Various - Fuzztones Illegitimate Spawn (The Fuzztones Tribute Album)

  by Anthony Strutt

published: 25 / 2 / 2007

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Review

The Fuzztones formed in 1980 when Rudi Protrudi and his partner Deb O’ Nair’s previous band Tina Peel broke up. At that time New York City was still full of new wave and punk bands, so a band playing 60’s garage rock in the most retro of ways were always going to struggle. I first heard them in 1985 when they came to the UK for the first time. They may have been the very first band I ever taped from John Peel from one of his legendary Peel Sessions. Most of their albums came out on the German label, Music Maniac, but they also spent a brief period of time on Beggars as well. On this 42 track double compilation CD most of the bands stay firmly in a Fuzztones groove, while a few are so close to their influences that it is hard to tell them apart from the real thing. Their 1985 debut ‘Lysergic Emanations’ album isn’t really touched upon but the greater per cent of their albums, and in particular their 1989 album ‘In Heat’ which came out on Beggars’ offshoot Situation 2 and its follow up ‘Braindrops’ from 1991, which featured Arthur Lee of Love on vocals, are well represented here. Sparkling Bombs from France kick off the first CD with ‘This Sinster Urge’. They add enough of their own rock ‘n’ roll psych to pull it off. Brazil's Fuzzfaces, play ‘Action Speaks Louder Than Words’, a Fuzztones single on Situation 2. They give it a full psychedelic treatment. One of the Fuzztones’ best songs, it is perfectly delivered.. Staggers from Austria play ‘Cellar Dweller ‘which sounds very 60’s and very much like a garage number. Sexy Drive from Italy play ‘Get Naked’, which sounds both primitive and anthemic and like an early version of the Stooges. Americans Mad Juana. play ‘Idol Chatter’, an acoustic track which sounds like something that may have appeared on the Stones’ ‘Their Satanic Majesties Request’. Italy's Preachers cover ‘Hallucination Generation’ which sounds like an early psychedelic Green on Red. The UK's Intercontinental Playboys do ‘Brand New Man’ in the style of a garage like Cramps and the Stooges, while Gondolieri from Argentina play ‘Charlotte's Remains’, making it sound like an unplugged Echo and the Bunnymen or an acoustic Kinks. The UK's Special Agents do ‘Play the Thing’, making it sound very 60’s and groovy. The. Defectors from Denmark meanwhile play ‘It Came in the Mail’, which starts sounding like Syd Barrett era Pink Floyd, but ends up sounding eventually like the Fuzztones. The Morlocks from the USA play a gritty, live version of ‘Black Box’. The She Wolves who are also from the States play ‘Heathen Set’ which is very fast and which again recollects the Stooges like. Misteriosos , another American act, cover ‘She's Wicked’ It was a massive Fuzztones number. Their version is very groovy. but the originals do it a tad better. Paranoiacs from Belgium cover ‘Cheyenne Rider’, making it sound like the MC5 on speed. 1-2-5 from Holland play very dated 60’s psychedelia with their take on ‘What You Don't Know’. Italy's the Sextress play ‘Bad News Travels Fast,’ which, like the original, is very sexy. USA's Sons of Moon do ‘Johnson in a Headlock’ which again sounds like Syd era Floyd. Marshmellow Overcoat, another American outfit, play ‘Skeleton Farm’. Its dated psychedelia sounds very much like the Doors. Batlord from the USA play ‘Deb O'Nar Affair’ which sounds very much like the original Fuzztones and also the early Inspiral Carpets. Holland's Sonic Litter play ‘Highway 69’, which also sounds like the Stooges. Ward 81 bring the first CD to an end with ‘Plasticland’ They were psych heads at the same time as the early Fuzztones and do a fine version of this track. The second CD opens with the howl of Jayne County, formerly Wayne County, whom does ‘You Tarzan, Me Jane’ in only the way she can do it. Her vocals rcall Iggy’s and it is very frantic. V hail from Greece and cover the classic ‘I Never Knew’. Another lo-fi garage number, it is very reminiscent of the original Fuzztones and very cool..Italy's Blues So Bad do ‘My Nothing’, which is done in a very ragged and raw Cramps manner. Germany's Vibravoid meanwhile provide a very 60’s and very cool retro version of ‘Lovely Lady Deb O 'Nair’. The late Nikki Sudden, who with Jayne is the biggest name here on this tribute, does ‘Just Once’. Nikki's cover is fully formed, and sounds like classy Bowie or even Bob Dylan. American act the Deadbillys cover ‘All the King's Horses’ which sounds like Arthur Lee's Love, whom of course were a big influence on the Fuzztones anyway. The Deletones from Finland, do ‘Third Time's the Charm’.Sung by a female singer Heather Dickson while Rudi sang on the original, its music is very psychedelic but the vocal is more seductive. The Weirdtones from Finland provide a full on and full version of ‘Leave Your Mind at Home’ It has the sound of a bull in a china shop or rather in a guitar basement, with some great organ and brilliant bass playing. Crookshanks are Americans and their version of ‘Romilar D’ is eerie and brilliant, while USA's Ravens play ‘Shame on You’ which recalls the Who and the Yardbirds. Berlin singer Hank Ray plays ‘Ghost Clinic’ which is slow and haunting. It sounds like Herman Munster singing on it, and like a slowed down record player playing on the wrong speed. ‘Strange Flowers’ are a groovy act from Italy, who do ‘Look for the Question Mark’ in the style of Syd era Floyd. ‘Fabian Lips’ is delivered by USA's Aliens and Strangers. It has a very cool keyboard solo and sounds like a 60’s flavoured combination of the Inspiral Carpets and the Doors. ‘In Heat’ is by Spain's Libidos, and sounds a mixture of the Real Thing and the 60’s Who. Argentina's Hates cover ‘Yeah Babe’, which is garage mayhem and wonderfull for it. ‘Rise’ is played by Argentina's Cosmic Goblins and sounds like Guns and Roses. Oh dear ! Sonic Temple, who take their name from the Cult album, are a Belgium act. They do ‘Nine Months Later’, one of the songs which the Fuzztones recorded when they were on Beggars. This is a fine version, sounding something like Riders on the Storm playing the Doors and, therefore, like the Cult. Colditz from Finland, play ‘Blood from a Stone’ which also sounds like a heavy rock number. ‘Lysergic Love’ from Italy play ‘Hurt on Hold’ and which is a primitive garage number that sounds like a combination of the early Stones and early Dream Syndicate. Orange Sunshine from Holland sound like Motorhead trying to play Hendrix doing the Fuzztones as they do a very bad version of ‘Blackout’. It all ends with Manganzoides whom hail from Peru and whom sing a song in their native tongue called “Fuzztomano Piedricolas’ which translated means ‘We Need the Fuzztones’.

Track Listing:-

1 Sparkling Bombs- This Sinister Urge
2 Fuzz Faces- Action Speaks
3 Staggers- Cellar Dweller
4 Sexy Drive- Get Naked
5 Mad Juana- Idol Chatter
6 Preachers- Hallucination Generation
7 Intercontinental Playboys- Brand New Man
8 Gondolieri- Charlottes Remains
9 Special Agents- The Thing
10 Defectors- Came In The Mail
11 Morlochs- Black Box
12 She Wolves- Heathen Set
13 Misteriosos- She's Wicked
14 Paranoiacs- Cheyenne Rider
15 1-2-5- What You Don't Know
16 The Sextress- Bad News Travels Fast
17 Sons Of Moon Johnson- In A Headlock
18 Marshmallow Overcoat- Skeleton Farm
19 Batlord- Deb O' Nair Affair
20 Sonic Litter- Highway 69
21 Plasticland- Ward 81
22 Jayne County- You Tarzan, Me Jane
23 Frantic V- I Never Knew
24 Blues So Bad- My Nothing
25 Vibravoid- Lovely Lady Deb O' Nair
26 Nikki Sudden- Just Once
27 Deadbillys- All The King's Horses
28 Deletones- Third Time's The Charm
29 Weirdtones- Leave Your Mind At Home
30 Crookshanks- Romilar D
31 Ravens- Shame On You
32 Hank Ray- Ghost Clinic
33 Strange Flowers- Look For The Question Mark
34 Aliens And Strangers- Fabian Lips
35 Libidos- In Heat
36 Hates- Yeah Babe
37 Cosmic Goblins- Rise
38 Sonic Temple- Nine Months Later
39 Colditz- Blood From A Stone
40 Lysergic Love- Hurt On Hold
41 Orange Sunshine- Blackout
42 Manganzoides- Fuzztomano Peidricolas