Customer Reviews

Tube City: The Best of the Trashmen

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

What you could say about the Rivingtons, after the Trashmen got through with them, has the delicious irony of being applicable to the Trashmen themselves: Just as the Rivingtons (a snappy West Coast soul outfit) deserve to be known for far more than the two songs ("Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow" and "The Bird's The Word") which the Trashmen grafted into "Surfin' Bird," the Trashmen deserve to be known for far more than that masterpiece of ripsnorting berserk surf scatology. Which is not to say that "Surfin' Bird" is something to be ashamed of--if you can name the ten most insane in the brain slices of 1960s rock and roll and this isn't among them, you probably can't handle legitimately insane in the brain--but it is to say that the Trashmen were anything but the novelty act they have been branded, unjustifiably, as having been. (Those whose knowledge of the band begins and ends with "Surfin' Bird" could vouch for that if only by way of the two best-remembered covers of the song, in which the Ramones isolated the Trashmen's zip-gun thrash just short of the rubber room, while the Cramps isolated the rubber room just short of the full speed press.)

In fact, these guys were probably one of the best surf-garage bands of their time and maybe a little beyond their time. Remove "Surfin' Bird," and the Trashmen were at once the Ventures without the ersatz polish and sophistication (just try to imagine the Trashmen aspiring to cut guitar-lesson records or get the gig for cutting the theme for "Hawaii Five-O") AND Dick Dale and the Deltones (whose "Miserlou" they damn near beat at its own game) without the overmodulated atmospherics. "Bad News" alone would have secured their reputation if there had been no "Surfin' Bird" on their resume. (A shame that this set omits the almost-"Bad News" clone, "Stick Shift.") Their sense of humour and ability to kid around with themselves never entirely abandoned them (just listen to "Bird Dance Beat," an all-but-"Surfin' Bird" clone on which you can practically feel them straining to keep from cracking up as they play it). And you could line them up amidst any library of vintage surf bands and still experience the shock of realising that this gang of Minnesotans were pretty much meeting and often enough beating the West Coast wave-ravers at their own game, perhaps because their very isolation from the womb of the music made the Trashmen incapable of getting overly pretentious or self-conscious about it.

They weren't exactly perfect ("My Woodie" we could have lived without), but they had it right in the pocket often enough, and it's all--the cream of their post-"Surfin' Bird" singles-- pretty much gathered up here, including their unlikely and insistent version of "Money (That's What I Want)." This was relentless, kick-out-the-jam rock and roll before it became just so much in the way of "the future." The good news: They had a few extra innings in them, as "The Great Lost Album" (and especially the Trashmen's ethereal version of "Ghost Riders In The Sky") has since demonstrated. Completists can make for the "Bird Calls" box-set, but those who want the straight, no-chaser meat and potatoes should stick with this and "The Great Lost Album." Either way, the Trashmen deserve the retroactive respect they've begun to acquire in the past few years.

The Trashmen hailed from Minnesota and consisted of Steve Wahrer (drums/vocals), Tony Andreason (lead guitar), Dan Winslow (guitar/ vocals) and Bob Reed (bass guitar). Steve Wahrer combined the Rivingtons' songs "The Bird's The Word" and "Papa Oom Mow Mow," added some strange vocal sounds, and created the classic song "Surfin' Bird." That song went all the way to #4 in late 1963. "Bird Dance Beat" came closest to duplicating the sound but not the chart position of their major hit, peaking at #30 in early 1964. The Trashmen took the song "Church Key," changed the words to "Bird Bath," and added the sounds of gurgling and splashing water. "King Of The Surf" takes the main melody of "Johnny B. Goode" and adds surf lyrics to it. "Tube City" is an outstanding surf instrumental written by Steve Wahrer. Unfortunately, the surf craze was dying down and the Trashmen failed to make the top 40 again. By early 1968 the Trashmen had called it quits but, thankfully, they left behind this treasure trove of great songs.

This is a great CD. Probably the best CD reissue of Trashmen tunes available. (The greatest thing from the coast to come out of the North). Anyway, this band is not just a "surf" band from Minneapolis, but one of the best surf bands of the '60's. Excellent instrumental guitar work and some terrific vocal numbers, too. We all know that "the bird is the word", but every song is great here. I highly recommend this to anyone who likes not only surf/hot rod music, but also early '60's frat rock sounds. Surf the 10,000 lakes!!

The Trashmen were the greatest surf band ever to come out of Minnesota. Nowadays, they are almost exclusively know for their smash hit "Surfin' Bird", although they had a follow up hit with "Bird Dance Beat" that has pretty much been forgotten today. This CD contains 20 of the 22 commercially released tracks that they recorded for Garrett Records. The first 12 tracks here make up their first album, albeit in a different order than the original release. The eight remaining tracks are taken from the five Garrett Records follow up singles to "Surfin' Bird". (The two single sides that were left off here are "Walkin' My Baby" and "Dancing With Santa".) The Trashmen were a good band, but they recorded a few unworthy songs, like the Dick Dale cover "Peppermint Man" and the wimpy Christmas song "Real Live Doll". "Surfin' Bird" showed that they could rock, but they didn't really perform ballads that well. Still, fans of surf music should enjoy this CD.

I've listened to this a bunch of times. The Trashmen are not the most technically amazing band you will ever encounter but they are their own thing and this cd is must have.

Some of the best surfin music I have heard. Will be buying more of their cd's in the future!

Ordered this for a Christmas present. Came in a timely manner and not problems. Would do business with this vendor again.

OK...I have always heard about the Trashmen as I am a HUGE fan of bands like Los Straightjackets and the great Eddy Angel mentions the Trashmen all the time. So I HAD to go see them when someone put together a GREAT CARD at a local bar here in MN (The Turf Club) with one of Eddy Angels bands and the headline was the Trashmen! WOW! What BAND! These guys have not missed a beat! Dick Dale? Great guitar player, but who influenced him? THE TRASHMEN! Seeing them live MADE me buy this CD, thinking of days when my parents (I'm 39) would cruise up and down University Ave and hit Porky's Drive in in St Paul with these tunes on the AM radio!

The CD has a few "weak" tracks but overall this cd puts you IN that 57 Chev eating a burger and fries! Plus..the guys in the band are the BEST! Really! I met EVERY ONE and each was just as nice as the other! I even met the wife's of the band members as THEY WERE THE ONES selling CD's and POSTERS!

Want a true "original".....buy this CD...better yet...buy ALL of the Trashmen CD's.

THIS IS A VERY GOOD CD. THE SOUND QUALITY IS VERY GOOD CONSIDERING THE AGE (EARLY 60'S). SOME GOOD COVERS OF OTHER ARTIST'S SONGS AND SOME GREAT ORIGINAL HITS. A GOOD REALLY GOOD BUY.