Good Men

Good Men

The top band in Houston, Texas of the mid-1960s was Neal Ford & The Fanatics, a tight and professional outfit responsible for some of the best garage sounds from the region. Led by Ford and featuring talented writer-members Lanier Greig, Jon Pereles and Johnny Stringfellow, the Fanatics ruled the roost in the city at clubs including the Catacombs. Once they signed to Nashville indie Hickory in late 1966 they seemed destined for national stardom. Despite regional hits, the group never achieved the visibility they deserved, but many of their records are now coveted by 60s rock collectors, such is their quality.<p><b>Good Men</b> is a long-overdue survey of Neal Ford & The Fanatics' best moments in the studio, and runs the gamut from expertly-produced and performed commercial pop and folk-rock to freaky psychedelic experiment and the gnarliest of 60s punk. It features several of the Fanatics' popular singles for Hickory and cuts from their lone album for the label, as well as fantastic earlier sides released on the Houston indies Gina and Tantara. Well over half of this anthology has never appeared on compact disc before, and there are several unissued titles that add immeasurably to the group's reputation.<p>The package is rounded out by a well-illustrated, in-depth booklet with notes by Alec Palao, that tells the tale of these cornerstone Houston 60s rockers.