The Troggs' second U.K. album bore the hallmarks of a rushed affair, comprised largely of substandard original material and covers, and not even including a hit to stand out from the crowd. Only one of the tracks ("Cousin Jane") was even issued in the U.S. in the 1960s, a shocking state of affairs for a British group that had recently topped the American charts, although a few would appear on later compilations (Archeology has five of the songs). Part of the problem was that the group didn't have enough good original compositions to merit an album's worth of material, necessitating the enlistment of other songwriters (including
Albert Hammond for "Meet Jacqueline" and their manager,
Larry Page) who largely weren't up to the task. Most of the disc is surprisingly tame, with little of the crunch or roar that motored their best classics, or (with the exception of the lovely "Cousin Jane") the left-field delicate balladry they were wont to have up their sleeve. The terrific cover of
Them's "I Can Only Give You Everything" is, other than "Cousin Jane," the album's lone first-rate track, and both are available on Archeology (for that matter, both were on the excellent double-LP Sire compilation The Vintage Years). ~ Richie Unterberger