The Attack - About Time! Definitive Mod-Pop Collection 1966-68 (2006)

They were an incredibly hot property at the time, especially in the local London clubs, yet even with two future Nice stars, an Atomic Rooster-to-be, and a member of Marmalade in their various ranks, the Attack failed to breach the British chart. Long gone but far from forgotten, the mods-cum-psychedelic rockers finally get their due with this sumptuous compilation. Amazingly, between the time the Attack first entered the studio in 1966 and their final recordings together in 1968, they shifted their lineup four times. Thankfully, the sleeve notes provide some assistance untangling their convulsive history, with the aid of an interview with frontman Richard Shirman, who also annotates all 16 of the tracks within. The Attack released only four singles during their all-too-brief lifespan, and both sides of all their 45s are included here, joined by a pair of numbers recorded during a BBC radio session and a clutch of unreleased studio recordings. As the songs are not presented chronologically, About Time! has a rather mishmash feel, bouncing willy-nilly around the years and lineups. It's worth pointing out then that the quirky story-song "Neville Thumbcatch" was recorded eight months before Cream's equally eccentric "Pressed Rat and Warthog" hit the shops! The Attack's assault on the scene came from a variety of musical directions that included splashy mod, shiny pop, hefty blues, assaultive rock, and aggressive psychedelia. And perhaps this was a small part of their problem -- every time one turned around, the band had a new look and another sound. Still, the talent within their ranks was phenomenal, and with their keen ear for covers, a splendid sense of melody, and their own talents with a pen, the Attack should have won the day. They didn't back then, but the war's not quite over yet.