Yesterday’s Children, one of many groups by that name,offers up an above average slice of early-1970s hard rock. Fronted by brothers Dennis (vocals) and Richard (guitar) Croce, they were apparently from Connecticut and even though their album was released in 1969, cut their first sides back in 1966. Signed and released by London's Parrot subsidiary, they debuted with a pair of garage rockers that are supposedly quite good - To Be or Not To Be' b/w 'Baby I Want You' (Parrot catalog number 314), in a wave very similar to the fictional group of worship Max Frost and the Troopers, Kollektives Garage Psych well moved, typical mid 60's.
Three years later the band reappeared on the New York-based Map City label in 1969 this group debuts with album "Yesterday's Children" that in my opinion it is the wonder of wonders,and these guys really they did an excellent job.
"Yesterday's Children" touted as being a psychodelia masterpiece, but the truth of the matter is that original material like 'Paranoia', 'She's Easy' and 'Providence Bummer' are better described as straight ahead hard rock. Certainly quality early-1970s hard rock, but nevertheless hard rock. Dennis Croce's screeching voice certainly packed a wallop and at least to my ears on tracks like 'Sad Born Loser' he occasionally recalled AC/DC's Bon Scott - particularly when he went for the throat tearing high notes. The hard rock comparison was also underscored by the twin lead guitars (courtesy of Richard Croce and Reggie Wright). The pair added a nifty melodic edge to tracks like 'Sailing' and the band's surprisingly light cover of Wilkinson Tricycle's 'What of I'. Interestingly Map City picked the two non-originals as a single: the previously mentioned 'What Of I' b/w a cover of Spooky Tooth's 'Evil Woman' (Map City catalog number 304). (Elsewhere, Michael Kanarek was credited with the cool cover art.) or his debut garage wave left behind (although in some parts of the disk medium garage hear) and are inclined to make a heavy psych boogie tones / blues and very lysergic atmospheres. These guys have been compared to bands like psychedelic Banchee and Sir Lord Baltimore, being of the first heavy psych groups on the East Coast of the United States, although they are very different in these two groups, perhaps are equally good, but play different things, Banchee is Rock Acid heavy, Sir Lord Baltimore is Stoner Psych and Yesterday's Children is something like Heavy Psych / Boogie / Garage Rock in a line similar to what they would do a year later Cactus, and also a bit similar to MC5, though mixed with a heavy dose of psychedelia and heavy acid ...here we find a great performances, especially from guitarist and vocalist, which has a varied tone of voice that can go 'raspy' sounds in songs like ''Providence Bummer'', a treble and screaming in "Evil Woman" garageras tunes and even a voice soft enough "What of I". The band's sound can range from Heavy psychedelia as "Paranoia", "Sailing", "Sad Born Loser", the cover "Evil Woman", "She's Easy" and "Hunter's Moon" (the latter two MASTERPIECES! ) to semi-psychedelic garage balade in "What of I" in to boogie ''Providence Brummer" (my favorite album). A truly excellent album, at least in my opinion. Recommended to those who like bands like Pink Frijid, the Damnation of Adam Blessing, Steppenwolf, Cactus, Odyssey, Lyd, Blue Cheer, Banchee, Sir Lord Baltimore... etc... the original vinyl must pay the price from $ 200 up.
Exactly where Yesterday’s Children came from and who was in the band was something of a mystery until recently. I’d read them listed as being from Valhalla in Westchester County, but the only basis for that was the fact that Don Krantz also was in a hard-rock group called Valhalla. In actual fact they came from Rockville Centre in Nassau County, Long Island.
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