The Strawberry Alarm Clock Anthology is an 18-track compilation CD released in 1993. It comprises many of Strawberry Alarm Clock’s more notable songs. The disc was put out by One Way Records.
As an overview of the Clock’s musical output 1967-71, The Strawberry Alarm Clock Anthology isn’t exactly comprehensive, but the music is excellent. The selections from the band’s first two albums, Incense And Peppermints and Wake Up… It’s Tomorrow, are very well-chosen. They make up a full two-thirds of the anthology.
This, of course, means that the band’s two final albums and assorted singles get short shrift (as usual). Only the 1971 compilation Changes treats latter-day SAC with any respect. The band’s third album, The World In A Sea Shell, contributes four songs to The Strawberry Alarm Clock Anthology, and Good Morning Starshine is represented by only one song (the excellent “Small Package”).
What else is and isn’t on The Strawberry Alarm Clock Anthology
The Strawberry Alarm Clock Anthology ignores the band’s non-LP singles almost entirely, thus bypassing classics like “Starting Out The Day” and “Desireé”. Cuttingly, it contains no songs from the band’s tenure with vocalist Paul Marshall (tracks from 1971’s Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls, for instance).
The only exception is the 1967 non-LP b-side of “Incense And Peppermints” called “The Birdman Of Alkatrash”. Despite its relative musical unworthiness, “Aklatrash” gets included on nearly every SAC compilation due to its incidental relationship with that #1 hit song.
The Anthology is rather easy to find, especially used, but anyone interested in a compilation of the band this long should probably either get the 21-track CD version of Strawberries Mean Love instead, or the original four albums.
One major advantage The Strawberry Alarm Clock Anthology has, however, is that all three songs of the “Black Butter” suite (“Past”, “Present”, and “Future”) are on it (Strawberries Mean Love includes only “Black Butter, Present”).
Ultimately, my recommendation is to just get the original four studio albums by the band. But, if you see The Strawberry Alarm Clock Anthology for sale cheap, it’s worth picking up for a good taste of the band. And SAC completists of course will need a copy.
Beware the front cover!
The cover of The Strawberry Alarm Clock Anthology repurposes the cover of the band’s second album from 1968, Wake Up… It’s Tomorrow. The only difference is the wording (of course) and the border around all four edges which repeats the word ANTHOLOGY over and over. When looking for either of these, make sure you’re getting the correct one.
Track listing
- “Incense And Peppermints” – from Incense And Peppermints
- “Tomorrow” – from Wake Up… It’s Tomorrow
- “Sit With The Guru” – from Wake Up… It’s Tomorrow
- “Barefoot In Baltimore” – from The World In A Sea Shell
- “Paxton’s Back Street Carnival” – from Incense And Peppermints
- “The World’s On Fire” – from Incense And Peppermints
- “Strawberries Mean Love” – from Incense And Peppermints
- “Rainy Day Mushroom Pillow” – from Incense And Peppermints
- “Sea Shell” – from The World In A Sea Shell
- “Blues For A Young Girl Gone” – from The World In A Sea Shell
- “Pretty Song From Psych-Out” – from Wake Up… It’s Tomorrow
- “The Birdman Of Alkatrash” – 1967 single b-side
- “They Saw The Fat One Coming” – from Wake Up… It’s Tomorrow
- “Small Package” – from Good Morning Starshine
- “Love Me Again” – from The World In A Sea Shell
- “Black Butter, Past” – from Wake Up… It’s Tomorrow
- “Black Butter, Present” – from Wake Up… It’s Tomorrow
- “Black Butter, Future” – from Wake Up… It’s Tomorrow
Would be nice to get the new albumn “Wake Up Where You Are” by the Strawberry Alarm Clock. Finally released April 2012 with new material as well as redone oldies.