The Turtles
Shell Shock - White Whale 1970 ( Rhino 1986)
Tracks: 1. Goodbye Surprise / 2. Like It Or Not /3. There You Sit Lonely / 4. We Ain't Gonna Party No More / 5. Cat In The Window / 6. Lady-O / 7. Can I Go On / 8. Dance This Dance With Me / 9. You Want To Be A Woman / 10. If We Only Had The Time / 11. Gas Money / 12. Teardrops / 13. Who Would Ever Think That I Would Marry Margaret?
Comments:
"Shell Shock" was the working title of what could have been the Turtles' sixth album, released in 1970 and a successor to the fine, Ray Davies produced the album "Turtle Soup" from 1969. Unfortunately and undeservedly sales of "Turtle Soup" were disappointing and the record company White Whale lost interest in the group. The album was therefore never finished, even though 7-8 tracks were actually ready for release.
Rhino released an album in 1986 entitled "Shell Shock", on which a large part of the tracks were intended for the unreleased 1970 album.
The tracks on the lost album were produced by Lovin' Spoonful's Jerry Yester, and both sound and the compositions hold a fine high level. "Goodbye Surprise" is written by Bonner / Gordon, who had previously been behind several of the group's big hits. The number is a bit atypical for the group as it is almost a hard rock song; however, at the melodic end; a fine number that was actually released on a b-side.
"Like it or Not" is also a Bonner / Gordon song; a more experimental number, yet quite melodic.
Kaylan and Vollman wrote "There You Sit Lonely", which is also a rather ambitious number and one senses that the group really tried hard to keep up with the trends of the time.
"We Ain't Gonna Party No More" is more lightweight; poppy and catchy and a decent album track.
"Cat in the Window" appeared on a B-side already in 1967 and is thus not a real "Shell Shock" number; nevertheless a really nice number; again a Bonner / Gordon composition.
"Lady-O" is a pretty cover of a Judee Sill song, which was actually released as an A-side in 1969.
“Can I Go On” is a group original; power-pop with acoustic guitar and mouth harp; a really nice track.
"Dance this Dance" is a demo version of a Turtle Soup song, and of course not a topic for a serious album release.
"You Want to Be a Woman" is another fine group original; light, melodic and still on the more ambitious experimental end.
"If Only We Had the Time" is a rather long track; light countryish / blue-grass.
“Gas Money” and “Teardrops” are two very early tracks that fall totally outside of the concept; unfortunately. The first is a rather ordinary rocker, the second a tame ballad.
"Who Would Ever Think That I Would Marry Margaret?" was one of the very last things the group recorded and which also came out on single; nothing special and the group itself is said to have hated the number.
"Shell Shock" could without a doubt have turned into a pretty nice album, and had Rhino shown a finer feeling for creating something that might appear like an original album, they should probably have replaced "Gas Money", "Teardrops" and “Dance This Dance” with other non-album single-tracks from the period; for example. the Beach Boys inspired "Can't You Hear the Cows", "Is it Any Wonder" from 1967 and the B-side "Outside Chance"
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