The Lemon Pipers – The Lemon Pipers

This 20-song compilation of late '60s material is effectively a "best-of" from a group that only had one hit. Whether intentionally or not, on much of the material supplied to them by outside songwriters (i.e. "Love Beads and Meditation"), the impression is that of late-'60s AM radio trying to co-opt suitably freaky aspects of the psychedelic sound. On the cuts they wrote themselves, the group play in a far more guitar-oriented and gutsy style that's nonetheless pleasantly anonymous American freakbeat, in search of both an identity and (even more crucially) hooks. Translation: nothing here's nearly as good or lasting as the #1 single "Green Tambourine," which is included on this disc, but can be found on numerous oldies collections that provide superior value. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide