There is little doubt that the first album by The Fugs has proven influencial to many bands. Into the first few bars of the opening track, “Slum Goddess”, you realize they were on the edge of something here, this album captures an attitude and perfoming style which fortells the punk scene that would happen little over ten years later. The opening track sets the stage, and the following track, “Ah Sunflower Weary of Time” is out of place. It brings the mood down after “Slum Goddess” builds it up. It’s a poem set to music, and perhaps should have been towards the end of the album, but I won’t complain — there’s too many good moments on this album. Next is “Supergirl”, a song that could easily be released today and would not sound out of place on the charts. After all, they were ahead of their time somewhat. “Swinburne Stomp” serves the same purpose as “Sunflower”, but “I Couldn’t Get High” follows right after. There was never before such a track as this, or one that reached the public as widely as this did. Drummer Ken Weaver makes a rare vocal appearance on this song. The title is self-explanatory. It is followed by “How Sweet I Roamed From Field To Field”. Poetry, as was some earlier tracks, it actually holds up a little better, though. It fits as the opener to the other half of the album. Next is the album’s longest track, “Carpe Diem”. It’s something of a hypnotic chant, which draws the listener in. The tremeloed-guitar, the recurring drum beat and the groups vocalizations, and it’s repeated lyrics (carpe diem/death is a‑comin’ in) and chorus all work together. One of the better tracks, and it manages to be quite psychedelic too. Then you have the drunkenish country-like sing-a-long “My Baby Done Left Me” which provides a relief from the serious nature of the previous track. Afterwards is a song you probably heard done later on by Fugs alumni Steve Weber (who wrote it) and Peter Stampel as the Holy Modal Rounders, called “Boobs a Lot”. The Fugs version has become something of an obscurity, even though it was recorded six years before the Rounders version. Winding it all down is “Nothing”. Which is, to borrow from it’s lyrics, a “whole lot of nothing”. So simple, but manages to be more negative that most ‘negative’ songs you hear.

Essential? Sure. The CD reissue on Fantasy (Big Beat to those in the UK) includes quite a bit of bonus material, including a compilation of Tuli Kupferberg’s home recordings, narrated by Ed Sanders, called “The Rhapsody of Tuli”.

If you have even a passing interest in punk music, or even the evolution of pop or just missed this one back in the 60’s, seek it out. This album hasn’t aged a bit either, today’s generation should take a listen to this.