The Creation -- How Does It Feel To Feel (February 1968)

One of the greatest freakbeat songs of all time. This MP3 version is obviously degraded, on a CD-quality version the song is just loud and raw and filled with aharmonic guitar noise and overtones -- if you think this is a great sound you should really get a better copy -- it will blow you away.

The song structure here is alright, but not extraordinary. The killer part of the song is the incessant pounding of that just evilly-miked snare, a chord structure that is 90% a single chord, combined with beautifully discordant guitar noises. From the first feedback chirps, you will be in love.



Nine things about the song:

1. The stunning bit in the Creation songs is the work of Eddie Phillips on guitar. This is just divine guitar noise here....

2. ...Which makes this bit out of Wikipedia sound strange: "After leaving The Creation (he was replaced briefly by Ronnie Wood), Phillips joined PP Arnold's band on bass, featuring on her hit "Angel Of The Morning"[1] before quitting music and reportedly becoming a bus driver. "

3. The production here is also top-notch, and was done by Shel Talmy, the guy behind "My Generation", The Kinks' "You Really Got Me" and "Well-Respected Man, and the Easybeats' "Friday on My Mind". Despite his extensive accomplishments he has said that his work with the Creation is his most essential contribution to rock.

4. I've had a hell of a time finding out if the backing vocals and the doubling was the band or was Bob Garner overdubbed, any information welcome..

5. Ride apparently covered the song in 1994.

6. According to this, the group appeared at The Alexandra Palace 14 Hour Technicolour Dream, although they don't show up on the Wikipedia article about the event.

7. There's a neat switch in the vocals in the second verse -- it changes tone. But once again, there's no information I can find on the arrangement of this single.

8. Noise aside, a fairly typical outro for the period: a sloppy false ending, followed by repeat of the hook and fade.

9. I think (but am not sure) that the brief chord swap up right before the chorus is one of the chord progressions that are often seen as the signature garage/freakbeat progressions -- but I've lost my notes on those progressions, will look around shortly...