Pieces

The bad news is that the folks at Sonic Past Music chose to begin this Millennium compilation with a demo version of “Prelude” sans drums, instead of the awesome finished take where the finely tuned mix of bombastic beats reveals a production way ahead of its 1968 origin. But other than that, Pieces is the best-compiled representation of the Millennium next to the extensive three-disc box entitled Magic Time released on Sundazed Records in 2001. The early incarnation of “To Claudia On Thursday” is just as magic in its embryonic form as it was when finished and mixed — it defined the short-lived sunshine-pop movement from the mid-'60s to the early '70s, characterized by airtight harmonies and smiling melodies. The stripped-down take on “I Just Don’t Know How to Say Goodbye” is another standout, as it bobs and floats on the otherworldly vocal harmonies of Joey Stec, Curt Boettcher, Lee Mallory, Sandy Salisbury and Michael Fennelly. “Suspend Animation” incorporates Spanish-tinged guitars with a Byrds-y jangle to make for something that sounds both new and vaguely familiar.