Just as Shakespeare's appeal builds on timeless themes, 'Nuggets II' contains the bedrock of rock swagger and melody that we continue to hear today. At over 130 songs, these 2 to 4 minute gems were studiously chosen for their combination of pure melody, psychadelic edge, and free-spirited tenacity. The UK in the late 60's was a fertile breeding ground for music exploration, and quite often, alot of these bands had a short shelf-life. 'Nuggets II' assembles the best of these forgotten recordings by obscure bands/artists, each song several minutes of distilled songwriting and colourful riffs, gravitating from snarling irreverance to the occasional feelgood pick-me-up. This 4 CD collection captures the structural essence and rebellious spirit which continues to be recycled and reintroduced in cycles. It's fascinating how alot of this stuff sounds so fresh and familar today. There's no need to be gold-digging and flipping through dusty vinyl any longer, all that you're looking for is right here. 'Nuggets II' is the genesis, the musical seeds for the movements which were to follow.

I enjoyed most of the songs on this collection and love that distinctive 1960s electric guitar arrangements.

What makes this collection stand out is that it reflects musical influences and styles from around the world. Listeners won't be disappointed to hear the classic sounds that helped define the Baby Boomers' Geration.

Although I thought this was a decent collection and selection, I would still recommend "Nuggets Original Artyfacts" over this one.

I own both Nuggets 1 and 2 and I'd have to say I prefer Nuggets 2 to the American Nuggets1. The songs on the 2nd Nuggets collection have stronger melodies and vocals and are a bit more psychedelic than the American Nuggets. If you enjoy the Beatles, The Rolling Stones, the Who, the Yardbirds, the Kinks, the Zombies and early Pink Floyd then you probably will enjoy this trippy compilation of psychedelic and bluesy songs from 1965-1968. Some really great bands featured here are The Move, Fire, The Smoke.the Creation,The Birds,The Eyes, The La De Das, Les Fleur De Lys,The Thoughts and others. If you enjoy mostly obscure but great psychedelic one hit wonders from the 60s pick this up. You will not be disappointed.

I will agree with most of the other reviewers that the first Nuggets set was better- then again, I'm a bit partial to the American garage band scene from the 60's. This set is a bit more trippy, but it's an awesome set nonetheless. This set is filled with much more obscure stuff than the first set- it's kind of cool listening to "new" stuff that's 35-40 years old. The first CD is the best by far- song after song is excellent. Bands like "The Creation" (who played in Detroit last summer), "The Move", "The Easybeats" (the older brother of AC/DC's Young bro's), etc. The song that really stands out for me is "Social End Product" by New Zealand's "The Bluestars". This song pretty much epitomizes the scene at the time. "It's not my fault that I don't belong...it's the world around me that's gone all wrong." Flash back and have a groovy time...

This box set, when I first got it a while back, turned me on to a whole area of music I had only sniffed at by listening to the Pretty Things and Who. This set contains some of the most exciting flamboyant, atmospheric music....EVER! I strongly believe, that in another, fairer universe, Wimple Winch and the B**tles would have swapped fates....(lets see who only gets to release three flop singles now!) Personally, whilst being a fan of both Uk and US psych, my preference does tend towards the UK, but Since this I have become totally obsessed by UK Freakbeat groups, and worldwide Psych. Listening to this now, however has revealed a few new opinons after my early falling in love stage.
Maybe I am biased as my chosen religion is UK Freakbeat, but I feel there is easily enough solely UK stuff to have filled this box exclusively with UK tunes. Most of the weaker tracks on here, bar a few notable exceptions are non uk tracks, and there are loads of great UK things conspicuously absent from here. 'Allen Pound's Get Rich', 'Thane Russal' 'The Hush', 'Him and the Others','one in a million'? These are all 100% stone classic freakbeat acts that would be on there if I comped it, and I have only been into this stuff for five or so years. Goodness knows what the old collectors who own all this stuff would dig out!!? Really, Rhino were total, total IDIOTS for essentially making this set a 'not america' compilation. They have killed the 'Nuggets box set franchise' almost immediately. I know there is enough stuff for a four cd US comp, a four cd Uk Comp(that would have been better than this), at least a three cd Aussie one....HOllAND! Don't get me started. I would have bought all of them, and so would thousands of other people. Buy this box set if you don't own it, but shed a silent tear for what might have been! (and completely ignore the other reviewers who diss this stuff for not being us garage mark two!)