In the mid-'80s there were a lot of bands kicking around the U.K. playing angular guitar pop, as documented on the legendary C-86 cassette the NME issued in 1986. The Mighty Lemon Drops were one of the better ones. They had the songs, they had the attitude, and they had the sound. Sure, much of it was borrowed from Echo & the Bunnymen, but the Mighty Lemon Drops weren't strictly copycats. They invested energy and drive into their songs, plus they were more interested in copping the poppy garage rock aspects of the Doors than the super-dramatic ones Echo favored. That could be the reason they aren't remembered as fondly or cited as an influence much, but one spin through this excellent collection proves that the band was cranking out first-rate guitar pop in the mid-'80s that was certainly on par with most of their contemporaries. The eight-song Some of My Best Friends Are Songs cassette from May of 1985 was recorded soon after the band formed and is the highlight of the release, showing the band in its earliest state to be fully formed and in possession of some crackerjack songs like "Like an Angel" and "Now She's Gone." It's a great bit of history that makes the set worth buying on its own, though the excellent radio sessions, the very noisy demos from a year later that include early versions of some of the best songs ("Take Me Up," "My Biggest Thrill") from their first album, three songs from the C-86 sessions, and all four tracks from the "Like an Angel" single make it damn near essential -- and not only the band's followers, but anyone with a fondness for guitar pop from the era will find it to be a fascinating document.
© Tim Sendra /TiVo