Customer Reviews

Dawn of the Tubes: Demo Daze and Radio Waves

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Just picked this up the other day. If you're a big Tubes fan you'll want to buy this, but be warned, these are very early recordings from the band's beginnings and is not their best stuff. Early versions of WPOD, Mondo Bondage and Brighter Day are interesting to listen to but the real reason to buy this CD would be to hear the songs that have never before been available. A lot of the subject matter in the lyrics can be found in later Tubes songs (ex. Whiz Quiz/What Do You Want From Life). Musically, these equate with early Tubes albums but lyrically, these songs are strictly the novelty type.

All of the material on this CD was recorded before the "fame and fortune". We have some demos and some un-released tunes. The un-released material is a display of sheer musical talent. All of these songs appear to be high energy jam sessions that have been polished to a nice tight presentation. Most impressive is the fact that the un-released songs are all done live ( in a small to medium sized club)yet still sound studio "tweaked" as far as band tightness is concerned. The signature changes, lighting quick fills, and off time drumming of Praire is a clinic in dynamic drumming.Fee and the boys sound like they are having way too much fun , I just wish I was one of the few people in the crowd during the taping of these sessions.
If you a moderate to hard core Tubes fan you will love this CD as it`s an timeless documentation of the creation of one of rocks most technical groups. Listen and pick the songs apart for yourself... you`ll agree.

It is amazing that it took so long for this collection of great tunes to come out. This is the album that those of us have wanted to hear for over 20 years. It captures the band before the commercial producers at A&M and Capitol put their spin on what they felt the band "should" sound like. The music is raw and real, it is the closest to the live shows yet released. I hope there will be future volumes of material from this vastly under appreciated band.

The real highlight of this disc is the batch of live demos from their pre-A&M days. Songs like "Baby, Your Face Is Mutated" and "Never Amount To Nothing/Hermuta" showcase the superb musicianship and wicked humor of this oft-overlooked cult band. These songs best capture the spirit of The Tubes as a live act. The early versions of "Brighter Day" and "White Punks On Dope" aren't as polished as the versions that would find their way onto the first two Tubes records, but what's great about The Tubes isn't always what's "polished".

Known for an outrageous performance art that truly made for a concert experience, lost in the shuffle of that fun is the crafty musicianship of the band.

The demos and "live" studio tracks trace back to the time before the band had to work within the corporate realm of the record industry and could go into overdrive musically with an edgy sound that matches the paradoxical lyrics.

These were the days - and sessions - when things were simply tubular.