The Steppes - Green Velvet Electric: A Compendium 1983-1997 [2CD] (2013)

2013 collection from the U.S. Psych/Alt-Rock band. Born amidst the hype of the Paisley Underground in LA in the early 1980s The Steppes were always the real deal, yet received less attention than lesser contemporaries such as the Rain Parade and Long Ryders. In the main a vehicle for the songs of the Irish American Fallon brothers, The Steppes earliest recordings received praise in Melody Maker who made comparisons with the Beatles and the Jam. In 1986 this truly psychedelic quartet unleashed the timeless 'Drop of the Creature' an album described by the Times in 1997 as "one of the greatest debuts ever". The Steppes sound is as catchy as it is hallucinogenic and between 1983 and 1997 they recorded an astonishing body of work including the albums Drop of the Creature, Stewdio, Enquire Within, Harps And Hammers, and Gods Men And Ghosts. The best of this catalogue can be found on this two disc set. Both ahead of their time and outside of it The Steppes legacy is now in focus revealing just what an important band they really were.