Artist: The Equals
Title: Black Skin Blue Eyed Boys...The Anthology
Year Of Release: 1999
Label: Sequel Records [NEECD 336]
Genre: Psychedelic Pop, Rock, Soul, Funk, Bubblegum
Quality: FLAC (tracks+cue, log, scans)
Total Time: 2:20:22

Anyone who thinks of the Equals as nothing but a prelude to Eddy Grant's solo career will find revelations throughout this 50-song double-CD set -- the diversity of sounds here is quite staggering, and all the more so as the quintet was so good at all of it: British Invasion-style rock & roll, psychedelic pop, freakbeat, bubblegum, they could do it all, and with an edge that always told you there was more to this band than what their records were letting you in on. The 140 minutes of music here is as much of the Equals as most of us might ever need to hear, starting from their October 1966 single "I Won't Be There" b/w "Fire," and going up through "Diversion," Grant's last authored single for the band, in 1973. In between are all of the singles and B-sides of any significance, plus the most important tracks off of their LPs Unequaled Equals, Equals Explosion, Sensational Equals, Equals Supreme, Equals Strike Again, and The Equals Rock Around the Clock, and the various EPs interspersed between these. Completists might only be satisfied with all of the latter, represented on CDs with a brace of bonus tracks, but this 50-song compilation is impressive in its own right, and as solid a selection of their best work across seven years as one is ever likely to hear. All of it is present in exceptionally good sound and fully annotated by the always reliable and fascinating Roger Dopson.

Tracklist:
CD 1
01. I Won't Be There - Equals
02. Fire - Equals
03. Baby Come Back - Equals
04. Hold Me Closer - Equals
05. Can't Find a Girl to Love Me - Equals
06. Ding Dong - Equals
07. My Life Ain't Easy - Equals
08. I'm a Poor Man - Equals
09. You Lied Just to Save Your Name - Equals
10. Hey Baby It's Time You Got Going - Equals
11. Give Love a Try - Equals
12. Giddy Up a Ding Dong - Equals
13. Police on My Back- Equals
14. Teardrops - Equals
15. Leaving You Is Hard to Do - Equals
16. You'd Better Tell Her - Equals
17. I Get So Excited - Equals
18. The Skies Above - Equals
19. Laurel & Hardy - Equals
20. The Guy Who Made Her a Star - Equals
21. Is It Right - Equals
22. Look What You've Done to My Daughter - Equals
23. Soul Groovin' - Equals
24. Butterfly Red, White & Blue - Equals
25. Softly Softly - Equals
CD 2
01. Lonely Rita - Equals
02. Lonely - Equals
03. Don't Throw Your Love Away - Equals
04. Christine - Equals
05. I'm Gonna Dance All Night - Equals
06. Just Me and You - Equals
07. Green Light - Equals
08. Love Potion - Equals
09. Be My Baby Tonight - Equals
10. Michael & His Slipper Tree - Equals
11. Honey Gum - Equals
12. Ain't Got Nothing to Give You - Equals
13. Let's Go to the Moon - Equals
14. A Room of Doom - Equals
15. Take a Little Sad Song - Equals
16. Viva Bobby Joe - Equals
17. I Can't Let You Go - Equals
18. Rub a Dub Dub - Equals
19. Soul Brother Clifford - Equals
20. I Can See But You Don't Know - Equals
21. Black Skin Blue Eyed Boys - Equals
22. Help Me Simone - Equals
23. Honey Bee - Equals
24. Diversion - Equals
25. Stand Up and Be Counted - Equals