Crystals, The ‎– Twist Uptown [IMPORT] - New LP

1962.  Wonderful.

"Simplicity is a double-edged sword, and The Crystals' 'Twist Uptown' is an album that epitomizes this contradiction of innocent purity with a borderline lack of imagination. This album displays one of the earliest examples of Spector's infamous 'wall of sound'. Perhaps the best example of the early Spector sound can be heard on the track 'There's No Other (Like My Baby)' – in this writer's humble opinion, one of the greatest tunes ever recorded. We are led into the track by Barbara Alston's smooth and relaxed voice. Then a short piano run leads to a crescendo of voices that should floor any functional human being with it's raw emotive power, to the point of warm distortion. As the track drops into the first verse, one notices the reverberating snare sound – ringing out in an era before anyone other than Spector would have dreamed of throwing the drum kit into an enormous hall to record it from a distance. This tune has such a cinematic quality in terms of width and spectrum of sound. Other highlights include 'Please Hurt Me' and 'Uptown', both showcasing the incredible voices of The Crystals. 'Please Hurt Me' deals in low tones, subtle instrumentation, and a heart breaking lyric that is treated carefully, leaving space to be filled in by the character of Alston and co.'s vocals."