The Remains Live 1969 (Sundazed)

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Almost 50 years after the fact, legendary garage band The Remains finally release a live album, documenting their wild, unleashed stage show, that until recently has only been privy to those who were there at the time.

The Remains, or Barry & The Remains, as many of their fans knew them as, were just one of dozens of bands to take up their instruments, grow their hair and set up in their garage after hearing The Beatles (and The Rolling Stones) in 1964.

The band, led by guitarist/vocalist Barry Tashian, was based in Boston and managed to release a few highly-regarded 45s, appear on The Ed Sullivan Show, cut one album for Epic Records and ultimately tour with The Beatles, before splitting in 1966.

For most garage-rock fans, the band’s claim to fames is their final single, Don’t Look Back, immortalized on Lenny Kaye’s highly influential compilation, Nuggets, first released in 1972.

By then, The Remains were long gone…the Beatles tour had actually broken up the band…and Barry was on his way to Nashville to become a highly respected session cat, eventually joining Emmy Lou Harris’ Hot Band.

But…the original band did manage to come together for a one-off reunion on March 16, 1969 at the Boston Tea Party.

Until now, that show was just a hazy memory. But Tashian recently came across an old cassette tape while rummaging around in his basement, and realized that, despite its lo-fi characteristics, this document of the now-legendary show deserved to be heard.

Barry sent the tape to Sundazed Records and now it’s been released on glorious vinyl.

As the sticker on the record says, its “a little crunchy, slightly distorted, extremely wild, and just perfect!”

Audiophiles might cover their ears when they hear this, but garage band fans will be foaming at the mouth.  Yes, Barry’s vocals are a bit “in the red”, but the band’s performance is staggering. All the more amazing considering that they had no time to rehearse before playing together for the first time in over two years.

The set list is standard garage band fare of the mid-60s…covers of The Stones, Dylan, Kinks and Chuck Berry…a killer version of Muddy Waters’ She’s Nineteen Years Old…check out Barry’s guitar…and one Remains original…the splendid Why Do I Cry.

The set comes to a rockin’ conclusion with the band’s first “hit”, their version of Diddy Wah Diddy.

The four original members finally reunited again some thirty years later and continued to play until drummer Chip Damiani passed away in 2014.  Barry is still in Nashville, making folk and bluegrass music with his wife Holly.

And now you can hear for yourself the unabashed love of rock and roll that powered the original Remains when they were on stage, in front of their fans, doing what they loved best.

Marty Duda

 

 

 

 

Marty Duda
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