Album of the Day

While noting the limitations of rock circa 1969, leading critic Robert Christgau praised The Rascal's SEE for utilizing those limitations “with all of the annoying pretensions absent and the pleasant ones retained.” And while some of the ambition of the album's most recent predecessors remains – a touch of psychedelia here, a bit of jazz there (not to mention the Magritte cover art) – there is definitely a back-to-basics feel about this set. You can hear it in the punchy attack of “Carry Me Back,” “Hold On” and the title track, all of which recall the blue-eyed soul and garage rock excitement the quartet delivered when they were Young. While keyboardist Felix Cavaliere penned the bulk of these songs, the singing and playing are cohesive and committed throughout, ensuring that SEE remains a must-hear as it hits the half-century mark.