The memorably named Peanut Butter Conspiracy remains a tiny footnote in rock history. The quintet doesn’t even qualify as a one-hit wonder, as its only charting single, 1967’s “It’s a Happening Thing,” climbed no higher on Billboard’s pop list than No. 93.

Perhaps it’s time for a fresh assessment of this outfit, however. Formed from the ashes of a group called the Ashes (which included future Jefferson Airplane drummer Spencer Dryden), the Peanut Butter Conspiracy dealt in frequently adventurous rock, much of which deserves more attention than it has received.

The Los Angeles–based band, which existed from 1966 to 1970, produced music that recalls contemporaneous California groups like the Airplane, It’s a Beautiful Day, and Big Brother & the Holding Company. Like those outfits, it featured psychedelia-infused instrumentation that emphasized guitar and a talented female lead singer (the late Barbara Robison, aka Sandi Peanut Butter). Some of its performances, such as its extended live version of “It’s a Happening Thing,” could even be mistaken for the work of the Airplane, though elsewhere the group sounds more reminiscent of the Mamas and the Papas or the Association. The talented Gary Usher, who also collaborated with such outfits as the Beach Boys and the Byrds, produced two of the Peanut Butter Conspiracy’s three LPs.

A new 116-song, five-CD box set, titled The Most Up Till Now: A History 1966–1970, includes all those albums, plus dozens of alternate, single, demo, and movie soundtrack recordings. Everything has been remastered for this release, which features three dozen previously unissued tracks, among them 15 from a 1967 concert. A well-illustrated 40-page booklet delivers discographic information and a detailed band history.

Granted, some of the Peanut Butter Conspiracy’s music is underwhelming. Despite the recent trend toward cannabis legalization, moreover, some of the hippie-oriented lyrics sound dated, such as the ones in songs with titles like “Big Bummer,” “Why Did I Get So High,” and “Turn on a Friend.” (At Columbia Records’ suggestion, incidentally, the latter title was changed to “Turn on a Friend (to the Good Life).” According to a note sent to disc jockeys from Billy James, the group’s manager at the time, the parenthetical addition “should make it clear that the Peanut Butter Conspiracy does not advocate converting the nation’s radio listeners into a bunch of dope fiends.”)

The band’s musical stumbles and at times passé lyrics notwithstanding, the clamshell-boxed The Most Up Till Now features quite a few admirable songs and plenty of impressive vocalizing and guitar work. Whether the Peanut Butter Conspiracy produced five long CDs’ worth of notable material is debatable, but the band clearly had more to offer than the one number for which it is barely remembered.

Also Noteworthy

Dar Williams, Hummingbird Highway. One of the many highlights of Dar Williams’s 13^th album is the rousing, trumpet-enhanced “I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight.” Written by Richard Thompson, it’s the only non-original song on this lushly produced album. However, it fits right in with the other nine tracks, most of which showcase upbeat music and hopeful lyrics.

The most charming cut is a bossa nova called “Tu Sais Le Printemps,” which describes an idyllic meeting with a friend as winter gives way to springtime. Other standouts include the title number, which features vocal support by Indigo Girls’ Amy Ray and finds a child speaking to her seemingly troubled parent; the rhythmic, cello-spiced “Olive Tree”; and “Maryland, Maryland,” which concerns Williams’s friend, Congressman Jamie Raskin.

Throughout, the singing is lovely, the melodies are strong, and the lyrics are poetic and pensive. Thirty-five years into her recording career, Williams is still in touch with her muse.

Marshall Crenshaw, From “The Hellhole.” Pieced together from out-of-print EPs and other sources, this CD collects material created at Marshall Crenshaw’s home studio, known as “The Hellhole.” One of the 14 tracks dates from 1990, but the power pop singer/songwriter and guitarist recorded all the other songs between 2012 and 2020. He wrote or co-wrote half the program, while the remainder consists of covers of tunes such as the Lovin’ Spoonful’s “Didn’t Want to Have to Do It,” by John Sebastian; the Bobby Fuller Four’s “Never to Be Forgotten,” by Fuller and his brother Randy; and the Carpenters’ “(They Long to Be) Close to You,” by Burt Bacharach and Hal David.

Especially given that Crenshaw created these tracks over such a long period, the album seems remarkably cohesive. His own material evidences his facility for addictive, radio-friendly pop, while the disparate covers all come off sounding as if they were custom-made for him.

Wynonie Harris, Rocks. The latest album in the Bear Family label’s long-running Rocks series features jump blues singer Wynonie Harris. His wild, frequently bawdy songs about drinking and partying are often cited as important precursors of rock and roll.

“During the ’40s, you couldn’t turn on the radio without hearing Wynonie ‘Mr. Blues’ Harris,” Bob Dylan once observed on his Theme Time Radio Hour. Indeed, Harris scored more than a dozen Top 10 R&B hits between 1946 and 1952, and most of them are among the 30 remastered selections on this CD. Such rollicking, sax-spiced recordings as “Good Rockin’ Tonight,” “Bloodshot Eyes,” and “Lovin’ Machine” are essential listening for anyone interested in the music that paved the road to today’s rock.

West Texas Exiles, 8000 Days. This is the first full-length CD (following a 2023 EP) from the West Texas Exiles, a quintet whose members originally hailed from Lubbock, El Paso, and Amarillo. (The last word in the group’s name refers to their relocation to Austin.) The band boasts three talented singer/songwriters in keyboardist Daniel Davis and multi-instrumentalists Colin Gilmore (son of Jimmie Dale Gilmore) and Marco Gutierrez. Also featured are bassist/co-producer Eric Harrison and drummer Trinidad Leal.

Americana and rock and roll predominate on this consistently impressive release. However, the group draws on everything from punk and new wave to Tex-Mex and rockabilly, resulting in a likably varied musical menu. Gutierrez’s title track would sound at home alongside songs by Wilco and Counting Crows, and a country sound characterizes his “Division,” a tale of a disintegrating romance that features guest vocalist Kelly Willis. Gilmore’s “Way We Are” and Gutierrez’s “Wind’s Gonna Blow,” meanwhile, are fast-paced rockers, and Davis’s “Already Gone” is jazzy and languid.

Jim Patton & Sherry Brokus, Two True Loves. This is the eighth CD from Jim Patton and Sherry Brokus, an Austin, Texas–based married couple who consistently deliver engaging, well-hooked folk rock material. Patton wrote or co-wrote all 14 songs on this latest set, some of which date from as far back as the 1980s. Nearly all the lyrics offer first-person tales, and many of them seem at least partly drawn from real-life experiences.

Jangly guitar permeates the bright, upbeat “I Want It All,” in which Patton provides his wish list for life. “I want to have a wife and a family, a warm bed, and a roof that don’t leak,” he begins. “A couple close friends and a case of beer, a clear conscience when I look in the mirror.” In the title cut, meanwhile, he contemplates the challenges that go with pursuing a passion for rock and roll while also maintaining a romantic relationship. And in “Whatever Happened to Laurence Beall?,” he ponders the fate of a musician friend with whom he’s lost touch.

Multi-instrumentalist Ron Flynt, who produced the duo’s other recent albums, produced this one, too, and plays bass, keyboards, and acoustic guitar. Also on hand are lead guitarist Scrappy Jud Newcomb and drummer John Chipman. Patton plays acoustic guitar and handles lead vocals, while Brokus, Flynt, and Bettysoo add harmonies.

The album sleeve includes an email address for sending the duo “complaints or compliments,” but it seems doubtful they’ll receive much of the former.