VA - Maximum Freakbeat - An Essential 60s Compilation (1998) [Reissue 2008]

Originally released in 1998 on the Reverberation label, now reissued on CD by the Past & Present label. Catching R&B as it morphed into psychedelia, but with an angry, frantic edge, freakbeat has become one of the most avidly-collected genres in all of pop. This legendary compilation -- unavailable for years -- gathers 21 of the genre's finest examples. Britain is amply represented by legends such as Wimple Winch, The Mark Four and The Syndicats, alongside furious contributions from Iceland (Thor's Hammer), Australia (The Missing Links, The Elois), Germany (The Ricketts), Sweden (The Lee Kings) and Holland (The Motions), proving that freakbeat was a truly international phenomenon. The package comes complete with a detailed booklet offering histories and discographies of the acts involved, as well as rare pictures. Other artists include: The Red Squares, The Truth, Paul Ritchie & The Crying Shames, The Southern Sound, The Wheels, The Game, The Mascots, The Troggs, The Fairies, Allen Pound's Get Rich, and The Primitives.