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The Lost Recordings
of Clem Comstock (Mental Giant)
In the grand tradition of the Turtles' Battle of the Bands LP comes this goofy and
inspired compilation of girl-group, teen idol, surf, frat-rock and psych-pop
singles, all culled from the "vaults" of fictitious 1960s producer Clem
Comstock. A mad genius in the Phil Spector/ Joe Meek mode, Clem never met a trend he
didn't like, so Ohio pop wizard Roger Klug gets to strut his considerable musical and
conceptual talents by impersonating such tragically forgotten acts as Billy Action
("Baby Teeth"), Brave Sir Knight and the Squires ("Tilt-A-Whirl
Tongue") and the Schulte Sisters ("Never Gonna Get Married"). The package's
hilarious liner notes should underline the joke for even the most irony-deficient folks
out there, but the tracks themselves radiate a campy charm that should appeal to any fan
of mid-'60s AM pop. - Dan Epstein