It's rare that a minor band such as
The Challengers rates a package of the sort of alternate takes and rarities that you'll find on a
Rolling Stones bootleg. That's what this 18-track compilation is, though. Half are alternate takes, five songs were previously unissued in any form, and three come from their rare 1965 LP, Surf's Up. This doesn't offer any radical redefinition of
The Challengers' oeuvre, but it certainly doesn't suffer in comparison with their official vintage albums. In fact, you're about as well off with this compilation as any of their proper full-length recordings, and some tracks do burn, such as "Satan's Theme" and "Moovin' & Groovin'." Sound quality is excellent. ~ Richie Unterberger