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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The TUBES Finest Hour ..., July 13, 2002
Here are some of the The Tubes best written and performed songs: "Turn Me On," "I Want It All Now," "No Way Out," "Love's A Mystery (I Don't Understand)," and "Telecide." This recording is so uniformly strong from beginning to end that A&M Records included EVERY SONG in order (the entire record, in other words) when they issued the 2-CD Tubes compilation "Goin' Down The Tubes" in Europe several years ago. If you liked the way producer Todd Rundgren commandeered XTC's sometimes-elusive talents on their classic "SKYLARKING," chances are you will enjoy TR's meticulous production and song sequencing here on "REMOTE CONTROL."Lead singer Fee Waybill never sounded better. Words like "synergy" and "brilliant" are often so overused as to become meaningless, particularly when used in the context of pop music. That aside, "REMOTE CONTROL" as performed by The Tubes and produced by Rundgren is a very special musical statement, one that truly displays synergystic properties. This long-overdue collaberation brought together a very talented band of musicians with a legendary rock producer who was able to effectively harness the band's abundant talents while downplaying their renouned lack of discipline in the studio. What ultimately emerges is a cohesive, thematic album built somewhat loosely around the general theme of television and its impact on society. A secondary theme about the elusive search for love is also tied in effectively throughout. In short, it ALL works. Much as he did with XTC, The Psychedelic Furs, Meatloaf, Bad Religion and others, Rundgren gives The Tubes and their overall vocal sound and arrangements a significant upgrade. One of Rundgren's strengths as producer has always been an ability to chip in his own significant talents as songwriter, arranger, and vocalist in order to compensate for a particular band/client's most glaring shortcomings. Here he contributed a measure of all three, with an emphasis on songwriting help. He is co-credited as songwriter on 2 of the 11 songs here, and his disciplined influence is abundantly evident throughout. But make no mistake, this is The Tubes - at their very best. Hopefully, someday soon "REMOTE CONTROL" will be the beneficiary of the kind of remastering treatment embellished upon other classic pop records in recent years. The sound here is good but unspectacular. Regardless, "REMOTE CONTROL" remains a classic pop/rock record.
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by The Tubes 
