Nuggets, Not Nougat, In Your Halloween Bag

Parents heard plenty of scary sounds coming from their garages in the mid-'60s, and these fellas from Tacoma, Wa., certainly weren't afraid to bring the noise. The first single from the Sonics was "The Witch," a huge hit here in the Pacific Northwest in late 1964 and well into 1965 when it was re-released with another original tune, "Psycho," on the flip side. Both of these songs are considered pioneering moments in the punk movement.

The Witch
Psycho

Like everything else in 2020, Halloween sucks. We just carved our jack-o-lantern, but who is going to see it? Our kids will not don costumes for the first time ever. Costumed children will not ring our doorbell. In case someone shows up, we will leave a bowl of goodies on our porch... away from the door since every kid is actually dressed as the grim reaper, whether they know it or not. We will stay in and watch a horror flick. After the kids go to bed, I'll make my way to the turntable. Not that bad a night, if I think about it. How about one more from the '60s?

If you happen upon any zombies tonight, you can bet they won't sound this good. This is not something you would find on Nuggets. Rather, this is a beautiful piece of baroque pop. 'Odessey and Oracle' is one of my favorite albums, and this version of "A Rose for Emily" is something special. The song was originally recorded with cello accompaniment but, inexplicably, it was left out of the mix for the long player. In 2017, for Record Store Day and to mark the 50th anniversary of the album, the cello version was released as a 7". I snatched it right up. Happy Halloween, everyone.

A Rose for Emily (cello version)