Jay-Jays - Jay-Jays (Expanded Edition) (1966/2022) Hi-Res

The Jay-Jays' only album basically combined their four first singles with five other tracks, though it somehow missed one side of one of the 45's, "Waauw!" It's uneven, heavily British Invasion-influenced rock, divided between originals and covers. The early Kinks in particular come in for heavy tribute; the group trying their hand at the early Kinks' numbers "Bald Headed Woman" and "So Mystifying," as well as basing their arrangement of Slim Harpo's "Got Love if You Want It" on the Kinks' cover. The Kinks' tunes are done rather lamely, and the group did better with some originals in a more confident, slightly garage-ish, sub-Anglo style, like "I Keep Tryin'," and the bound-to-be-misinterpreted "To-day I'm Gay." The highlight might be "Cruncher," an uncharacteristically wild instrumental whose distorted guitar and maniacal drums seem clearly influenced by the early Who. Some other tracks are more disappointing, sounding like timid pop-folk tunes or forced soul-rock. All of these songs are on the 1995 CD reissue The Complete Story, which also includes all the cuts from their 1966-68 singles that didn't make it on to the album, as well as three instrumental backing tracks.