A strong contender for the finest overlooked American band of the mid-'60s,
the Remains (led by Barry Tashian) were the most notable Boston group of the era. But they never broke out nationally, despite signing to Epic and copping an opening slot on
the Beatles' final American tour in 1966. Sometimes described as a garage band, that designation isn't at all accurate;
the Remains shared the same British Invasion influences as many American teen acts, but had a lot of professional finesse to their straight-ahead attack and sharp songwriting, sometimes sounding like a fusion of
the Beatles and
the Zombies with their energetic harmonies and guitar-electric keyboard blend.
Four fine singles for Epic found little action outside of the Northeast.
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Frustrated by the disparity they perceived between their studio work and their furious live show, they cut an audition tape for Capitol, although no offer from the label was forthcoming (the session was issued for collectors many years later). An uneven but solid debut album for Epic was released near the end of 1966, but by that time
the Remains were breaking up, dispirited by the stalemate in which their career seemed to have been mired.
Remains drummer N.D. Smart II played with
Gram Parsons and
Emmylou Harris; Tashian also played with
Harris, and today is a Nashville-based country-folk musician, often recording as a duo with his wife, Holly. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide
