Q: What do the Byrds and Paul Revere and the Raiders have in common? Give up? A: Both were produced by Terry Melcher. There’s a tendency to not take the Raiders seriously. Dressing up in Revolutionary War garb will have this effect. I happen to think the duds are fun, and ‘kinda cool. More importantly, the Raiders had some great songs and there’s an unmistakable edge underneath all the dressup. I think this is Mr. Melcher’s influence. And it’s quite likely via Melcher that we can hear echoes of the Byrds in the marvelous 12-string jangle that’s at the heart of Kicks, written by the dynamic hubby ‘n wife duo of Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil...
It’s easy enough to poo poo Kicks as the prototype for Just Say No, as a conservative PSA masquerading as social commentary, as folk rock for young Republicans, and on and on. I’m more charitable than this for no other reason than that the song fucking swings. Mark Lindsey’s delivery of its message is utterly inspired. The earnestness in his voice makes you drop your guard. And every junkie’s like a setting sun. The irony is that Melcher was in all likelihood stoned out of his mind during the recording sessions. But who cares if the message is jive and square - and who gives a shit if the band dresses up like George Washington - when you have a song that’s so economical in delivering pop perfection?
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