The Standells - Dirty Water/Rari

I had a whole different plan for today — a bold, visionary direction, the kind of thing that would make curators weep and archivists applaud — but once again my photo folders staged a full‑scale rebellion. They’ve barricaded themselves somewhere deep in the digital catacombs and left a note saying, “Organize us this weekend or perish.” 

So instead, I bring you a stone cold classic — yes, the one we all hear constantly, the one that’s practically required by law to appear on any garage rock playlist. But I must confess something that may get me banished from the Record Collector’s Guild: I’ve owned this 45 for over half my life, and June was probably the first time I ever played the B side.

I know. I know. You’re already muttering, “Doesn’t he always say flip the beast over?” Guilty, your honor and I throw myself on the mercy of the court. Please don't send me to the gallows or sentence me to 50 lashes. And for the record, there will be no "Please sir, may I have another?" coming from these lips.

But back to the wax: Dirty Water is a classic, sure — it’s earned its accolades, its airplay, and its permanent residency in the collective garage rock brain. But holy moly, Rari is a full blown scorcher. Honestly, it might be the real star of this 45. I always root for the underdog, and Rari grabs you right from the intro: killer guitar, organ that sounds like it’s possessed by a friendly demon, pounding drums, and then former Mouseketeer Dick Dodd hollers, “RARI, they told me not to fall for an island girl.” Fantastic.

Of course, my overactive brain immediately wonders why DJs didn’t flip this baby over too — but once you hold that white label promo in your grubby little hands, you realize Dirty Water is on both sides. Tower Records said, “No risks. No surprises. No underdogs.” They were taking zero chances with this one. They weren't about to let an ambitious DJ accidentally discover another great song when they had a hit to shove down everyone's throat. Can you blame them? Probably not. Do I still think Rari deserves more love? Absolutely.