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)

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