The Seeds, The Seeds (side A)

The Seeds are remembered as one of the heavier bands of the garage era, but by today's standards they seem a bit modest.  The tempos on 1966's The Seeds never reach a high pace (maybe in part because of the group's technical limitations as musicians) and the dynamics and timbres always remain contained.  Their ability to produce any drive is impressive given how weak some of the drum takes are.  Strangely, when the drumming actually picks up a bit in "Evil Hoodoo", they're buried by a gratuitous tambourine overdub—this droning and repetitive song, the longest on the album, hints at the Stooges' "We Will Fall" and the Swell Maps' "Harmony in Your Bathroom".  The music, while limited in propulsion, is notable for its darkness, especially in Sky Saxon's vocal delivery, and the guitar playing that occasionally falls out of line into chaos.  And I'm amused that the cover bothers to note, in a large box, the inclusion of "Pushin' Too Hard".