V/A - The View From Here: The San Francisco Compilation (1987, Medical)

Here's a nice warts and all compilation focusing on a scene we hear surprisingly little about today, as it was when this was released 22 years ago. Like most towns, San Francisco doesn't have an identifiable "sound," and that's what makes The View From Here all the more interesting. Camper Van Beethoven are clearly the most recognizable figureheads here (then and now), already established when they contributed their cover of Country Joe and The Fish's "Happiness Is a Porpoise Mouth." The only other act here that went onto enjoy any sort of national notoriety is the Sneetches, whose "I Need Someone" is a fine slice of Merseybeat fare. Pray for Rain's rhythmically sentient post-punk is clearly a cut above the rest, as well as the slightly more menacing Child Support, not to mention the rollicking, psych-imbued McGuires. Now, listen for yourselves and find your own favorite.

01. Pray For Rain - 2 Steps Forward
02. The Naked Into - Dark Comes Down
03. Vox Humana - Concept Day
04. Camper Van Beethoven - Happiness Is a Porpoise Mouth
05. The Ophelias - Palindrome
06. Standing Naked - Soul
07. Tooth & Nail - Stuck in a Nightmare
08. Kelley Gabriel & Clocks of Paradise - Sandra
09. Hold My Head, It Hurts - Carnival Ride 
10. The Sneetches - I Need Someone
11. The McGuires - Garbage Man
12. Spot 1019 - Taste the Feel
13. Child Support - Classified Information
14. Blue Movie - Dog Song

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