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REVIEWS
Review by THE PAISLEY UMBRELLA Review Bernard Dagnies -MUSICZINE Review Nicolo - KD COBAIN Review by Michael Toland - SLEAZEGRINDER Review by Steve Terrell - Terrell's Tune-Up Review by Markus Daichendt - INDEPENDENT KICKS Review by Andrew Uhlemann - TRIGGERFISH Review by Frank Keil - U MUSIC Review by Robert Barry Francos - JERSEY BEAT Review by Bill Kopp - MUSOSCRIBE Review by Anthony Strutt - PENNY BLACK MUSIC Review by Guido Claese - CONCRETE WEB Review by SOUNDFLAT Review THE PAISLEY UMBRELLA
As much as I "dig the new breed", leave it to a band that's been around for three decades to rewrite garage rock, make it bigger, louder, and give it a whole lot more soul. Since The Fuzztones are mainly known as a "garage punk" act, adding a horn section, female backing singers, and trading the Vox for a Hammond B3 is pretty ambitious. The opening cover of "Garden of My Mind" by Mickey Finn rearranges the raw sound of the original with super loud horns and a much more exciting vocal treatment from lead vox Rudi Protrudi, but the backing female vocals give it an upbeat, Motown vibe that's got so much soul that it's sinful. Followed up witha Fuzztones staple "Bad News Travels Fast", which grooves and swings heavier than the original recording, and you get a garage/soul/ghoul rockin' heaven that anyone would be hard pressed to even pause for a moment. The blazing saxophone treatment on "Brand New Man" might come as a shock to some devotees, but it's honestly not that radical. Afterall, The Sonics have a sax player, too. Another fascinating high note on Horny as Hell is the added swing in the ? and The Mysterians cover "Girl, You Captivate Me" with a "cooler" but older toned organ from Lana Loveland that retains a psychedelic buildup.
Horny as Hell is full of notables. "Third Time's a Charm" has equal parts fuzz and wailing, almost funky guitar while "Be Forewarned" is thick in deep, dark blues and works to bare Rudi's, soul as an unrivaled, powerful vocalist. The cover of The Moving Sidewalks "99th Floor" is both sweet and dirty with guitar licks. This is followed up with The Pretty Things "Alexander", which lays on the backing female vocals enough to make it sound like classic Motown. Very few can ponder the thought of monster fuzz with blasts of brass, but "Black Lightning Light" pulls it off with a thick, swampy feel then adds eerie keys over it to get every zombie rocker moving. An overall accomplishment of Horny As Hell is the ultimate mixture of soul, fuzz, and garage punk. The songs sometimes sound vintage enough that one can imagine swinging to it, but the added snarls, howls, and overall madness of The Fuzztones fuse the elements to create new standards on songs like "Yeah Babe". It's not a nicely done experiment, but a bold move by one of the few acts good enough to make it incredible. It sounds like vintage soul, psychedelic fuzz, and garage concocted into a tasty, mind and ear blowing trip that will definitely leave one a changed person after they come down. One can't go without mentioning the "new" version of The Fuzztones most popular song "Ward 81." The vocal introduction, the saxes that just add to the insanity, the backing vocals that add the sadness and desperation more effectively, the crashing drums, and the lyric "Gotta flip a switch, pull out the stitches" that many of us might have used to express ourselves (metaphorically) will leave one screaming them as though they're an angry teenager. "She's Wicked", another staple, will make everyone realize where many of their favorite acts got their inspiration from. We've all heard of The Fuzztones, but limited press and distribution has placed them in obscurity even though they have over 70 releases to date. For those not familiar with them, Horny as Hell is a fine introduction to the realm of skull and crossed Vox guitars! For you loyal fans already initiated, tune in, turn on, and fuzz out! Horny as Hell is a available at your finer indie record store. If they don't have it, they need an education, but in that case, you can buy it directly in either vinyl or CD from No Fun Records, a great label out of Detroit, MI with truly worldwide garage rock origins. Other notables who call the label home are Los Peyotes, The Dials, The Avatars and Los Kahunas. They've also got some exciting new acts and releases coming out this year. Although I'm partial to vinyl, the CD version of Horny as Hell has a bonus track "Caught You Red Handed" featuring Mark Lindsay from Paul Revere and The Raiders. top Review Bernard Dagnies -MUSICZINE
Pour enregistrer son nouvel essai, Rudi Protudi est parvenu à convaincre ‘Mad’ Mike de revenir frapper sur les fûts. Comme entre 1986 et 1992. Forgeant pour la circonstance une section d’enfer en compagnie du bassiste Screamin’ Bo Pille. En outre, le New-yorkais a bénéficié de la participation de backing vocals féminins et reçu la collaboration d’une section de cuivres. Des cuivres qui apportent une coloration r&b particulièrement chaleureuse, fiévreuse même, à la plupart des plages de l’elpee. Ajoutez-y la conjugaison cinglante entre les guitares de Protudi et de Lenny Silver ; et puis bien sûr les claviers Hammond C3 subrepticement rognés par Lana Loveland. Il ne reste plus qu’à la voix vitale et énergétique de Rudi à faire le reste. Et ma foi, le résultat est concluant. Enfin, si vous êtes un aficionado de garage inspiré par les sixties. Celui des Monkees, Dave Clark Five, Crying Shames ou encore des Sonics, pour être plus précis.
L’opus recèle de nouvelles versions d’anciennes compositions. Tout d’abord « Ward 81 ». Ensuite « She’s wicked ». « Cheyenne rider », également. Une adaptation très réussie d’un titre signé par Jordan Tarlow et Mike Czekaj, deux ex-membres des Fuzztones. Cette plage pourrait même figurer au répertoire des Fleshtones. Le disque épingle également toute une série de covers, dont le « Garden of my mind » de Mickey Finn, « Girl, you captivate me », un morceau signé DiFrancesco/Dischel popularisé par ? & The Mysterians, le « Be forewarned » de Pentagral » ainsi que le « 99th floor » de Billy F Gibbons. Issu de la plume d’un certain Ceynowa, « Black lightning light » baigne d’abord dans des sonorités de claviers ‘deepurpleliennes’ (NDR : pensez à « Child in time »). Et pourtant ce n’est pas Jon Lord qui siège derrière l’orgue. Avant de s’autoriser un petit trip dans la prog et de glisser finalement vers un r&b garage digne du Spencer Davis Group. Une compo de 7’43 ! Signalons encore la présence du bassiste et du chanteur des Pretty Things, Wally Waller (il partage les harmonies vocales) sur une cover des Pretties, « Alexander ». L’elpee recèle enfin un morceau absolument fantastique et irrésistible : « Third time’s the charm » (NDR : cette voix caverneuse de Protudi ! Brrrrrr…) Et il n’est pas interdit de danser. Excellent !
top Review Nicolo - KD COBAIN
I pionieri del garage, ormai in pista da 25 anni, sono tornati. I Fuzztones confezionano un nuovo album senza tempo, come se tutto si fosse fermato alla fine degli anni 60. Ed ecco allora che garage, soul e psichedelia si fondono in una unica anima, quella di Rudi Protrudi fondatore della band e instancabile motore di una passione per il rock più lo-fi a cui si ispirano anche band ben più giovani come Hives e Horrors. Il rock'n'roll non muore mai nonostante la formula base (quella usata anche dai Fuzztones) abbia ormai 50 anni.
"Horny as hell" è un bel disco garage che catapulta l'ascoltatore lontano dai suoni roboanti del rock moderno.
Un album che rievoca il telefilm di Batman interpretato da Adam West, dove dopo calci e pugni ci si metteva tutti a ballare proprio queste musiche. La psichedelia è una componente fondamentale dello stile dei Fuzztones e non manca nemmeno in questo disco dove organo e fiati enfatizzano uno stile sempre più curato ed accattivante, le cui melodie semplici ed orecchiabili sono scandite da ritmiche ipnotiche. "Horny as hell" è un'ottima prova di stile per una band ormai storica.
top Review by Michael Toland - SLEAZEGRINDER
It warms the cockles of my, er, cockles that, nearly 30 years after they started, the Fuzztones are still kicking around. Now based in Europe, Rudi Protudi and his rotating cast of Vox-wielding maniacs continue to pound out snarling, spitting garage rock, oblivious to trends and image consultants. Horny as Hell adds a horn section (duh) to the band’s usual brown acid lunacy, giving a blue-eyed soul feel to tunes like Brand New Man, Yeah Babe and Third Time’s the Charm. Frankly, though, the horns are window dressing more than anything else, as the grungy guitars and Protudi’s charismatic vocals rightly remain the focal point. (Besides, how much R&B can you inject into a Pentagram cover?) A curmudgeon might argue with needing yet more versions of She’s Wicked, Johnson in a Headlock, Bad News Travels Fast and Ward 81, but since both songs and band continue to kick ass and the horns add a nice touch regardless of intention, I say the more the merrier.
top Review by Steve Terrell - Terrell's Tune-Up
Here comes the Fuzz!
The Fuzztones is one of those groups that seems to have been around forever. Given my taste for basic, loud, snotty psychedelic/garage/trash/primitive rock, I'm surprised that I've never been exposed to their music before. And now that I finally have — with their new album Horny as Hell — I think that they may be on the cusp of a major transformation.
First, a little Fuzzy history. The Fuzztones have been around, in various forms, since the '80s. They claim they used the description "grunge" years before the Seattle sound. Like The Fleshtones and The Cramps, they started out in New York. But The Fuzztones have gone through a number of personnel shifts and have moved around. The group was in California for a few years but broke up in the early '90s after a major label deal flopped. The Fuzztones re-emerged this century, this time in Europe. Fuzzmeister Rudi Protrudi and his latest incarnation of the band have been based out of Berlin in recent years.
The '08 model of The Fuzztones includes a horn section and a female chorus.
Most the songs are Protrudi originals, though they cover a Pretty Things tune ("Alexander," which features a guest appearance by Pretty's bassist Wally Waller) and a Billy Gibbons tune — "99th Floor," which he used to play with his pre-ZZ Top band,
Moving Sidewalks
There are some fine tunes here. "Black Lightning Light" features a lengthy minor-key spook-house-organ instrumental odyssey. This is one of several songs that originally appeared on The Fuzztones' 2004 "comeback" album, Salt for Zombies.
Protrudi goes back even further in the Fuzztones' catalog. For instance, my favorite song is probably a new all-hornied-up version of the old Fuzztones song "Ward 81" — which first appeared on their early '80s debut album Lysergic Emanations. It's a horrifying little tale of a psychiatric hospital: "Administer the medicine to my heart /Behind barred windows/The walls are whisperin'/Gotta flip a switch, pull out the stitches."
If I'd been a Fuzztones fan since the start, I'd probably complain about all this recycling and demand more new material. But since I'm not familiar with the originals, I'm not complaining. It just makes me want to go back and catch up.
There's some good junior-high humor here, Beavis. Besides the album title, which obviously refers to the new horn section (though the sax-playing she-devils on the cover are pretty sexy), some of the songs have titles like "Highway 69" (also from Lysergic Emanations) and the uncomfortable sounding "Johnson in a Headlock" (which originally appeared on Salt for Zombies).
So if you've got a dirty mind and a rock 'n' roll heart, Horny as Hell will put your soul in a headlock. Check out fuzztones.net.
top Review by Markus Daichendt - INDEPENDENT KICKS
Letztens habe ich die Fuzztones nach etwa 17 Jahren endlich mal wieder Live gesehen und muss einfach sagen, dass die Fuzztones für mich zu den besten Live-Bands ever gehören. Nicht das die Band sich in Sachen Entertainment was Besonderes einfallen lassen oder in den Songpausen tolle Witze erzählen oder so, nein die Band um den Garage-Rock-König Rudi Protrudi, die bezaubernde Lana Loveland oder die Garage-Rock-Legende Graig Moore ist in Sachen Live-Energie kaum zu toppen. Da ist einfach Seele und Herzblut drin, das ist irgendwie Echt.
Etwa zeitgleich zur Tour im Oktober kam auch das von mir lang ersehnte, neue Fuzztones Album mit dem etwas merkwürdigen Namen "Horny As Hell" heraus. Wenn man dieses "Horny As Hell" auf die geile Live-Show bezieht, macht die Sache ja doch irgendwie Sinn. Aber in erster Linie geht es ja um die Musik auf "Horny As Hell", auch wenn das Booklet recht cool gestaltet wurde. Der Sound der von "Horny As Hell" klingt anfänglich etwas überraschend, da der Schmutz und der Dreck aus der Garage gefegt wurde. Es klingt alles ein wenig mächtiger produziert mit Background-Chören und fetten Bläsersätzen. Die Platte klingt ein bisschen souliger und funkiger. Der Punk und krachende Fuzzrock treten ein etwas in den Hintergrund, was besonders beim neu aufgenommenen Klassiker "Bad News Travels Fast" auffällt. Wie gesagt, das klingt beim ersten Hören etwas überraschend, weiß aber aufgrund der nun ausgefeilteren Melodien und Harmonien durchaus zu gefallen. Doch, für mich sind die Fuzztones live und auf Platte absolut überzeugend.
top Review by Andrew Uhlemann - TRIGGERFISH
Seit Mastermind Rudi Protrudi in Berlin weilt, muss er sich vermehrt um die Nachlassverwaltung seiner Kultband The FUZZTONES kümmern; von der "segenspendenden" Riesterrente will ein echter Rock´n´Roller bestimmt nichts wissen.
Die Fuzztones sind und bleiben Legenden und wenn man gerade mal eine kreative Schaffenspause einlegt, dann ist es mehr als recht und gar nicht billig, wenn man zeitlose Klassiker aus der eigenen Feder neu auflegt und Ihnen neuen Glanz verschafft.
Immerhin gibt es die Band ja fast 30 Jahre und da spricht nichts gegen eine akustische Neulackierung, besonders nicht, wenn die alltime Classics mit einer fulminanten Bläsersektion und einem Damenbackgroundchor charmantest aufgepimpt werden. An der Stimme von Old Rudi kommt eh keiner vorbei, auch nach 30 Jahren nicht.
"Horny as hell" ist also genau das Gegenteil von "Resteessen" um die Rente zu sichern, nein, hier wurde mit Liebe und Herz ein würdiges Denkmal erschaffen, welches Songs wie "Ward 81", "She's Wicked", "Garden Of My Mind" und auch dem Pretty Things - Klassiker "Alexander" (eingespielt übrigens mit dem Bassisten und gelegentlichem Lead-Sänger der Things Wally Waller!!) die längst verdiente Patina für die Ewigkeit verleiht: 17 Songs in einer fuzzigen, souligen, schwitzigen und vor allem rocknrolligen Hochglanzlackierung, die sich nach James Last auf LSD anhören. Kein Wunder, das RocknFunknSoulpapst Henry Storch (Unique Records) für diese Veröffentlichung gleich passend ein eigenes Label gründete: Electrique Mud. RESPEKT!!!
top Review by Frank Keil - U MUSIC
Die Fuzztones sind zurück! Von der Originalbesetzung ist zwar nur noch Mastermind Rudi Protrudi dabei, aber mit dem insgesamt 17 Titel umfassenden Mix aus alten Klassikern und neuen Stücken ist ihm ein weiterer Meilenstein der Psychedelic-Garage-Szene gelungen. 1980 gegründet, sorgten die Fuzztones durch Klassiker wie "Lysergic Emanations" oder die Zusammenarbeit mit Screamin´ Jay Hawkins weltweit für Aufsehen. Mit Knochenketten, Vox-Phantomgitaren und sägendem Fuzz-Sound kreierten sie ihren ganz eigenen Sixties-Rock und etablierten sich dank charismatischer Bühnenpräsenz nicht nur zwischen Los Angeles und New York. Und irgendwie ist Sänger/Gitarrist Rudi Protrudi auch nach seinem Umzug nach Berlin zeitlos, ein Kultrocker des Garagerock, dem u.a. Lana Loveland (Hammon Organ, Vocals) überzeugend zur Seite steht. Dazu eine Horn-Sektion, die Stücke wie "Bad News Travel Fast" oder "She´s Wicked", auch dank des weiblichen Backing-Chors, in ganz neuem Licht erstrahlen lässt.
top Review by Robert Barry Francos - NJ BEAT
One of the aspects that has endured (and endeared) about the 28-year-old FUZZTONES is how they can take the genre of voodoo garage and stretch it, as they have with their new release, “Horny as Hell” (ElectriqueMud.com). Leader Rudi Protrudi lives in Germany and has adopted a version of garage that is prevalent there, which includes horns and female chorus, giving the sound a bit more of a soulful edge. In this tweaked form (which is basically the old one with a new layer, I’m actually happy to say), there is still an ecstatically high energy level on the rank of the Fleshtones, the Cramps, and the Chesterfield Kings (even though they all use a similar foundation, each lives in a separate building). Along with updated versions of some of their classic hits, such as “Ward 81”, “Highway 69,” and “She’s Wicked,” there are also quite a number of newer tunes and covers. There are way to many to list them all, so I’ll just posit that
every cut here on this nearly hour-long release is worth a listen. But if you do, be sure you wear your dancing shoes. Just TRY to sit still during numbers like “Third Time’s the Charm”!
top Review by Bill Kopp - MUSOSCRIBE
Now there's a concept: take classic garage-punk songs from the 1960s (plus a fistful of Fuzztones originals) and put together new arrangements that add...wait for it...a horn section. No kidding. The Fuzztones have been at it for a long time, keeping the flames of 60s punk going. The hallmarks of that genre -- snotty vocals, fuzzed-out guitars, cheesy organs -- have provided a seemingly endless well of inspiration (yes, inspiration is not too strong a word) for these American expats.
But on their newest, Horny As Hell, the Fuzztones opt to push the boundaries of their chosen genre just a bit. The guitars are a bit less fuzzy, and instead feature more distortion in an early 70s style. The Farfisa Compact Duos and Vox Continentals are joined by what sounds uncannily like (shudder!) a Hammond B3. And then there's brass. Thick, beefy horn sections are worked into the arrangements of pretty much all of the disc's seventeen tracks. The album opener, a forceful cover of the Mickey Finn's "Garden of My Mind" truly benefits form the horn charts.
As always, the group's choice of material is beyond question. They dredge up "Girl, You Captivate Me," a non-hit for no less than ? and the Mysterians. And on that track (as, it must be said, on most of the album) the horns really do add to the enjoyment. They also cover two amazing songs familiar primarily to fanatics: the Moving Sidewalks' "99th Floor" and The Pretty Things lost classic "Alexander."
Props to Rudy Protudi and his cohorts for pushing the boundaries of what can oftentimes be a constricting subgenre. The use of horns is a radical enough departure that the group could run the risk of alienating its fan base, but it's a worthy excursion. It's not as if the Fuzztones leavened the disc with new material; the originals are mostly (if not all) remakes of old Fuzztones songs. But that's nitpicking. The songs are ace, with few missteps. It would be a gas to see and hear these arrangements live, but sadly The Fuzztones -- now firmy ensconced in their adopted European continent -- rarely venture stateside.
top Review by Anthony Strutt - PENNY BLACK MUSIC
God bless the Fuzztones ! I love this band. If I remember correctly, they were one of the first few bands ever back, around 1984, that I taped a John Peel session of. The New York-based garage band have been through various line ups since then, but have only toured the UK rarely during all the time that I have supported them.
'Horny as Hell' is their latest and, if rumours are correct, their last ever album. As well as featuring some new songs, it also revisits lots of old songs and gives them a new lease of life. It is being released both as a 12 track LP and even better still a 17 track CD.
It opens with 'Garden of the Mind', which sounds like a 1960's 'Batman-style theme tune. Rudi Protudi's vocals sound as fresh as the young Jim Morrison on the Doors' self-titled debut album. 'Bad News Travels Fast' is an oldie. It is not as good as the original, but still better than most music out there. Here it sounds like Primal Scream doing a 60's cover, but not as good, before Jimi Hendrix comes in and takes over from them. It is still, however, much better then most music out there.
'Brand New Man' sounds more old school, more psychedelic and and very dark. It also features some decent brass which the Fuzztones have recently added to their sound and that gives them something of appeal of the Plastic Ono Band. 'Girl, You Captivate Me' again sounds like Primal Scream doing a cover of decent rock 'n' roll and this time has a heavy hint of the Kinks.
'Third Time's the Charm', another old number, is organ heavy, and comes over like latter period the Doors.'Be Forewarned' is very mid 60's in sound with a decent progression. The brass adds a flavour of Mexico and there is also a hint of Jimi Hendrix at his most way out.
The next two tracks are old songs too. 'Cheyenne Rider' is fairly laid back in tone, and has a massive brass and heavy Hendrix guitar sound. '99th Floor' recalls the Doors until Jimi once more comes along.
'Alexander' is a Pretty Things cover and comes over like a lost golden nugget, while 'Black Lighting Light' sounds like the Experience with a full band sound. 'The End I Never Knew,' which was released originally as a single on Beggar's Banquet, is organ based and sizzles with sex.
'Yeah, Babe', another Fuzzies classic, is completely reworked as a garage soul number. 'Highway 69',a reworking from their debut album 'Lysergic Emanations', is very psychedelic and wild. 'Johnson in a Headlock' has three part female backing , which adds more colour to their sound, while 'Ward 81', another reworking from the first LP, sounds like a lost 1960's Bond theme.
'Blood from a Stone' is brass and guitar heavy, while 'She's Wicked', which closes the album and is another reworking, finds the bands doing what they do best and is another cool garage number guaranteed to fill the dance floor.
A great album !
top Review by GUIDO CLAESE - CONCRETE
The New York based garage band Fuzztones have been through various line ups since the early eighties and with this new album “Horny as Hell” they’ve made their greatest album ever. As well as featuring some new songs, it also revisits lots of old songs and gives them a new lease of life. The opening track “Garden Of The Mind” sounds like a sixties Batman style theme tune. Rudi Protudi's vocals sound very fresh especially on songs like as “Bad News Travels Fast”. The old songs like “Cheyenne Rider” and “99th Floor” have a heavy Jimi Hendrix guitar sound. “Brand New Man” sounds more old school, more psychedelic and very dark. Most of the old songs are beautiful rearranged such as the classic “Yeah Babe”. It sounds more garage than before. And a song like “Johnson in a Headlock” gets more colour through the female backing vocals. “Highway 69” from their debut album “Lysergic Emanations” is very psychedelic and wild.
It’s nice to hear this band through history with lots of reworked songs that adds a more garage and soul sound to it.
top Review by SOUNDFLAT
It's been some hard years for all fans of The Fuzztones. Finally the last record 'Salt For Zombies' was released in 2003. The longing for a new record is over and it was worth waiting. 'Horny As Hell' is one of the best Fuzztones creations ever! It brings you all that the Fuzztones are legendary for and much more. Mastermind Rudi Protrudi comes up with a 3 piece horn section and 4 female backing vocalists to get you the groove and to spearhead the new Garage Soul Movement that's rapidly sweeping Berlin (where the band now resides) and soon the rest of the world. So this time it's not only the Fuzz Madness that will blow your mind but also horns from hell - 'nomen ist omen'. The CD offers 17 tracks of hard-driving, hook-laden Rock 'n Roll anthems - the stuff that has made The Fuzztones inspirations to bands such as the Hives, the Horrors, and many more of today's 3rd generation of Garage rockers. Including future favorites 'Garden Of My Mind' and the
Pretty Things track 'Alexander' which features Pretties' bassist and occasional lead singer Wally Waller as well as brand new versions of Fuzztones classics 'Ward 81' and 'She's Wicked' done in 'Big Band'-style. And last but not least get wild with Rudi's hypnotic vocal delivery - just as energetic and vital as when he formed the band 28 years ago!
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