#count five

1996

My Generation—from fuzzed-out fury to punk fire, back to where it began. Plus I'm offering you the instrumental version.

All the attitude, none of the polish—Count Five’s My Generation is a wild, fuzzy tribute that trades swagger for something raw and restless.

Patti Smith turned it into something unholy in

1976

The original came out in

1965

And here's the instrumental that's included in the deluxe edition CD of "My Generation" (Tried to upload my own file to no avail....)

Count Five - Psychotic Reaction (1966) Craig “Butch” Atkinson / John “Sean” Byrne / John “Mouse” Michalski / Kenn Ellner / Roy Chaney from: “Psychotic Reaction” / “They’re Gonna Get You” (Single) “Psychotic Reaction” (EP)

Garage | Proto-Punk

Tumblr (left click = play) (320kbps)

FLAC File 24 Bit @Archive (left click = play) (2864kbps) (Size: 64.2MB)

Personnel: John “Sean” Byrne: Vocals / Rhythm Guitar John “Mouse” Michalski: Fuzz Guitar Kenn Ellner: Harmonica Roy Chaney: Bass Craig “Butch” Atkinson: Drums

Produced by Hal Winn / Joseph Hooven

Recorded: @ The Decca Studios (?) in Hollywood, California 1966

Released: June, 1966 Double Shot Records (US) Pye Records (UK)

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪

‘Psychotic Reaction’ was included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s list of the “500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll”. In 2014, the song placed seventh on Paste magazine’s list of the “50 Best Garage Rock Songs of All Time”. - Wikipedia

Count Five: "Psychotic Reaction" / "They're Gonna Get You" (1966)

When all is said and done and Father Time has ground us all to dust, rock 'n' roll will be remembered (or not) for its uncanny, transcendent power to turn the humblest sounds and rawest emotions into musical atom bombs of devastating, life-altering force.

This ineffable, almost numinous quality describes the title track of this 60-year-old 7-inch, which has stood the test of time as both a cornerstone of America's garage rock golden age AND an inadvertent precursor to the ensuing psychedelic era.

Of course I'm talking about "Psychotic Reaction," by San Jose, CA's Count Five.

Formed in 1964, initially as The Squires, by teenagers Mouse Michalski (lead guitar) and Ron Chaney (bass), they became the Count Five after adding John 'Sean' Byrne (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Craig 'Butch' Atkinson (drums), and Kenn Ellner (vocals, harmonica).

Their matching Dracula-inspired capes soon followed and a gimmick was born; but this might have amounted to nothing if Byrne (who'd only recently immigrated from his native Ireland) hadn't composed a stone-cold classic in "Psychotic Reaction."

Released in the summer of '66 by independent Double Shot Records, the single shot to No. 5 in the U.S. charts (No. 3 in Canada) and neatly bridged garage and acid rock with its distorted fuzz guitar, hypnotic strums, train whistle harmonica, double-time breaks, and oddly sedate vocal delivery.

Indeed, few songs leave as much to imagination while saying so little:

"I feel depressed, I feel so bad; 'Cause you're the best girl that I've ever had; I can't get your love, I can't get a fraction; Oh little girl, psychotic reaction.

And it feels like this!

I feel so lonely night and day; I can't get your love, I must stay away; Well, I need you girl, by my side; Oh little girl, would you like to take a ride now? I can't get your love, I can't get satisfaction; Oh little girl, psychotic reaction."

Years later, legendary rock critic Lester Bangs titled his surreal 1971 essay "Psychotic Reactions and Carburetor Dung" after the track, and the song's inclusion in '72's seminal Nuggets compilation cemented its iconic, countercultural status, which the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame eventually recognized by naming "it"Psychotic Reaction" one of the '500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.'

But if you're wondering why the Count Five became a one-hit-wonder, let's start by flipping over this single to sample the embarrassing B-side, "They're Gonna Get You": a childish novelty number one can't possibly take seriously, with its nonsensical lyrics and kiddie voices.

Fact is, the young group simply wasn't ready to deal with their first single's unexpected success (neither was their inexperienced manager, Mr. Ellner), let alone writing and recording a decent full-length to capitalize on their brush with fame.

But Double Shot insisted they try anyway and the Count Five duly emerged from the studio, just a few months later, with a cheaply produced, poorly marketed LP that rose no higher than No. 122 on the Billboard charts and spelled the end of the band's mercurial run.

When faced with the prospect of soldiering on and facing the frightening prospect of the Vietnam draft, or staying in school, the band members chose the latter, allegedly turning down thousands of dollars in concert bookings, and consigning the Count Five to history.

But their singular moment of brilliance, "Psychotic Reaction," obviously has kept us talking about the Count Five up to the present day.