Album Review: The Fuzztones - "NYC"

 

I guess it must be the time of year but we seem to be getting a lot of cover albums around here at the moment. New York's Fuzztones have been mainstays on the garage rock scene for close to four decades and this album sees them paying tribute to several of their fellow Big Apple bands.

Kicking in with a fun rewrite of Sinatra's New York New York, the fact that their city has such a good record in churning out influential punk, glam and garage rock has certainly given Rudi Protrudi and co plenty of fertile ground to choose from with the Ramones (53rd & 3rd), Johnny Thunders (Microdot is a fun rewrite of Chinese Rocks), the New York Dolls (Babylon), the Cramps (New Kind Of Kick), the Dead Boys (High Tension Wire and Not Anymore), Patti Smith (Dancing Barefoot), Blue Oyster Cult (Transmaniacom MC), Mink DeVille (Let Me Dream), Wayne County (Flip Your Wig) and Richard Hell & The Voidoids (You Gotta Lose) all present and correct.

To give the Fuzztones credit, they very much put their own stamp on these songs with the Cramps and Ramones songs being played a bit slower and being allowed to breathe a bit but it definitely works. Their take on High Tension Wire goes into '60s Nuggets style territory with the odd result that it sounds like a rewrite Stiv might have done in his early '80s garage rock phase - never a bad thing in this reviewer's book. Elsewhere, their cover of Babylon by the Dolls is another highlight with the organ adding to the song's ramshackle charm while their take on BOC's Transmaniacom MC almost goes into Doors territory and their version of Dancing Version is borderline goth. However, they keep the spirit of the originals intact nicely as well as evidenced by their fun joyride through Mink's Let Me Dream If I Want To.

Credit to the Fuzztones, this could have been real by-numbers stuff but by putting their own spin on these classics, they've managed to bring a new side out to the tunes which makes NYC an enjoyable and intriguing listen.

Bandcamp Link

NITE SONGS RATING: 🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌑🌑🌑 (7/10)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Garbage Days Revisited #67: Jason & The Scorchers - "Still Standing" (1986)

Image
  "And though you are so far away, ten thousand miles of sorrow/This prison cannot, will not kill our blessed free tomorrow"  - Jason & The Scorchers  - Good Things Come To Those Who Wait Like a lot of Britrockers my age, it's probably Ginger Wildheart 's fault that I became a Jason & The Scorchers fan. They're a band who the G-man has never made any secret of his admiration for and the Wildhearts even covered the Scorchers classic White Lies  as a B-side to Anthem  many years ago. Most people who've heard them will happily tell you that the group's 1983 EP Fervor  and their 1985 debut full length*  Lost & Found  are classics of the cowpunk genre, the perfect missing link between Johnny Cash and the Ramones and you can add me to that list as well. The follow-up, 1986's Still Standing though? Now that one seems to be a bit more divisive. And that's why it's the one we're covering here on Garbage Days Revisited... (* - well, sort
Read more

Album Review: Steve Vincent - "Recovered From My Past"

Image
  Best known as the frontman of Brit sleaze perennials Paradise Alley, this is the first solo album from Steve Vincent. I have to be honest, Steve's day job band are one of those who I've heard of but don't recall hearing anything by but the general signs here appeared to be promising with a guest list including the Wildhearts' Danny McCormack, ex-Dolls and current Mike Monroe guitarist Steve Conte and McCormack's old Main Grains bandmate (along with several others) Ben Marsden. The first thing to be aware of here though is that if you're expecting a Soho sleaze by numbers affair then you might just be in for a bit of a surprise. If anything, Recovered From My Past  sails closer to the shores of power pop or the vintage strain of '80s Brit-glam (the Babysitters, Soho Roses, Torme, Marionette etc) with a healthy dash of early Hanoi Rocks in there as well. Certainly the harmonica honking likes of Yesterday's Man , Last Train To Babylon  and Can't Bring
Read more

Album Review: The Wannabes - "Monster Beach"

Image
The Wannabes are the musical brainchild of Nottingham resident Wayne Zenith and from looking at the guy's  Bandcamp page , I think it's fair to say he's a somewhat prolific feller with over 50 releases under various incarnations on there. Musically, as the title and artwork probably suggest, it's pretty straightforward Ramones style three-chord headbanger territory (including a competent cover of Rockaway Beach ) with a touch of the Cramps' gleefully sicko gorehound tendencies as songs with titles such as I Was There At The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Stuff Cindy In The Incinerator  suggest. There's a few little tricks in there to ensure this doesn't fall into one trick pony territory though with the keyboards over the top actually adding a bit of a '60s Nuggets  style feel to some of the songs especially opener Somehow  which even has an extended piano-led break in the middle - brave move but it works. The more moody mid-paced Drag You Down  (whic
Read more