The Turtles “The Turtles Present The Battle of the Bands” (1968)

In the classic film “Sybil,” Sally Field won an Emmy for her portrayal of a young girl with a dozen different personalties. The Turtles never won a grammy for “Battle of the Bands,” but they should have! They’re just as convincing here in their portrayal of twelve different bands performing twelve different genres in a high-school talent show. In doing so they pay tribute to the entire late-sixties musical spectrum including The Beatles, Psychedelia, R&B, surf, bubblegum, folk-rock, country and garage and create one of the greatest concept albums of all time! My favorite tracks are the psychedelic, fuzzed out tribute to Booker T & The MG’s “Buzzsaw,” the silly tribal chant “I’m Chief Kamanawanalea (We’re the Royal Macadamia Nuts),” best known for it’s Beastie Boys sample, and the lush Brian Wilson inspired “Earth Anthem” to name just a few. The Turtles’ “Battle” is surprisingly cohesive while being delightfully schizophrenic. –David