The Feminine Complex: To Be In Love

Not too many people remember The Feminine Complex, a late-'60s teen girl group that recorded one overproduced but engaging album (Livin' Love) before splitting up following high-school graduation. But among the group's longtime proponents is Teenbeat Records honcho and Unrest frontman Mark Robinson; he helped bring about a 1996 reissue of Livin' Love, which included a bunch of excellent demo recordings. Hearing all those lost pop gems is a downright exhilarating experience, but was there a need for To Be In Love, a collection of live tracks and demos of decidedly varying sound quality Well, it depends on your perspective: For the diehard fan—and after last year, there are more than the band likely ever anticipated—the record is a compelling chronicle of The Feminine Complex's progress from basement-bound cover band to accomplished regional touring sensation. For everyone else, it's awfully spotty. Recordings like "Without You" are several generations old and sound terrible, while numerous covers of songs like "(I'm Not Your) Stepping Stone" are worth having for archival purposes only. (That's saying nothing of the band's dopey rendition of "Here Comes The Judge.") Still, there are some magnificent pop nuggets strewn throughout To Be In Love; you'll just want to pick up the excellent Livin' Love before deciding whether to venture further into the band's vaults.