Abkco's 2005 compilation is the first official CD release of the Michigan garage rocker's classic Cameo Parkway recordings, but for hardcore garage rock collectors, it might look a little bit similar to a 1995 unofficial release called. The discs not only share 25 tracks but they're presented in the same sequencing. Then again, that shouldn't be a surprise since both discs contain the entirety of the quintet's two full-length LPs -- the 1966 and its 1967 follow-up -- plus the 'Do Something to Me'/'Love Me Baby (Cherry July)' single. The '95 release contains five tracks that didn't make it to this release, but this has two previously unreleased versions of 'Midnight Hour' and '96 Tears,' neither of which were as a good as the released versions (the alternate '96 Tears' is surprisingly limp, actually).
Action's four songs further prove The Fuzztones' original reactionary philosophy to have been right on (man) TROUSER PRESS. Steppenwolf's John Kay, and the Mysterians' Question Mark have nothing on Protrudi; perhaps he. Question Mark And The Mysterians - The Best Of (1966-67 us, magnificent garage psych rhythm 'n' beat, 2005 remaster) Like so many rock 'n' roll classics -'Satisfaction,' 'Layla,' 'Whole Lotta Love,' 'Purple Haze,' 'Johnny B. 
And the Mysterians' 1966 smasheroo '96 Tears' begins with a riff that drills into your cranium and, once implanted, never, ever leaves.
As should be expected from an official release, Abkco's has much better sound -- clean, but retaining the grit and murk that distinguished ' LPs -- and a good set of liner notes from that detail the history of this shadowy band. Their music remains a little hit and miss -- only '96 Tears' is a stone-cold classic, and it's surely one of the great rock & roll singles ever, but they have several other strong garage rockers, particularly on the second album -- but despite the handful of generic moments, it's still a blessing that the original records have not only finally made it to CD, but in such an appealing fashion as this.
It only took one song, the organ-driven number one smash '96 Tears,' to make? & the Mysterians into garage rock legends. Eccentric frontman Question Mark (actually spelled '?,' once he had his name legally changed) cultivated an aura of mystery by never appearing in public without a pair of wraparound sunglasses; he frequently claimed he had been born on Mars and lived among the dinosaurs in a past life, and that voices from the future had revealed he would be performing '96 Tears' in the year 10,000. On a more earthly level, the Mysterians' sound helped lay down an important part of the garage rock blueprint, namely the low-budget sci-fi feel of the Farfisa and Vox organs (most assumed that '96 Tears' had featured the former, but? Later remembered using the latter). What was more, they were one of the first Latino rock groups to have a major hit, and?'