The Remains

iTunes Review

Though some critics have carelessly labeled the Remains “garage rock” on the basis of their inclusion on Lenny Kaye’s seminal Nuggets compilation, the Remains’ deeply soulful instrumental precision and deftly accessible arrangements couldn’t be further from the fuzz-laden blasts of badinage usually associated with the term. In their mid-‘60s heyday the Remains were Boston’s premier rock group, and their self-titled debut, presented here along with a grip of illuminating bonus tracks, is one of the finest full-lengths of its era. The Remains’ leader Barry X was a careful student of soul’s greatest vocalists and songwriters, as is proven by the frantic drum-break laced “Don’t Look Back” and the hoarse but soulful roar that Barry employs on his cover of Bo Diddley’s immortal “Diddy Wah Diddy.” But the Remains’ were not mere blue-eyed imitators, and their warm organ driven sound and tight Kinks-like guitar hooks make them unique amongst their contemporaries. An overlooked masterpiece, The Remains is a must for fans of hard-driving soul and frantic, pop-inflected ‘60s rock.