My own Pop Roots! The Fab Sixties (20 CDs of sheer seminal excellent pop) | Buttrerboy

 

VA - The Fab Sixties Vol. 01 - Vol. 20 [2004-2005] (20 x CDs)

I mean just visit and check out the track listing . . .not a duff tune in sight not always to everyone’s taste but heck there’s something fer yew!

Butterboy says:

Released by Musicbank UK between 2004 and 2005, The Fab Sixties is a sprawling 20CD box set that offers a panoramic sweep of 1960s pop, rock, soul, and psychedelia. With 320 tracks spread evenly across the volumes, it’s less a curated museum piece and more a jukebox explosion, capturing the decade’s sonic diversity with both chart-toppers and deep cuts.

Each disc contains 16 tracks, and while marquee names like Tom Jones, Roy Orbison, The Mamas & The Papas, and The Spencer Davis Group anchor the set, it’s the lesser-known inclusions that give it character. Artists like Pinkerton’s Assorted Colours, Vanity Fare, and Malcolm Roberts, often overlooked in mainstream retrospectives, are given equal billing, reflecting Musicbank’s democratic approach to curation.

Stylistically, the set is a kaleidoscope. You’ll hear British Invasion stompers, Motown soul burners, garage fuzz, folk-pop ballads, and even early psych-rock. Tracks like Love’s “7 & 7 Is”, Jimi Hendrix’s “Purple Haze”, and Jefferson Airplane’s “Somebody to Love” inject grit and edge, while Dinah Washington, Percy Sledge, and Betty Everett bring emotional depth and vocal firepower. The sequencing across volumes is intuitive, often balancing upbeat numbers with slower, reflective pieces, making each disc feel like a standalone listening experience.

The packaging is modest, cardboard sleeves housed in a sturdy outer box, but functional. There’s no elaborate booklet or liner notes, which might disappoint detail-hungry collectors, but the track selection itself acts as a curatorial statement. It’s clear the compilers favored vibe over chronology, and variety over genre purity, resulting in a set that feels spontaneous and alive.

While not marketed as a rarities collection, there are alternate takes, re-recordings, and lesser-known versions peppered throughout, adding texture for seasoned ears. Some tracks appear in subtly different mixes or edits, which may intrigue audiophiles and archivists. The mastering is clean and consistent, though not audiophile grade, this is a set meant for enjoyment, not forensic analysis.

In essence, The Fab Sixties is a generous, no-frills celebration of the decade’s enduring magic. It’s ideal for newcomers seeking a crash course in ’60s sounds and equally rewarding for collectors who appreciate the charm of a well-sequenced, eclectic compilation. It doesn’t aim to be definitive, but it’s undeniably fun, accessible, and packed with personality, much like the era it celebrates. For fans of the era, it’s a generous, no-frills celebration of the decade’s enduring magic (Butterboy)