Various Artists - Pop Down Under

Facts Australia and New Zealand had their own parallel, and thrilling, pop scenes in the late 1960s. Tough beat, wild psychedelia, soulful sirens, and bubblegum pop were created by kids who had easy access to both the British and American scenes, as well as a welter of radio stations and TV shows on which they could become stars. Some, like Olivia Newton-John and the Easybeats, left to seek international fame and fortune, while others, like the Twilights, Zoot, and the Strangers, had to settle for localized success, though many became international names in the 1970s. Pop Down Under is a thrilling survey of the kind of teenage noise that kept Australasia ticking in the late '60s, much of which was at least as good as what was coming out of London, New York, and Los Angeles. It includes the Who-like power pop of Zoot's "Flying," Russell Morris's orchestrated, seven-minute psych epic "Part Three Into Paper Walls," the Atlantics' garage-punk heartstopper "Come On," and the unique folk-beat of Valeria Vengers' eerie "There's a Scarlet River Flowing."