Always out of place, the Flamin Groovies were almost always great. When San Francisco was drowning in late-'60s hippie excess, the Groovies responded with tight, riff-heavy pop songs such as "Teenage Head" and "High-Flyin' Baby." Predictably enough, not too many people noticed. So what do the Groovies do? They move to England, transform themselves into a hard-rocking, jangly merseybeat outfit, and release the critically acclaimed Shake Some Action. The year was 1976, a period better known for punk than for retro-pop. Oh well and too bad for the Groovies, but not so bad for us, as this collection demonstrates. With should-have-been hits like "You Tore Me Down" and "Slow Death," Groovies' Greatest Grooves is the perfect introduction to San Francisco's most accomplished misfits. --Percy Keegan