The Poets - Wooden Spoon: The Singles Anthology 1964-1967 (Reissue) (2011)

Mean, moody and utterly magnificent, in 1964 the Poets were the best thing to come out of Scotland since Denis Law. Managed and produced by Rolling Stones svengali Andrew Loog Oldham, between October 1964 and January 1966 the group released a quintet of classic singles, ranging from the aggressive mod pop of That s The Way It’s Got To Be and Baby Don t You Do It to the Top Forty hit Now We re Thru , whose haunting minor key melody, edgy lead vocal, eerie Celtic drone, clanging acoustic twelve-string guitar, keening backing vocals and general air of quiet menace encapsulated the Poets unique, spellbinding appeal.Without the massive hit single that their excellence deserved, the Poets fragmented in early 1966 after the departure of lead singer and chief songwriter George Gallacher. However, a revised line-up bounced back in fine style the following year with Wooden Spoon b/w In Your Tower another unaccountable flop, but now widely acknowledged as a seminal British freakbeat / psychedelic record.Taken from the Decca and Immediate archives, this first ever official Poets anthology features the group’s entire released output during their 1964-67 glory days, proving beyond any shadow of doubt that, despite their relative lack of commercial success, the Poets were one of the most vital bands to emerge from the British beat boom.