Various Artists

Legendary songwriter, music publisher, producer, talent scout, and all-around-eccentric L.A. scenester Kim Fowley had his paws all over hundreds of recordings over the past 40 years. This compilation offers a diverse selection of his ’60s activity, from his first big hit, “Alley-Oop” in 1960 with a non-existent band (The Hollywood Argyles), to such garage classics as the surfy “The Comedown Song” (Spider), girl-group prom harmonies with “Popsicles & Icicles” (The Murmaids) as well as Fowley’s solo material—howling freak rockers “Animal Man” and “Bubble Gum” (later covered by Sonic Youth). While certain songs weather better than others, the album succeeds as a rambunctious nostalgia trip through eccentric ’60s pop. Extensive liner notes tell Fowley’s unique story as a runaway and former music hustler who earned his description as the “Forrest Gump of rock-’n’-roll.”