Search - Various Artists :: Ain't It Hard: Sunset Strip Sound of Viva

Ain't It Hard!

Stuart Jefferson | San Diego,Ca | 06/08/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"39 min. approximately. Remastered sound. This is another one of those collections of sixties music,that while not a "must have",is very enjoyable indeed. Viva Records was a small-time label from Los Angeles that put out things from easy-listening to country and western releases. This collection zeros in on some minor but interesting groups that were not well known outside a small area. The tracks were produced by people like Leon Russell and J.J. Cale. The groups ranged from duos to typical "garage" groups of the era. Titles like Psychotic Reaction,Eight Miles High and Who Do You Love all make appearances. Groups like The Leather Coated Minds and The Second Helping float toward the surface here,with their "Byrds"-like guitars and cheesy organ sounds so popular then. Of course The Shindogs,a group made popular on the t.v. show Shindig are represented with Who Do You Think You Are. The group included James Burton,the masterful guitarist,Delaney Bramlett(Delaney and Bonnie) and Chuck Blackwell,who played drums for Taj Majal among others. This is lightweight pop-rock that could only have come out of the sixties. From this distance its hard to imagine hearing some of these tracks on the radio,and thinking they were "groovy". Now they seem quaint,but are still enjoyable if you want a trip back in time when all this was new and exciting. Maybe that's why this is worth picking up."