This UK, Chatham, Kent-based band were originally conceived in the late 70s by the Pop Rivets roadies Mickey Hampshire and Banana Bertie as Mickey And The Milkshakes. Often appearing on the same circuit as fellow Medway town bands the Dentists and the Prisoners, they performed as a "psychobilly" outfit, supporting the Pop Rivets from time to time with Wreckless Eric cover versions. Pop Rivets leader Billy Childish then began writing with Hampshire and in 1980 formed a new version of Mickey And The Milkshakes. Eventually settling on a line-up of Childish and Hampshire (guitars, vocals), Russ Wilkins (bass) and Bruce Brand (drums), they started recording a string of albums featuring various R&B classics plus original material. After the first album they truncated their name. Later on, when John Agnew replaced Wilkins, they began to refer to themselves as Thee Milkshakes. In addition to their normal activities of gigging and recording, they also acted as the backing band to an all-girl vocal trio called the Delmonas. As prolific releasers of album material, The(e) Milkshakes were only modestly successful with singles, achieving two UK Independent Top 20 hits with "Brand New Cadillac" (1984) and "Ambassadors Of Love" (1985). The band split in 1984 (although Milkshake material continued to be released long after), with Childish going on to form the equally productive Thee Mighty Caesars.
In the glut of grungy power pop bands that flooded the mid-'90s, it was pretty easy to write off Superdrag as "just another rock band." The difference is that Superdrag is essentially a pop band, as Regretfully Yours proves. While the band's sound itself is nothing terribly exciting, most of the songwriting lives up to the promise of the album's saccharine-rush single, "Sucked Out" -- full of hooks and tightly constructed. This is somewhat surprising, considering the album was the band's first for a major audience, and the norm of the time period was for producers and labels to reduce every rock band to a Seattle clone. Regretfully Yours will certainly satisfy the pop/rock and pop-punk crowds.
Web of Sound by the Seeds should be a garage rock classic. Everything about this record is superb '60s underground rock, from the cover concept (by band leader Sky Saxon) of the four musicians trapped in a spider's web to the back cover black and whites, and the bizzaro liner notes by producer Marcus Tybalt, who also penned a couple of tunes here. Unlike other albums by the Seeds, nothing on here sounds like their hit "Pushin' Too Hard," and that is a plus; not because that inverted Kinks riff isn't great -- it is, but Saxon had a penchant for trying to recapture that original butterfly. The six songs on side one are fun punk rock that helped inspire the new wave of the late '70s. But it is side two, with its four-minute "Just Let Go" and the fuzz pop of Saxon's "Up in Her Room," that cuts across '60s boundaries. Where "In a Gadda Da Vida" needed more melody and lyrics and Rare Earth's long version of "Get Ready" has too much drum solo, the Seeds take Van Morrison's then-censored Them hit, "Gloria," and kind of explain what happens once Saxon gets her up there, "making love in her room." The keyboards and Rolling Stones-wannabe blues guitar build a nice foundation for the fuzztone that follows Saxon as he keeps repeating the title of the song. He seems to be parodying the Beau Brummels, the Shadows of Night, and Them, all who preceded the Seeds by a year or two. The funny thing is, although the riff to "Pushin' Too Hard" is missing from this album, the melody to "Up In Her Room" is "Pushin' Too Hard." "Up in Her Room" has a fabulous '60s organ like ? & the Mysterians, and exactly like the fuzz organ in the middle of the Velvet Underground's similar epic, "Sister Ray," even ending with the same vamp as "White Light/White Heat," the title track of the album where "Sister Ray" made her debut. Saxon was clearly aware of what other people were doing at the time and A Web of Sound stands as a superior garage rock effort. It is just too bad tunes like "The Farmer," "Just Let Go," and "Tripmaker" didn't have the Top 40 charm of, say, Paul Revere & the Raiders' "Just Like Me" or "Kicks." The inclusion of a hit on that scale would have opened up many minds to the lunacy of the Seeds' "Pictures and Designs," with Saxon's growl that Iggy Pop copped so wonderfully. By drawing from the elements that made Moulty & the Barbarians, the Leaves, and Them so charming, A Web of Sound gave direction to the Stooges, Alice Cooper, and other acts who took it all a few steps further. Saxon does it all with great flair here, aided and abetted by organ and guitar sounds in "I Tell Myself" that imitators have not been able to accurately duplicate.
(AMG)
Tracks 01 Mr. Farmer 2:58 02 Pictures and Designs 2:40 03 Tripmaker 2:40 04 I Tell Myself 2:25 05 A Faded Picture 5:14 06 Rollin' Machine 2:28 07 Just Let Go 4:04 08 Up in Her Room 14:27
For a band that scored two major hit singles in their first year as recording artists, the Electric Prunes were given precious little respect by their record label, Reprise Records; the group was allowed to perform a mere two original tunes on their debut album I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night), and when their second, Underground, didn't sell, they became glorified session men under composer and arranger David Axelrod on Mass in F Minor. When the Prunes couldn't play Axelrod's charts to his satisfaction, they were replaced by session men, and the original bandmembers weren't even invited to participate on two "Electric Prunes" albums later released by Reprise, Release of an Oath and Just Good Old Rock and Roll. Despite it all, the Electric Prunes' best work is still the stuff of legend among garage rock enthusiasts, and with good reason -- the freaked-out, fuzz-enhanced guitar lineup of Ken Williams, Jim Lowe and Weasel Spagnola created a wild and distinctive sound most of their peers would envy, and they fused the energy of the garage generation and the sonic experimentation of the burgeoning psychedelic scene with a skill few have matched before or since. Reprise finally gives the genuine Electric Prunes the tribute they deserve with Too Much to Dream -- Original Group Recordings: Reprise 1966-1967, a two-disc set that features the albums I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night) and Underground in their entirety, as well as handful of non-LP singles, unreleased tracks and monophonic mixes. Disc one, featuring the debut album, is more enjoyable, featuring the group's biggest hits and most memorable tunes, but Underground suggests the real tragedy that the Prunes were not allowed to follow their own muse in the studio again -- the group sounds tighter, more creatively unified and more mature onUnderground, and it's not hard to imagine they could have had several more fine albums in them if they'd had the chance to chart their own path. As it is, this set collects some superb and atypical '60s garage stuff, the bonus material is solid and intriguing if not always revelatory, Jim Lowe and Mark Tulin tell the band's story in the thick liner booklet, and the Prunes' famous radio ad for Vox wah-wah pedals even makes the cut. This is a first-rate anthology from a wildly underrated band, and folks with a jones for mid-'60s rock will want to find room for this in their collections.
The Count Five was a 1960s garage rock band from San Jose, California, best known for their Top 10 single "Psychotic Reaction".
The band was founded in 1964 by John "Mouse" Michalski (born 1948, Cleveland, Ohio) (lead guitar) and Roy Chaney (born 1948, Indianapolis, Indiana) took over bass duties, two high school friends who had previously played in several short-lived outfits. After going shortly under the name The Squires, and several line-up changes later, the Count Five were born. John "Sean" Byrne (born 1947, Dublin, Ireland) played rhythm guitar and lead vocals, and Craig "Butch" Atkinson (born 1947, San Jose, California) played drums. The Count Five gained distinction for their habit of wearing Count Dracula-style capes when playing live.
"Psychotic Reaction", an acknowledged cornerstone of garage rock, was initially devised by Byrne, with the group refining it and turning it into the highlight of their live sets. The song was influenced by the style of contemporary musicians such as The Standells and The Yardbirds. The band members were rejected by several record labels before they got signed to the Los Angeles-based Double Shot Records. "Psychotic Reaction" was released as a single, peaking at #5 in the U.S. charts in late 1966. The band got along for about another year, but dropped out of view altogether when their only hit had fallen from public memory. Another setback to a potential career in the music business was the decision of the five members (who were between the ages of 17 and 19) to pursue college degrees.
By 1969, the Count Five had broken up, but their memory was immortalized in a 1972 essay by rock journalist Lester Bangs, entitled "Psychotic Reactions and Carburetor Dung." In the essay, Bangs credited the band for having released several albums — Carburetor Dung, Cartesian Jetstream, Ancient Lace and Wrought-Iron Railings, and Snowflakes Falling On the International Dateline — that displayed an increasing sense of artistry and refinement. However, none of these albums actually existed, except in Bangs' own imagination.
The Count Five reunited only once, when they performed a concert in 1987 at a club in Santa Clara, California called "One Step Beyond". This performance has been released as Psychotic Reaction Live.
The song "Psychotic Reaction" can be heard playing on the jukebox in an early scene in Wim Wenders' filmAlice in the Cities (1974).
Craig Atkinson died on October 13, 1998 and John "Sean" Byrne died on December 15, 2008. Roy Chaney formed a new band in the 1990s called The Count (with Byrne and drummer Rocco Astrella, who played in the last version of the original group). The Count released their debut CD, Can't Sleep, in 2002. In 2006 they were inaugurated as one of the first into the San Jose Rock Hall of Fame. (From Wikipedia)
The Chocolate Watchband, was a psychedelic rock and garage rock band formed in San Jose, California in 1965.[1] The band had finally broken up indefinitely by 1970 but then reunited in 1999 at a 66/99 show Mike Stax organized in San Diego. They continue to play today at garage rock shows in Europe as well as the States with Little Steven and the Electric Prunes. The band's music was largely described as a blend of 1960s-style garage rock with a distinguishable rolling San Francisco Sound. The group's early music appeared to contain blues influences, and later it developed psychedelic elements through use of instrumental experimentation. Ed Cobb was well-known as their producer. The band also appeared in the 1967 film Riot on Sunset Strip and the 1968 film "The Love Ins".
2011 has been an excellent year for Power Pop releases, there is no top 100, 50, 25 or 10 here, 2011 has been a great year for Power Pop, there have been loads and loads of great releases, but the one stand out album of the year, which I know has taken blood, passion, pain and tears to produce.....and it didn't just stop at an album, no, there was a fantastic film to accompany it as well! Ladies and gentleman I give you.............................................
THE TURNBACK - DRAWN IN CHALK.
A debut album to accompany a wonderful, moving film with the title "Drawing In Chalk", a film that will resonate with anyone who has ever tried....and failed, it is a little bit me and a little bit you, a little bit of each and everyone one of us, it is real life, and the soundtrack album is brilliant, a perfect piece of Power Pop with tunes to get your blood pumping, your heart pounding and your feet tapping, check the album out and also check the film out.....you are not the only one that has ever failed, but you will also discover that you can achieve if you believe!
Many congratulations to The Turnback, thank you for such an inspiring album and film, we at "Ice Cream Man Power Pop and More" look forward to hearing more from you in the coming year!
You can buy the album here: Here and you can get the film: Here
Hot on the heels of Alive's first-ever formal reissue of the Nerves EP and a rare live set, comes this volume of demos cut by Peter Case and Paul Collins in between the demise of the Nerves and the formation of their respective bands, the Plimsouls and the Beat. As with the Nerves, Collins started out on drums and Case on bass, with various guitarists pressed into action for cassette- and home-made reel-to-reel recording sessions. Case and Collins handled the vocals and eventually took on guitar duties as well. The recordings vary in quality, but the enthusiasm of power-pop pals playing and singing their hearts out easily transcends moments of mono muddiness and under-mixed vocals.
The thirteen songs include a few that had been recorded by the Nerves such as "One Way Ticket" and "Working Too Hard," as well as originals that would become staples for the Plimsouls ("Everyday Things") and Beat ("I Don't Fit In," "Let Me Into Your Life," "USA" and "Walking Out on Love"). Even more interesting to fans are the originals that didn't make it past these rough demos. "Radio Station" features the deep reverb guitar and impassioned vocal Case would perfect with the Plimsouls, "Will You Come Through?" has the ringing guitar of a P.F. Sloan folk rocker, and "House on the Hill" shows off Case's rock `n' soul sound.
“They could've been contenders had they stayed together long enough, but the Nerves, despite their brief existence, were one of the most exciting bands in power pop. Formed by Jack Lee, Peter Case, and Paul Collins in 1975, their career was over by 1978, but they produced a great EP that featured the power pop classic "Hanging on the Telephone," which was later recorded (and wonderfully so) by Blondie. Ultimately, having three talented songwriters in one band hurried the demise of the Nerves, and all three principals found greater happiness and success with their new bands; although Jack Lee (arguably the most talented songwriter of the three) had the shortest career and eventually dropped out of sight after a fine solo record (Jack Lee's Greatest Hits, Vol. 1) in 1981. Case went on to form the Plimsouls, who recorded two good records and a transcendent pop song, "A Million Miles Away." After breaking up in 1984, Case recorded as a roots rock solo act for the rest of the decade and into the '90s. Collins formed the Beat (later Paul Collins' Beat), who were merely OK, and has done little since the mid-'80s.” (From AllMusicGuide).
Another great band from Spain, playing Psyche, Garage, Freakbeat sounds. I am unable to find out much more information about them, but you can download all their songs for free over at bandcamp.
Volume 1 in the series, filled with more great sixties garage punk, these albums along with the High's In The Mid Sixties set are absolutely indispensable to the garage connoisseur!
“In later years, the Chords were often cursorily dismissed as little more than Jam copyists, and while there's no denying that the two groups travelled in very similar musical waters, both drawing from the British beat and Northern soul that filled their youths and sending it soaring through the prism of punk, it's there that the comparisons end. While Paul Weller coyly played footsy with both the punk and mod scenes, refusing to commit to either, there was no doubt that his soul lay with the latter, and regardless of the trio's aggressive punk-fueled delivery, his lyrics lacked punk's burning fury. Regardless of the class warfare related in "Eton Rifles," the racism reflected in "Down in the Tube Station," or the alienation of "Strange Town," no matter his country's evident flaws (and Weller etched them vividly), he still couldn't shake his love of his homeland and optimistic hope that her problems would eventually be solved. Guitarist and songwriter Chris Pope refused to see the world through the Jam's English rose-colored glasses, turning his own equally eloquent pen to scathing vignettes virtually the flip of Weller's own. In this respect, the Jam comparisons are red herrings, for if anything, Pope played the snottier, rebellious younger brother to Weller's more respectful good son.
This was apparent from the start with the Chords' debut 45, "Now It's Gone," where the group's dream of love is trampled underfoot, and driven home by its follow-up, "Maybe Tomorrow," which firmly puts the boot into the Jam's sanguine vision of Britain and turns it into a fascist horror. That single would kick off the group's sole album, So Far Away, 12 fierce tracks that defined mod's potential as punk's successor. Filled with fire and fury, the set skips from affairs of the heart to the pitiful state of the nation. Musically it's a revelation; the band's two guitarists give the group much more scope for aural assault than a trio, and with a much more aggressive rhythm section in tow, Far is as vociferous as many of its punk contemporaries. In fact, reviews threw bands like the Buzzcocks and the Undertones into the brew of the Chords' notable inspirations. For while the Chords' melodies were shaped by the '60s, their delivery was forged in punk, with even Sham 69's anthemic stomp stirred into the mix.” (From AllMusicGuide).
Velvet Crush's first and best album was mistakenly lumped in with the then- predominant shoegazer aesthetic upon its release in 1991, thanks to its British release on the shoegazer-central Creation label and the occasional washes of sparkly electric feedback and creamy-smooth harmonies that settle over some of the songs. However, this album, produced by the band and Matthew Sweet (who also added lead guitar and harmonies), is actually a straight-up piece of '90s power pop. Considerably more electric and driving than Paul Chastain and Ric Menck's '80s recordings under a variety of band names (collected on the albums Hey Wimpus! and The Ballad of Ric Menck), thanks in large part to the contributions of guitarist Jeffrey Borchardt (confusingly known as Jeffrey Underhill when leading his own concurrent band Honeybunch) and Sweet, In the Presence of Greatness sounds like Big Star's #1 Record updated for a new decade. The general air of mildly anguished wistfulness is the same, as are the jangly guitars and high harmonies, but Velvet Crush plays with a post-punk sprightliness and a less overtly British Invasion-inspired melodic sense. -
Back in Mid October I travelled back home to the UK to visit family, when I make these trips home I try to combine them with some live music and this time it was the brilliant The Len Price 3 who always put on a great show, however, I was not prepared to be equally blown away by the brilliant act opening for them and they came in the form of The Past Tense.
The Past Tense are a Mod/Power Pop band from Worcester Park in Surrey, they put on a fantastic live show, filled with an energy more suited to a band of twenty somethings, which by their own admission, they are not! This makes no difference whatsoever to the show, it is great!
After the show I met Andy (vocals) and he very kindly bestowed upon me the bands two CD singles.
After returning home I found myself playing the singles on constant repeat and wondered what else the band had planned, so I got in touch with Andy and had a chat.
The Past Tense are: Andy - Guitar/Vocals Ken - Bass/Vocals/Keys and Nuts (Warren) - Drums.
ICM: The band have known each other since school, is this the first band the three of you have played together in?
Andy: Oh no,warren (drummer) and me were in "No Control" a two piece punk band at school, Ken joined later ,in the "Hideous Mushrooms!" It was the early 80's and the threat of war was real in our eyes. Warren and I are original members of the Anarcho Punk band "Lost Cherrees" we had a real blast for 4 years releasing records and being played by John Peel on a couple of occasions, this list goes on throughout the 80's and 90's in various bands with the same core, namely Warren ,Ken and I.
ICM: So when did you get together as we know you today, The Past Tense, and why the change in musical direction from that of Anarcho Punk?
ANDY: The Past Tense was originally just Ken and I, we always had a love for all types of music and from early 2004 we found ourselves going to lots of Garage/mod gigs at The Dirty Water Club ,The Solarflares in particular,as I never saw the Prisoners in their day and they are a big influence along with Billy Childish, Armitage Shanks and The Stabilisers. We saw the Secret Affair reunion in 2002 and were totally blown away by the music and the really nice people we met .This influence along with other revival bands grew over the next 5/6 years,Squire are a big favourite along with the Purple Hearts.
We just wanted to do a bunch of songs that showed our love for garage/mod/powerpop whatever you want to call it. we had our first rehearsal /jam around Christmas 2009!
ICM: You very kindly gave me a couple of CD's when we met, how do you find the process of making and releasing music now as opposed to back in the "Lost Cherrees" days, is it easier or harder now for bands?
Andy: We are in a really great position,thanks to Warren. He has a little studio in his basement, so we rehearse and record everything there, there is no outlay for the band so it's real easy to put our stuff onto cd. Back in the early 80's The Lost Cherrees rehearsed in member, Steve's (bass) garage, much to the annoyance of the neighbours, but it was Punk rock! We were also very priviliged to know some big players in the scene, Subhumans and Confilct to name the two main bands who we associated with and Riot/Clone who gave us our first gig and put out our first 7inch EP.
ICM: You have just recorded your debut album, was this recorded in Warrens studio?
Andy: Yes, all the way, we just wouldn't be able to put it out if it wasn't for the basement!
ICM: How are you planning to release the album, CD, Vinyl, Digital and when can we expect it?
Andy: Well, originally we were just going to do it D.I.Y in the true spirit of independence, but we may have a certain, well known small independent, mod revival label interested in a short run release on CD. Nothing solid as of yet but it is very promising. We hope to have it out there by March if at all possible. Fingers crossed!
ICM: You have just had a track released on the excellent, "Keep Off the Grass" compilation of Psycahdelic type songs, can you tell me a bit more about that?
Andy: Yes, it's been released by Fruits De Mer, a brilliant collectable label who have released an amazing collection of Psychedelic type records, vinyl only releases. This one amazingly sold out in two weeks, so its rare already. Our track is a cover of The Good Feelin's - Shattered, an amazing track from the 60's which I have kept in my head for many years and by a stroke of luck I found it on an old compilation tape early this year, so I suggested the band do a cover of it and because Ken is an avid collector of the label he decided to send it to them to see if they would be interested in a release. Yes, was the answer and so its now out and we are really chuffed to bits to be on such a great compilation.
ICM; Back to your own album, the two Cds I have, The Optimist and Wolfman are slightly different in as much as Wolfman is more 60's Garage and The Optimist is a bit more Mod Revival/Power Pop, what can we expect from the album?
Andy: Exactly the same, there are six power pop/mod tracks and six garage/60"s. If you look at the cover for The Optimist there is the negative of the front cover photo on the reverse, this might be a theme for the album, the two sides of The Past Tense!
ICM: Now, I know you guys really love playing live, what have you got planned in the way of gigs to promote the album when it comes out?
Andy: We are going to look at this over Christmas, get the feelers out there a bit, we might possibly be working with "Heavy Ears Promotions" in the new year, so some mod type gigs happening there, we are going to keep in touch with the garage crowd as well, we also have a regular gig in Kingston every couple of months with the mighty "Witchdoktors;" which is always a good night, hopefully The Fallen Leaves will play the next one too.
Playing live is where it all happens for us, we do not confess to being polished musicians, but personally i try to put as much into a live performance as I can, sometimes it is bloody hard trying to sing and play guitar at the same time, but you'll always get passion and honesty at our gigs!
ICM: Is there anything else you would like to tell us?
Andy: Could I just say thanks to all the people who so far have encouraged us by giving sound advice and support, there are too many to name them all but Joel Rodgers, Dan (Fiddlers elbow) Albert, Carl, Paul Manchester, also to the excellent friends we have made from bands like Len Price 3 (top blokes), The fallen leaves ,Long Tall shorty, Pope, Steve Diggle and Mr Bridger.
Ice Cream Man Power Pop and More would like to thank Andy for taking the time to talk to us and wish himself and the band, the very best of luck with the album release, we really look forward to hearing it.
Listen to more of The Past Tense here: The Past Tense four four (You can also purchase the excellent "The Optimist" and "Wolfman" singles here!)
Probably the best collection of sixties garage music out there, this compilation features some excellent songs....some? No. They are all excellent! Enjoy, very loudly!
1. The Jades - I'm All Right
2. The Oxford Circus - 4th Street Carnival
3. The Bluethings - Twist And Shout
4. Jimmy Rabbit With Ron & Dea - Pushover
5. Wally & The Rights - Hey Now Little Girl
6. The Boys - You Deceived Me
7. The One Way Street - Joy And Sorrow
8. The Twilighters - Nothing Can Bring Me Down
9. The Outcasts - I'm In Pittsburgh (And It's Raining)
10. S.J. & The Crossroads - Get Out Of My Life Woman
11. The Iguanas - I Can Only Give You Everything
13. The Runaways - 18th Floor Girl
14. The Chevelle V - Come Back Bird
14. The Six Pents - She Lied
15. The Knight's Bridge - C.J. Smith
16. The Knight's Bridge - Make Me Some Love
Roger Joseph Manning Jr. features on Finnish artist Esa Linna's just released solo single and upcoming debut album "She's Not a Human Being" ready to listen to at: http://soundcloud.com/esalinna/shesnotahumanbeing
Roger Joseph Manning Jr. (of The Jellyfish, Moog Cookbook, TV Eyes, Imperial Drag) sings backing vocals and plays keyboards on both the debut album and debut single "She's Not a Human Being" by Esa Linna, from Finland.
"She's Not A Human Being" is a straight-forward power pop song, like a combination of The Buzzcocks and The Beatles. The single is released as digital download, and will be released in CD format next year. The song is mastered by Ty Tabor of King's X.
Ice Cream Man Power Pop and More was placed at Number 6 in this list, which really is a great honour, especially as the blog has only been going for 3 months! Please take a look at the list and visit some of the other great sites that are listed as they all have some really excellent content and are well worth a visit. I would also like to suggest a visit to Powerpop Overdose which isn't on the list but is an absolute goldmine of Power Pop and one of my inspirations for starting a blog.
Kon-Tiki is one can't-get-it-out-of-your-skull pop song after another, interspersed with bursts of tape collage and random studio noise. "Vegetable Row," for example, sounds like a hard-candy circa-'66 Dylan outtake before it ends with a few seconds' splice of a completely different song, which is rudely chopped off in time for the organ-driven "Aurora Bori Alice." Variety is the watchword on Kon-Tiki. The wildly overdriven feedback-fest "Church of Wilson" leads straight into the gently swirling keyboards and acoustic guitars of "Lily Dreams On," which immediately makes way for the classic harmony-filled jangle pop "Password." The amazing thing is that, despite the wild mood and style shifts, the album doesn't sound fragmentary in the least; the pieces all fall into place. Brad Jones' production features studio chatter, audible edits, remarkably loud clicks, and yet the overall sound is enormous, filled with amazing sonic depth. Lo-fi this ain't. Song titles like "Camp Hill Rail Operator" or "Animal Show Drinking Song" might recall Guided By Voices, and the audio-verite "Prophecy for the Golden Age" wouldn't have sounded out of place on Pavement's Westing (By Musket and Sextant), but neither band could possibly come up with a song like the instant classic "My Before and After," three minutes worth of non-stop hooks grounded with a percussive low-register piano part that makes it sound like a lost outtake from Revolver. In an album's worth of non-stop pop delights, "My Before and After" is a clear masterpiece. -AMG
