The Troggs - Cellophane/Mixed Bag Album

The Troggs didn’t make a name for themselves with the garage material they’ve consistently done since the release of the single “Wild Thing” during the summer of 1966 from the album From Nowhere, with their following album Togglodynamite nearly dropping off the charts in February of 1967, and had it not been for the hit single “Love Is All Around,” released just in time for the holidays of that same year, their album Cellophane (with the album title taken from The Beatles song “Lucy In The Sky”) may have seen the demise of The Troggs for sure.

Many fans will wish to inform you that “Wild Thing” was a garage number, when it fact it was far from it, where in fact, it was Jimi Hendrix who made the song even more famous, keeping the well deserved hype alive … though you should hear the “Wild Thing” parody by someone professing to be Senator Robert F. Kennedy. The song was actually first released by The Wild Ones in 1965, yet failed to chart, though for some reason The Troggs were able to burn up the charts that year, taking it to Number 1. There is a bit of a backstory, the song was penned by Chip Taylor, who also wrote “Try (Just a Little Bit Harder)” for Janis Joplin, he was the brother of actor John Voight, and was a wannabe professional golfer. With the song being written around a popish blues riff, when given the soul of rock n’ roll it came to life and has never died.

“Love Is All Around,” written by another member of the band, Reg Presley, inspired by hearing the Joy Stings Salvation Army band’s “Love Is All Around,” was The Troggs only other major charting single, a song that became the darling of 10 o’clock AM radio slot, as that was the hour cars gathered in remote spots for make-out sessions across the country, with the single becoming the our song of countless couples … where even today for anyone of that time period, simply hearing it sparks embarrassingly treasured memories.

The fact is, The Troggs could never, or would never find the skillset to take them to the top of the pop charts by releasing other material of the same ilk. Even though they came into being during the psychedelic Summer of Love, they were a mere footnote to that soundtrack, as there was nothing hypnotic, dreamy or psychedelic about their no nonsense numbers, all hard edged garage rockers that stood in such juxtaposition to their two hit singles that fans of those two songs walked away from the band, with a whole new grouping of fans who ignored those singles and embraced their basic solid rock roots.

With that in mind, that’s not to say that their material was first rate, much of it was rather off the wall, lacking in a thematic sense, lasting for less than three minutes a song, and attracting a more energetic grungy element who now hold them as the standard bearers of things that took shape as we stepped into the 80’s, with bands such as Big Star finding their path, and later with groups such as The Strokes, French Kicks, The Hives, Kings of Leon and of course Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. This is either music that you’re going to connect with or music the will leave you flat, there is no middle ground here, so brace yourself and get ready for the ride.

All in all, there was a sophistication to what The Troggs where doing, it was lightyears from punk, their sound had a defined rooted reference point and was based around sound instrumentation and insightful musicianship. Without a doubt I’ll have to confess that there were bands who interested me far more, bands who where more gentle and less demanding of my soul, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t lay a finger down on any musical map and chart the course and influence The Troggs have had on the history of rock n’ roll.

Review by Jenell Kesler