”The top band in Houston, Texas of the mid-1960s was Neal Ford & The Fanatics, a tight and professional outfit responsible for some of the best garage sounds from the region. Led by Ford and featuring talented writer-members Lanier Greig, Jon Pereles and Johnny Stringfellow, the Fanatics ruled the roost in the city at clubs including the Catacombs. Once they signed to Nashville indie Hickory in late 1966 they seemed destined for national stardom. Despite regional hits, the group never achieved the visibility they deserved, but many of their records are now coveted by 60s rock collectors.
Good Men is a long-overdue survey of Neal Ford & The Fanatics’ best moments in the studio, and runs the gamut from expertly-produced and performed commercial pop and folk-rock to freaky psychedelic experiment and the gnarliest of 60s punk. It features several of the Fanatics’ popular singles for Hickory and cuts from their lone album for the label, as well as fantastic earlier sides released on the Houston indies Gina and Tantara. Well over half of this anthology has never appeared on compact disc before, and there are several unissued titles that add immeasurably to the group’s reputation.”
Real fine but somehow overlooked Texas 60’s garage/pop band kinda like garage version of UK The Zombies but with their own kink. From ’65-’68 they recorded many 45’s and an LP in 1967. Some of their best tunes [I Will Not Be Lonely, Good Men (Are Hard To Find), Shame On You] were featured on several garage comps as Born Bad, Highs In The Mid Sixties, Acid Visions, Mayhem & Psychosis, Psychedelic States, Garage Beat ’66… but there are more cool stuff you can find on this great sounding comp. Check ‘it out!
SURFADELIC 