of the diversity of the genre. As indicated on the front sleeves, most of the songs were recorded by American groups, between 1965 and 1967. The series tends to follow the packaging format established by the Back from the Grave series in that each volume includes detailed liner notes that include basic information about each song and group, such as origin and recording date. The albums also include photographs of included groups, and cover artwork reflects the mid-1960s style graphic presentation popular on record sleeves of the time.

<i>Last of the Garage Punk Unknowns, Volumes 7 & 8: Heartbroken American Garage Jangle Misery 1965–1967</i> 2015 compilation album

Last of the Garage Punk Unknowns, Volumes 7 & 8: Heartbroken American Garage Jangle Misery 1965–1967 is a compilation album of 1960s garage rock available on compact disc and is part of the Last of the Garage Punk Unknowns series created and compiled by Tim Warren for Crypt Records. It was released and 2015 and combines volumes 7 and 8 of the LP counterparts in the series. Most of the set focuses on downcast and moody rock songs and ballads. Several of the tracks display folk rock influence. Packaging includes detailed liner notes that include basic information about each song and group, such as origin and recording date. The album also includes photographs of musical groups, and cover artwork reflects the mid-1960s style graphic art popular on record sleeves of the time.

References

  1. L. Jones, "Back From the Grave Compilations – Album A & E," New Musical Express, 10/10/12. http://www.nme.com/blog/index.php?blog=1&title=album_a_e_back_from_the_grave_compilatio&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1
  2. Mike Stax, Archived 2009-03-04 at the Wayback Machine Back From the Grave Volume 3 review, Ugly Things #4, 1985. Retrieved on 2009.06.18.
  3. Review of Back From the Grave Vol. 1 (CD), Turn Me On, Dead Man Archived 2012-03-21 at the Wayback Machine . Retrieved on 2011.03.12.
  4. Mike Stax, Archived 2009-03-04 at the Wayback Machine Back From the Grave Volume 8 review, Ugly Things #15. Retrieved on 2009.06.18.
  5. Ben Blackwell, Archived 2009-03-04 at the Wayback Machine Quagmire Volume 3 review, Ugly Things #22. Retrieved on 2009.06.18.