None of the members had any real band experience, and the
direction they opted for was largely determined by the
instruments they bought; their collective musical tastes were too
diverse to provide a suitable launching point, ranging as they do
from blues to the Residents. -- Sheena,
Boston
Rock, October 1, 1981, Issue 22
Sheena's account of the early Neats does a good job of setting
the stage for a band that is commonly said to have had two
careers--the first as a garage-punk band, with jangly guitars
that drew occasional Byrds comparisons, and the second with a
more apparent blues influence. But on the airwaves and in the
minds of many New Englanders, the Neats had another, earlier
career--a short one. That phase in the history of the group
found expression in the recording, "6," easily the most acclaimed
track on the four-song Propeller Productions compilation (7" EP,
Propeller, 1981).
The Neats1
- Phil Caruso
- Jerry Channell
- Terry Hanley
- Eric Martin
Instrumentally, they're one of the most interesting combos around
these days.... They play Voxx equipment almost exclusively and
have a terrific '60s American psychedelic sound. ... All this
band really needs to get its name around a little more is a well-
produced single, and from what I hear there may very well be one
forthcoming shortly. -- Jim Coffman,
2
Take It!, Issue B, I'm guessing 12/1980
We saw them at the
Rat and we absolutely loved them. They have become one of the biggest draws at the
Underground
3 because people know when they go see the Neats they'll always have a terrific time. -- Candy and Crass,
Boston Rock, May 14, 1981, Issue 17
Propeller Records, a collective comprised of eight or nine local
bands has scheduled a four-band, four-song 45 for June release.
On the strength of this [advance, final-mix] tape alone, the
number of good, recorded bands in this town has doubled. And if
the Neats are as good live as they are on "Six," the EP's opener,
then Boston really has something to be excited about. ... "Six"
boasts a demented bass line, sneering vocals, and a, umm, well, a
neat organ sound. A stellar vinyl debut for this
band.
4 -- Michael Hafitz,
Boston
Rock, May 14, 1981, Issue 17
[T]he Neats' vision of psychedelia is an adroitly updated
one that goes clearly beyond the limited boundaries of
'60s garage-band revivalism, although they
have brought
the most important aspects of that genre with them into the
current decade--reverb, Vox/Farfisa organs and
fun.
5 -- Tristram Lozaw,
Boston
Rock, August 6, 1981, Issue 20
There's another stack of records by local bands to review, and it
includes one song I can't play enough: an avant garage
breakthrough by the Neats called "Six," on a four-band EP from
Propeller Records. -- Doug Simmons, Boston Phoenix, August
25, 1981
Bass player and singer Jerry Channell mostly chants "six" over
and over, as if he were on acid and enraptured by
Sesame
Street. His semi-singing is pushed by a brisk toe-tapping
rhythm, with no-sweat drumming by Terry Hanley, sinewy out-of-
the-way riffs by guitarist Phil Caruso, and wandering, dreamy
organ figures by Eric Martin (who usually plays guitar and sings
lead). -- Doug Simmons,
Boston Phoenix, August 25,
1981
As more and more bands zone off into increasingly dull
experimental regions, it's refreshing to find a band playing
wipe-out, melodic, delicious throwback music. Surely you've been
hypnotized by "Six" (their swirling, organ-drenched track on the
recent Propeller compilation EP) or their catchy tape, "Do the
Things." Live, the Neats' sound is dense, intricate
and reverb-y; they wring every drop out of the 60's cliches
they play, embellish lavishly, and trade both instruments and
vocals. -- Sheena,
Boston Rock, October 1, 1981, Issue
22
The knockout punch of "Six" was enough to move the Neats from
Mondays into the weekend headlining slot. An amateur's triumph
that they have yet to surpass (though they've often come close),
it made the band synonymous with the deadly serious fun of the
Underground's scene. And when, in 1981, BU bought out the club's
lease and served an eviction notice, there was no question that
the Neats were the band to book on closing night. -- Doug
Simmons, Boston Phoenix, September 6, 1983
The punk sound was already gone when the Neats made their vinyl
debut, on a February '81 EP for the now-defunct Propeller label.
The Neats' track, "Six," was a lesson in musical numerology
driven by Martin's Vox organ and Channell's deadpan vocal. It
had a more ominous sound than early Neats; but, said Martin, "It
didn't really represent the band. It was just one aspect of our
sound, and it was a little different." -- Brett Milano, Boston
Rock, September 6, 1983, Issue 43
NEMSbook
With the new wave explosion came bands--in England and across America--that decided to release records without the backing of a major record company. This do-it-yourself approach enabled a group to make an immediate splash on the homefront and circumvent the often slow-to-react music industry. -- No
byline, Boston Globe, May 21, 1981
When I want to dance, there's one band I scan the papers for--the Neats.
-- Sheena, Boston Rock, October 1, 1981, Issue 22
1. Dave Lee and Jay Parham graced other lineups of the Neats. An early article named Skip Welch as the Neats' guitar maintenance/sound technician. The Blues End Blue (CD, Coyote, 1989) jewel box identified Andrew Cummings as the
band's guitar and drum tech.
2. Jim Coffman is known for a variety of things
but probably mostly for booking the Underground. See next
note.
3. The Underground was a truly legendary Boston
rock club that opened in February 1980 and was brought down on
Sunday evening, June 21, 1981. That night when the Neats swung
into a cover of the 13th Floor Elevators' "You're Gonna Miss Me,"
audience members decided to take the closing into its own hands,
pulling down ceilings, tearing off wall fixtures, blowing up
toilets, and generally having a good time. The mayhem continued
through "Another Broken Dream." That performance was recorded
and released on the Propeller cassette anthology (cassette,
Propeller, 1981). -- "Talk about capturing a moment..." --
Michael Hafitz, Boston Rock, November 5, 1981, Issue
23
4. Though the quoted passage makes it clear it
was written before the release of the Propeller EP, this point
seems well worth stressing. "6" was an instant hit here in New
England.
5. An important point by Tristram Lozaw
(Someone and the Somebodies, World at Play, Boston Rock).
Our files show that members of the Neats did not care to be
categorized as a garage-punk psychedelic retro outfit.
Do you have an e-mail address for Michael Mayhan, who shot the photo at the top of this page? If so, please get in touch or, if you'd prefer, send him our e-mail address and ask him to write us. Thanks.
-- Alan Lewis, December 16, 2002
Notes copyright © 2002 by Alan Lewis.
All rights reserved.
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