The Dynamites — Young Sound R & B

The Dynamites were a late 60’s Japanese garage rock band who where meant to be Japans answer to a mixture of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and The Monkess, but as with most western music reinterpreted by eastern minds their sound was more than a little quirky, edgy and often more experimental than their original influences. “Young Sound R&B” is the first ever reissues of the bands one and only album out side of Japan, and this reissue also features various non album singles too.

The  five piece band first came together in 1965 under the name of The Monster, but on signing to JVC in 1966 the bands name was changed to The Dynamites. The band released their debut single “Tonneru Tengoku” in November 1967 which highlighted the bands fuzz guitar sound,  another single followed then in May 1968 the band released their one & only album “Young Sound R&B”. After this the band released three more singles, then by late summer 1968 the band had run it’s course and sadly fizzled out.

The original album “Young Sound R&B” featured twelve tracks in all, five original compositions & seven cover version. And to my ears the most rewarding moments here are not the bands own compositions, which mostly sound like a lacklustre copy of their influences with Japanese vocals over the top, but the great cover versions the band did of popular western pop/rock songs of the time. Highlights include a wonky ‘n’ wavering version of the Bee Gees “Massachsetts” which features: wondering,  wobbling semi- off tune electric guitar strum, and  slightly different paced oriental tinged strings. Or a lo-fi cluttering drums meets bass guitar heavy and cheesey/slightly wonky string swooned version of “My Girl”. Most of the seven covers are worthy with the band adding their own slight wonky & often guitar fuzzed edge to the songs,  and each of the  seven tracks find the band singing in English with a slight Japanese tinged vocals.

This reissue also features the two singles that appeared before “Young Sound R&B”, and the six singles/ B –sides that followed the band débuts. The release also comes with an eight page full colour booklet which features great & cheesy  single covers and a write-up about the bands career. So this is certainly a well put together reissue, and through it’s let down a little by the bands own compositions this is certaily  worth a look if you’re a fan of quirky, slightly wonky and guitar fuzzed garage rock meets 60’s string lined guitar pop.