Michigan garage band founded 1965 when singer and former DJ Terry Knight became front man of an outfit called The Jazz Masters, after which the band name was changed to The Pack. Following release of one non-selling single for Wingate they got a contract with the small Lucky Eleven label. A string of 45:s followed of which at least two - covers of The Yardbirds "You're A Better Man Than I" and the Ben. E. King's "I (Who have Nothing)" - became minor national hits. This debute album can be seen as a kind of a compilation, carrying eight single A:s and B:s and four non-45:s. Checking reviews from then and now I see both love and hate. Love for a good garage album and hate both because some think they lack own identity and others criticizing Terry Knight's vocals. I'm more of a lover. Maybe Knight's vocals aren't the best ever, but certainly good enough and no one into US sixties garage would expect something Sinatra or Tom Jones to accompany the racket. And how many of the hundreds of band recording at the time had their totally own identity? They were all borrowing from and inspired by eachother. I do like many of the cuts - the fuzz driven "Numbers", the rather weird "The Shut-In", the dreamy "Sleep Talkin" and, why not, the totally ok cover of Rolling Stones "Lady Jane". Full album below. The band would issue one more album before breaking up 1969, after which guitarist/bassist Mark Farner and drummer/ vocalist Don Brewer went on to form Grand Funk Railroad, but that's another story. To my knowledge only originally released in US (also as stereo SLE-8000) and Canada (Barry B 351). UK 1996 CD on Hyacinth (122) came with this and the band's second album, the 1967 "Reflections". Premiere US had label as shown here in a laminated cover. (YZÄ*) (ÖXCÅ*)
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