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For fans of riff-driven, raw garage rock, Michigan Mayhem Vol. 1 is a good place to start. Most of the tracks on Michigan Mayhem Vol. 1 are good and it's a fairly eclectic compilation—from the acid rock of Black Rose to the psych-pop of the Pagens to the to the R&B-influenced garage rock of the Rationals to the countrified homage to beer by the Pleasure Seekers. Not all of the tracks on Michigan Mayhem Vol. 1 work but the range of styles represented here makes this compilation interesting. "Seance" by the Ebb Tide provides an example of the low-budget horror film music that a number garage revival bands focused on several years later. I'm not sure why this was the case—music like this too often just plods along. The last track in this collection "What a Way to Die" by the Pleasure Seekers is notable because they were an all-female band with a young Suzi Quatro on bass. The song asks her boyfriend not to make her choose between him or beer, which she loves above all, apparently. The title comes from the acknowledgement that beer does not lead to a healthy lifestyle, "I may not make it to 21 but what a way to die" (Hey, remember when alcoholism was funny?) The flip side of this single is much better but not included on Michigan Mayhem Vol. 1. Both sides of the Pleasure Seekers' single are available (with much better sound quality) on the compilation Friday at the Hideout, but that's not to say that Friday at the Hideout is a better compilation than this one. The driving, infectious garage rock on Michigan Mayhem Vol. 1 more than compensates for its occasional inconsistency and less-than-perfect audio quality. As indicated in the title, all of the bands on this compilation came from Michigan, which had thriving scenes of all sorts of music, particularly in Detroit. Perhaps what makes Michigan such a good source of garage rock of the sort on this compilation is that it incorporates eclectic influences while still retaining the inspired amateurism of garage rock.
Michigan Mayhem Vol. 1 is weak on liner notes. This is a little odd considering that they tracked down Steve Lyman of SRC (whose picture appears on the cover) and Scott Morgan of the Rationals. They each provide an extended quote about the origins of the records included on Michigan Mayhem Vol. 1, but that's it for context. The Rationals are represented on this compilation by "Little Girls Cry," which was written for the band by Soul singer and songwriter Deon Jackson, and a cover of the Kinks' "I Need You," which is one of the strongest tracks in this collection. Scott Morgan's comments suggest the disappointment that the band must have felt in not achieving the greater success. Radio station WKNR named them the most popular band in Detroit at the end of 1966 and they released a number of singles over the next three years followed by an LP, but they were able to achieve only regional success. SRC had a similar sort of career, recording several singles and three LPs during their run. Both the Rationals and SRC were associated with Jeep Holland and Steve Lyman speaks of a "bitter split" from Holland. It would have been interesting if the liner notes had provided more information about that—perhaps that would help explain why greater success eluded these two worthy bands. Anyway, enough complaining about the shortcomings of Michigan Mayhem Vol. 1—they certainly don't get in the way of enjoying the music on this compilation.