As the hippie counterculture spread across Europe in the late ‘60s, Shocking Blue were among the bands leading the colourful parade. The Dutch band straddled the sultry mystique of Jefferson Airplane and the loose, funky acid rock grooves of Strawberry Alarm Clock. Guitarist Robbie van Leeuwen laid down elastic, echoing riffs, but it was frontwoman Mariska Veres who took Shocking Blue so much higher. Her blustery delivery on early hits like “Send Me a Postcard” rivalled that of any rock singer of the era. This collection is a trip to an adventurous age of rock.