Paul Revere & the Raiders
Just Like Us - Columbia 1965
Tracks: 1. Steppin' Out / 2. I'll Be Doggone / 3. Out of Sight / 4. Baby Please Don't Go / 5. I Know / 6. Night Train / 7. Just Like Me / 8. Catch the Wind / 9. Satisfaction / 10. I'm Crying / 11. New Orleans / 12. Action / 13. Ride Your Pony / 14. Just Like Me / 15. B.F.D.R.F. Blues
Comments:
Paul Revere & the Raiders second Columbia album under the direction of producer Terry Melchior is probably the closest the group came to deliver a true garage rock classic. The group subsequently released a string of great albums, but these were most too well-produced to fall under the garage category.
"Just Like Us" features the classics "Steppin 'Out" (Lindsay / Revere) and "Just Like Me" (written by the obscure songwriter couple Dey / Hart). These two songs alone pay for the album.
3-4 numbers fall into their style from before Terry Melchior came into the picture and these are for me less attractive. There are cover versions of "Satisfaction," "Baby, Please Do not Go" and "I'm Crying" - all very solid but without actually adding songs something new to the songs.
The group’s bids on Donovan's "Catch the Wind" is, in turn, interesting - the song has got a folk / rock treatment that could easily lead the mind towards the early Byrds, for whom Melchior also produced . There is also a very fine version of Smokey Robinson's "I'll Be Doggone". Finally, there is the Beach Boys-inspired TV song "Action".
A little uneven album as a whole, but it has a handful of songs very hard to ignore.
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