THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD
1,501) Bohemian Vendetta — “Enough”
Who were the Bohemian Vendetta (see #313)? They were a “quintet . . . from New York’s Long Island, who backed Faine Jade [see #314, 686] on his Introspection album in 1968. That same year, they recorded and released a self-titled album for the Mainstream label.” (Bruce Eder, https://www.allmusic.com/artist/bohemian-vendetta-mn0000078658#biography) But before that came this A-side, a “classic all time fave 60’s punk anthem”. (max savanna, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhU3WQDa7TQ)
Beverly Paterson enthuses:
Groovy fuzz guitars, compounded by spiffy organ passages light the fire torching the[ir] tunes . . . while charismatic vocals, rippling with animation and excitement, nimbly rope together snotty garage rock inflections with shades of swinging of soul power and lysergic laced kookiness. Bohemian Vendetta further flaunted a forte for plunging brawny hooks and clutching choruses into their wares, with . . . “Enough” . . . denoting what good pop sensibilities they harbored.
https://somethingelsereviews.com/2012/07/01/forgotten-series-bohemian-vendetta-enough-1998/
So does Brendan (about their LP):
A melee of clangy guitars, screeching Vox Continental, thick fuzz, angst, acid, and pure energy make Bohemeian Vendetta’s album one of the best garage finds ever reissued. It’s maybe no masterpiece, waiting to change your life or blow your mind, but it is the essence of rock music, and too powerful to miss out on. . . . [T]his small group of teenage acid punks let loose with their monster, penning some excellent original numbers and warping a couple of very popular covers. The label delayed their album and hardly promoted it . . . but it screams.
Beverly’s, Brendan’s and my adulation is not universally shared. Dr. Schluss gives a mixed review:
While not the grooviest band on the block, Bohemian Vendetta manages to rip out some nice face melting sounds on their sole LP. . . . [and] probably is a good candidate for the quintessential acid garage band. That is to say they don’t take home the first prize unopposed, but they do manage to stumble onto some inspired sounds from time to time.
http://psychedelicobscurities.blogspot.com/2008/05/bohemian-vendetta-1968-bohemian.html
And I can’t really describe Mr. X’s comment on AMG as mixed:
You’re scraping the bottom of the barrel here. In sum, this is poorly produced, pubescent garage rock. Their songs sound like they were written during lunch break and recorded after school in somebody’s actual garage. Some of the vocals are horrifically abrasive . . . . And the covers are disgraceful. The album’s amateur quality is too overwhelming.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/bohemian-vendetta-mw0000847456
Wait a second. “Poorly produced,” “pubescent,” “written during lunch break,” “recorded after school in somebody’s actual garage,” “horrifically abrasive,” “disgraceful,” “amateur[ish]” — aren’t those all the hallmarks of fabulous 60’s garage rock?
Psychedelic Rock’n’roll gives us some history:
Bohemian Vendetta was formed in 1966 under the name The Bohemians in Long Island, NY. . . . [who] started life with . . . Arthur Muglia . . . vocals/organ; Victor Muglia, bass guitar; Randy Pollock, rhythm guitar; Richie Sorrento, drums, Richard Martinez, lead guitar. Growing up in Lynbrook, Long Island . . . Nick Manzi played in a number of local bands . . . [He] and high school buddy singer/guitarist Faine Jade also started playing local clubs as a duo, eventually attracting the attention of Laurie Records, which signed them as writers and sessions players. Nick Manzi and Faine Jade subsequently formed The Rustics who managed to record an instantly obscure 1966 single . . . . In the wake of The Rustics’ collapse . . . Manzi replaced guitarist Richard Martinez . . . in The Bohemians. . . . By early 1967 The Bohemians opted for a name change . . . . [to] Bohemian Vendetta[. T]hey also underwent a series of personnel changes, eventually coalescing with a line of singer/keyboardist Arthur Muglia, drummer Chuck Monica (also in The Rustics), bassist Victor Muglia and rhythm guitarist Randy Pollock. In 1967 [they] released “Enough”/”Half the Time” . . . and it got a spot on “Dick Clark’s American Bandstand “Rate-a-Record”. Also in 1967, [they] recorded demos and played various gigs . . . with bands like The Vagrants [see #1,063] and Vanilla Fudge. The single . . . vanished without a trace, followed in short order by the band’s contract with United Artists. Luckily they were signed to Mainstream Records and recorded an album . . . in early 1968 which took almost a year to be released and got no help from the label. With Mainstream Records all but ignoring the LP, [they] had time on their hands, pitching in to help buddy Faine Jade record his debut album . . . on the small RSVP label. . . . Manzi actually co-wrote most of the tracks with Faine Jade. As far as we can tell, it also marked the band’s final recording efforts.
https://psychedelic-rocknroll.blogspot.com/2009/11/bohemian-vendetta-bohemian-vendetta-60s.html
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