Max Frost And The Troopers - Shape Of Things To Come 1968-69 (Deluxe Edition) (2014)

A surprisingly vital slice of pop/psychedelia… considering the fact that Max Frost & The Troopers were a fictional band comprised of studio musicians (under the direction of Mike Curb Productions) and created for the anti-authoritarian 60s generation flick, Wild In The Streets. Besides some well-written psych/pop numbers – and one genuine classic, Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil’s “Shape Of Things To Come” (partly performed by garage greats, Davie Allan and The Arrows) – this set boasts a slew of bonus tracks from the official Wild In The Streets soundtrack, mostly written by Mann & Weil, though Les Baxter does a great job on a couple of wildly psychedelic atmospheric tracks, “Shelly In Camp” and “Psychedelic Senate” – which could be mistaken for a Jefferson Airplane outtake. Other tracks might trigger other connections, like the near-sunshine pop of “A Change Is Gonna Come,” that could pass for Strawberry Alarm Clock, or the Monkees-like pro backing track vibe that surfaces on occasion. Curiously, there are a number of ancient “Max Frost” 45s that don’t appear here at all, including “There’s A Party Going On,” “You Might Want Me Baby,” “Sittin’ In Circles,” “Max Frost Theme” and “Stomper’s Ride.” Presumably an issue of lost masters, though, that’s just a wild guess. There’s also a curious 1969 Max Frost b-side, “Paxton Quigley’s Had The Course,” which was written by Chad and Jeremy (and also appeared on another soundtrack altogether, 3 In The Attic). It stands out like a sore thumb for its top-notch pop quality. On first hearing it, I thought it was Chad and Jeremy, until I compared it with their version (found as a bonus track on The Ark, HERE in the archives). Another sore thumb is the embarrassingly bad Mann/Weil tune, “Fourteen Or Fight,” which is so horribly clichéd it’s no wonder the younger generation’s ideals never took off. The remastering here is bright and alive, revealing sounds and nuance I never heard on any vinyl or Mp3 rips, so it’s highly recommended, if a bit disorienting.