Rocket Redux

Rocket From The Tombs | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 23, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Morphius Records
• ASIN: B0001AP0AY
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #93,428 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Before the punk-rock groundswell of 1977, there were scattered rock uprisings where artists whose brains and ambitions were just too outsized to fit in with mid-'70s rock flailed recklessly and waited for the worm to turn. While the likes of Jefferson Airplane were commercial juggernauts, Cleveland harbored a few proto-punk bands, most notably Rocket from the Tombs, an arty hard-rock outfit fronted by a couple a rock journalists, David Thomas (then known as Crocus Behemoth) and Peter Laughner. The group existed for only a few years before splitting into two bands that would become marginally more successful--Pere Ubu and the Dead Boys. Nearly three decades after their demise, three original members of the band--Thomas, guitarist Cheetah Chrome, and bassist Craig Bell--reformed the groundbreaking ensemble, along with ex-Television guitarist Richard Lloyd (who produced this effort) and Ubu drummer Steve Mehlman. Recorded after a 2003 tour, Rocket Redux consists of songs from the old days performed in the spirit of the original cast. The likes of "Ain't it Fun," "Sonic Reducer" (both part of the Dead Boys repertoire) "30 Seconds Over Tokyo," and the volcanic "Final Solution" (the latter two, Pere Ubu classics) are still powerful statements of alienation. And while the gifted Laughner died in 1977, Thomas has no trouble carrying the additional load. Maybe this set reflects a perverse kind of nostalgia, but, hey, ain't it fun? --Steven Stolder

Product Description

The first and newest studio release from the incredible Rocket From The Tombs.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Energetic surprise by an aptly named band, considerin', March 9, 2004

By 

Allan MacInnis (Vancouver) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rocket Redux (Audio CD)

This is a VERY good disc, within the constraints of it's genre: regrouped (assumedly to right history and restore them to the throne that not too-too many people know they once occupied) by the original, now 50ish bandmembers, including a dynamic, ever-warbly David Thomas, whose delivery on "Sonic Reducer" erases the memory of any and all other versions of this tune and installs him permanently, in terms of singing-it-like-he-REALLY-MEANS-IT, as the owner of this song. The aforementioned genre constraints are this: it sounds like an exceptionally passionate 1975 entry in the proto-punk/early punk sweepstakes, simple, brutish, adrenal, bordering on spastic, with VERY direct, ummm uncomplicated, decidedly non-Ubu-experimental-like chord structures (but with excellent musicianship compared to the survivin' 70's stuff) that cut to the 'eart o' rock. It reminds one more of RAW POWER (or mebbe FUN HOUSE, but sped up and angrier), or of any given Dead Boys album, say, than anything being done now by ANYONE, and can do this with a good conscience (it's not just redux, it's retroflexed, but who has better claim on the right to bend backwards in time than a band who never really recorded these songs to begin with?). Sounds great to me; consider it as if the Ramones had never recorded a thing, just played some gigs (and say, had some boots of their material circulated), then 30 years later rose up to justify the rumours of influence and power with their first studio recording. That's basically what this disc is. These guys ain't YOUNG (I saw them live and they are, well, as old-lookin' as Nomeansno, at least), but they've got more sincerity in their songs o' teen angst and frustration than the music of most teenagers now anyhow. An essential document, and indeed, culture taking precedence over commerce (tho' these guys should really be rich by now, if there were justice in th' market, and, um, I don't think they are...). One dumb quesiton, tho': why does Dave leave out the "love is" from "What love is," when he sings it? Some personal rule about never mentioning the word love in a song or somethin'? Odd guy, great recording, and by the way, if you get a chance to see them play live....

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good CD, good live, June 8, 2004

By 

PJ "tevdras" (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rocket Redux (Audio CD)

I saw these guys play last year and it was incredible. Didn't think a new recording would work, but Richard Lloyd's production is perfect - not too clean and not too sloppy. Just right. Most of the songs are darn good although I think some work better than others. Cheetah Chrome's vocals on "Ain't it Fun" tops Stiv Bators - although Cheetah is already too old to die young - and - RFTT's version of "What Love Is" definitely has more energy than the Dead Boys version.

On the flip side, I think I prefer "Caught with the Meat in Your Mouth", the DB's vile reading of RFTT's "I'm Never Gonna Kill Myself Again".

The jury's still out on which version of "Final Solution" I prefer, RFTT's or Pere Ubu's.

There's lots to like - great guitar playing and drumming, good lyrics, great tunes. Get it!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars rock and roll, April 22, 2004

By 

alexander laurence (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rocket Redux (Audio CD)

There has been a lot of good record released already this year. There seems like there are a million bands out there. This is one of the oldest bands. They are one of the most influential. Yet they have never released a proper album. Rocket From The Tombs made their mark in Ohio in 1973. They played a number of shows and were never seen again. Yet they went on separately to form The Dead Boys and Pere Ubu. So many of these songs like "Sonic Reducer" and "Final Solution" have been in the pop culture consciousness for a while now. This record comes thirty years later, after the fact, as a "As If" record. The band is mostly original members except Peter Laugher. Richard Lloyd takes his place. Their live shows have been said to be one of the best live shows last year.This record is like a souvenir of good times. Hopefully they will come back for some more shows before David Thomas decides to kick the bucket. This band is too talented and too musical to be called just another garage band or punk rock experiment.