The Loot

This modestly annotated collection deserves credit for assembling all of the tracks from the Loot's 1966-1969 singles in one place, as well as adding a couple rare cuts from French releases, and a couple from "a Page One demo single that was never officially released." That's a big help to collectors who'd have a hard time tracking down the original singles, but it doesn't change the Loot's status as lesser wannabe Troggs. Most of the 14 tracks here, in fact, sound like somewhat faded Troggs imitations, or, to be more charitable, Troggs LP filler. And, in fact, a couple of the songs here ("Baby Come Closer" and "Meet Jacqueline") were recorded by the Troggs as well (on their 1967 Trogglodynamite album), though as it happened the Loot's versions came out first. It's not a bad record for all that, but don't gear your expectations for something on the level of the Troggs or other outstanding British bands of the time. As a point of interest, note that the 1969 single "Try to Keep It a Secret" was written by Caleb Quaye, soon to become a noted session musician on records by Elton John and others.