"Damn! Straight outta Belfast!" are not some of Van Morrison's most memorable words (probably because he never said them). Nonetheless, Them took the mic in 1964 with a classic R&B; number called "Baby Please Don't Go" and an original rock smash called "Gloria." As far as the general public goes, that's all that matters. But for folks that know good music when they hear it, Them's a little more than just another '60s band with a familiar song or two in their repertoire. Them was Van Morrison's first commercially successful band, whose soulful grunge inspired people like the Doors and Patti Smith to rock and roll.

Between 1964 and 1966, Them put out two records with Morrison on vocals. They happen to be the only albums in the band's catalog that matter. It's weird when you think about how irritating old Van is these days-- what with him whining "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You" over K-Mart PAs across the country-- that he was once the driving force behind an essential band. But, as difficult as that is to believe, The Story of Them, a two-disc compilation of the material they recorded while at their peak, is hard evidence.

Them happen to have some cred in the indie world, but it's not just 'cause Beck used a sampled loop from one of their most outstanding tracks, "It's All Over Now Baby Blue," on 1996's ingenious Odelay. It's because they were a band that performed with raw intensity and because their thundering garage rock blues came on with its foot to the floor.

-Ryan Schreiber