Artist: The Equals

Title: Black Skin Blue Eyed Boys...The Anthology

Year Of Release: 1999

Label: Sequel Records [NEECD 336]

Genre: Psychedelic Pop, Rock, Soul, Funk, Bubblegum

Quality: FLAC (tracks+cue, log, scans)

Total Time: 2:20:22



Anyone who thinks of the Equals as nothing but a prelude to Eddy Grant's solo career will find revelations throughout this 50-song double-CD set -- the diversity of sounds here is quite staggering, and all the more so as the quintet was so good at all of it: British Invasion-style rock & roll, psychedelic pop, freakbeat, bubblegum, they could do it all, and with an edge that always told you there was more to this band than what their records were letting you in on. The 140 minutes of music here is as much of the Equals as most of us might ever need to hear, starting from their October 1966 single "I Won't Be There" b/w "Fire," and going up through "Diversion," Grant's last authored single for the band, in 1973. In between are all of the singles and B-sides of any significance, plus the most important tracks off of their LPs Unequaled Equals, Equals Explosion, Sensational Equals, Equals Supreme, Equals Strike Again, and The Equals Rock Around the Clock, and the various EPs interspersed between these. Completists might only be satisfied with all of the latter, represented on CDs with a brace of bonus tracks, but this 50-song compilation is impressive in its own right, and as solid a selection of their best work across seven years as one is ever likely to hear. All of it is present in exceptionally good sound and fully annotated by the always reliable and fascinating Roger Dopson.



Tracklist:

CD 1

01. I Won't Be There - Equals

02. Fire - Equals

03. Baby Come Back - Equals

04. Hold Me Closer - Equals

05. Can't Find a Girl to Love Me - Equals

06. Ding Dong - Equals

07. My Life Ain't Easy - Equals

08. I'm a Poor Man - Equals

09. You Lied Just to Save Your Name - Equals

10. Hey Baby It's Time You Got Going - Equals

11. Give Love a Try - Equals

12. Giddy Up a Ding Dong - Equals

13. Police on My Back- Equals

14. Teardrops - Equals

15. Leaving You Is Hard to Do - Equals

16. You'd Better Tell Her - Equals

17. I Get So Excited - Equals

18. The Skies Above - Equals

19. Laurel & Hardy - Equals

20. The Guy Who Made Her a Star - Equals

21. Is It Right - Equals

22. Look What You've Done to My Daughter - Equals

23. Soul Groovin' - Equals

24. Butterfly Red, White & Blue - Equals

25. Softly Softly - Equals

CD 2

01. Lonely Rita - Equals

02. Lonely - Equals

03. Don't Throw Your Love Away - Equals

04. Christine - Equals

05. I'm Gonna Dance All Night - Equals

06. Just Me and You - Equals

07. Green Light - Equals

08. Love Potion - Equals

09. Be My Baby Tonight - Equals

10. Michael & His Slipper Tree - Equals

11. Honey Gum - Equals

12. Ain't Got Nothing to Give You - Equals

13. Let's Go to the Moon - Equals

14. A Room of Doom - Equals

15. Take a Little Sad Song - Equals

16. Viva Bobby Joe - Equals

17. I Can't Let You Go - Equals

18. Rub a Dub Dub - Equals

19. Soul Brother Clifford - Equals

20. I Can See But You Don't Know - Equals

21. Black Skin Blue Eyed Boys - Equals

22. Help Me Simone - Equals

23. Honey Bee - Equals

24. Diversion - Equals

25. Stand Up and Be Counted - Equals