Unfortunately volumes 2, 3 and 4 of the box set don't live up to the original compilation. The original compilation contained wonderful
sunshine pop moments like
Sit Down I Think I Love You - how could a track written by
Stephen Stills, produced by
Lenny Waronker, arranged by
Van Dyke Parks and performed by a band formed by
Sly Stone go wrong? But the other three CDs stick too closely to the three-chord guitar band caricature that grew up around the album. Still a great set though.
Rhino have recently released a companion volume - Nuggets II: Original Artyfacts From The British Empire & Beyond. But for the real deal, try the Pebbles series of compilations, and the UK Ripples comps, for a fuller view of the myriad genres encompassed by the original.
Tracklist for the original compilation (disc one of the box):
- I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night) - The Electric Prunes
- Dirty Water - The Standells
- Night Time - The Strangeloves
- Lies - The Knickerbockers
- Respect - The Vagrants
- A Public Execution - Mouse
- No Time Like The Right Time - The Blues Project
- Oh Yeah - The Shadows Of Knight
- Pushin' Too Hard - The Seeds
- Moulty - The Barbarians
- Don't Look Back - The Remains
- An Invitation To Cry - The Magicians
- Liar, Liar - The Castaways
- You're Gonna Miss Me - The Thirteenth Floor Elevators
- Psychotic Reaction - Count Five
- Hey Joe - The Leaves
- Romeo & Juliet - Michael And The Messengers
- Sugar And Spice - The Cryan Shames
- Baby Please Don't Go - The Amboy Dukes
- Tobacco Road - Blues Magoos
- Let's Talk About Girls - Chocolate Watch Band
- Sit Down, I Think I Love You - The Mojo Men
- Run, Run, Run - The Third Rail
- My World Fell Down - Sagittarius
- Open My Eyes - Nazz
- Farmer John - The Premiers
- It's-A-Happening - The Magic Mushrooms