Customer Reviews

Fuse

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

 

 

With two future (and the founding) members of Cheap Trick in its rankings, this album couldn't be that bad. After purchasing a copy, it seems it's actually quite good. Fantastic even! It has a heavy rock sound very similar to that of Vanilla Fudge (their debut at least). If you're at least a casual to semi-serious fan of Cheap Trick and/or Vanilla Fudge, then you're in for a real trip.

Classic hard-rock of the 70s - an exceptional keyboards-driven music, with roaring fuzzy guitars and manic drumming. One of the very few U.S. acts which should be placed as equals next to their more renown British peers*.
"Fuse" (released in 1969) is in many aspects is pre-dating true Deep Purple (In Rock: 25th Anniversary (UK)) and Uriah Heep, and one can easily hear even the ideas which later inspired "Baby I'am gonna leave you". The composing is outstanding, with a strong tendency towards acid-influenced progressive rock, each piece is endlessly evolving into new melodies - like a mini-symphony; there is no lack of creativity.
Rick Nielsen (of the future Cheap Trick fame) in his interview to Ira Robbins (very unjust towards his ex-bandmates) said: "we were big fans of the British bnds; we always thought British bands were the coolest" - to my opinion, "Fuse" outshines many of them.
In this aspect "Fuse" comes rather close to "Rare Bird" (As Your Mind Flies By), "Beggar's Opera" (Act One or "King Crimson" (In the Court of the Crimson King (Deluxe).
The vocals of Joe Sundberg are not high-register falsetto - powerful manly voice, without any efforts handling the most challenging parts.
At the same time "Fuse", which was ahead of time and far superior to its more successful contemporaries, remains one of the most underestimated and misjudged bands - in Wikipedia it is labeled as "pretty ordinary hard rock with a couple of interesting progressive influences", while Irwin Stambler in his "Encyclopedia of Pop, Rock and Soul", when writing about Cheap Trick, mentioned the LP "Fuse" adding "about which the less said the better" - only a totally unqualified person with strong prejudice could have written that (or someone who never listened to the album).
"Fuse" released only one album regretfully, and became another victim of brainless record industry executives. The founding members - Rick Nielsen and Tom Peterson - finally got rich and famous with "Cheap Trick". Nielsen in "Los Angeles Times" - "we have made certain concessions to commeciality" - well indeed. Whatever "Fuse" was, it was never cheap. Sure, it's a matter of taste, but "Cheap Trick" next to it sounds too "decaffeinated" and groomed for family consumption.

*It is widely accepted that the British bands set up the standards for progressive rock, and defined the genre. It would be useful (from that point of view) to listen to some U.S. acts - "Touch" (Touch) and "Ford Theatre" (Trilogy for the Masses

Being from Rockford, and having worked as a carpenter remodeling Rick Nielsens house, it is a relief to have FINALLY found this on CD!!! I have loved the unique sound these boys put out since I first heard a friends dads vinyl L.P. copy of this album about 30 years ago, and have not heard it in for the last 18 years. Great tunes, my favorites being 4/4 3/4, Show Me and To Your Health. Rick Nielsen mainly plays Keyboards on this, but he does display some early signs of songwriting ability as in Show Me and To Your Health. The singer was only 17 years old when this was released, what a strong voice for a kid!!! Tom Peterson has to be one of the most UNDERrated Bass players in popular rock. Just listen to his tight, chunky-bass on this album, and he was only 19 years old! Each track is different, nothing seems repetitive. That is to say, the guitarist, keyboards everyone sounds different on each track. I can skip the Bonus track of Hound Dog, though, only because I have NEVER liked that way-to-often-covered song in the first place.Do not expect to hear any "Cheap Trick sounding" material on this album. It is Hard-rock, a bit progressive, hard hitting music. This is a very good album, played by a bunch of Rockford kids, and is highly recomended by me.

I feel compelled to write this review because this is a diamond in the rough. This is outstanding hard rock. If you like Grand Funk, Purple, Zep, etc. BUY this cd. It is NOT amateur night; these guys pound out some great guitar playing and the bass is that fun "rollicking" style of playing. Very active bass. Everyone does a fine job; the singer has an outstanding voice. I cannot emphasize enough - if you love 70's hard rock then buy this!!! I guarantee you will rock out!

Having lived close to Rockford, IL, groups of us would travel to see Fuse on a number of dates in the early 70's. The band was excellent live, and I would say the same about this studio release. The band was tight and powerful, and I would add that we were blown away by the lead guitar, more than anything. I believe Craig Myers played lead at that time, and we always wondered why we didn't hear more from him in later years. This is a full 5-star rock'n'roll album.

UI got thisbecause thedrummer Chip Greenman wasa coworker of mine in the 90 sand he told me about being in a band with thee guys from Cheap Trick. I am a big Cheap Trick fan andwhenI found thisalbum available I had to get it. He had several pics from those days, rick Nielson even had long hair once upon a time. Its a decent album.

Fuse was the 1969 release of Tom Peterson and
Rick Nielsen who later made up 2/5's of Cheap
Trick (Jon Brant, another Bassist later factored
in when Cheap Trick REALLY took off in the '80's).

This is worth having if you can convert it to
disk or cassette. "Crusin' for Burgers" is my
favorite here. Check it out. You can always do
worse for 'Trick - Does "Woke Up with a Monster"
ring a bell? How about the awful (*) "Tom Peterson
and Another Language"?! Sorry, you're about to eat...