Vinyl-a-Day #12: The Wildweeds - Greatest Hits... And More! (Club 51 Record Co., ???)

Before he was the lead guitarist of NRBQ, Connecticut-native Al Anderson fronted the Wildweeds. The Wildweeds’ seminal single, “No Good To Cry,” which brilliantly blended garage rock with soul, peaked at #88 nationally, but was something of a regional sensation in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. I heard it frequently on oldies radio (KOOL 101, Baby!) while growing up in CT. This compilation, which I guard jealously in my collection, features all of the group’s singles released on the Chess subsidiary, Cadet, as well as other odds and ends spanning a variety of genres. My personal favorites include the Sopwith Camel-esque “Excuse Me,” “It Was Fun While It Lasted,” “Someday Morning” (which could be called “No Good To Cry Pt. 2”), and the Electric Prunes/Blues Magoo-ish “I’m Dreaming.” Honestly, not a bad song on this comp - bonus points if you know the Poppy Family’s cover of “No Good To Cry.”

*BONUS*