The Tubes

Unknown Soldier · 09-01-2012, 03:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ReStyles

The Tubes tour regularly in both the US and Europe, and are outstanding musicians. 4 original members most of the time (Waybill, Steen, Prince, Andersen), plus David Medd on keyboards.

They generally play outdoor fests and 500-1000 seat clubs.

The show is great, Fee's voice usually very strong, but the standouts for me are Roger Steen who has become an extremely good rock/funk guitarist, and Prarie Prince, long one of the best drummers in rock.

Check them out. Well worth the $20-$25 most venues charge.

ETA: And if Ive inspired you to see them in Pleasanton CA next week, stop by and say high...first row left of center!

Are you actually Re Styles or a huge fan?

Holerbot6000 · 09-03-2012, 11:27 AM

Funny how different your perspective can be. I was in High School when the first Tubes album came out and we adopted 'White Punks on Dope' as our unofficial class anthem. Actually got sent to the Principles office once for playing it as our basketball team took the floor during a tourney. The first three albums were kind of fun/eccentric; very glammy and the musicians were obviously very good. Bill Spooner, Prairie Prince and Mingo Lewis were all featured on various avant rock albums of the time (including 'My Life in the Bush of Ghosts'). And then they started chasing the hit record and became infinitely less interesting. 'Remote Control' - Todd took a ton of **** for that one because he basically made a Todd Rundgren album with Fee Waybill on vocals, and then Completion Backwards was just a complete sellout, an awful awful record, which, of course was the most popular thing they've ever done. I've gone back and listened to a few things and their music was very much of a time and place and doesn't really hold up very well. I'm sure they're still fun to see live, but I think the best thing they ever did really was that picture of naked Re Styles in the inner tubes.

if i had to vote for best Tubes song, it would probably be 'Space Baby'.

Unknown Soldier · 09-03-2012, 02:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Holerbot6000

Funny how different your perspective can be. I was in High School when the first Tubes album came out and we adopted 'White Punks on Dope' as our unofficial class anthem. Actually got sent to the Principles office once for playing it as our basketball team took the floor during a tourney. The first three albums were kind of fun/eccentric; very glammy and the musicians were obviously very good. Bill Spooner, Prairie Prince and Mingo Lewis were all featured on various avant rock albums of the time (including 'My Life in the Bush of Ghosts'). And then they started chasing the hit record and became infinitely less interesting. 'Remote Control' - Todd took a ton of **** for that one because he basically made a Todd Rundgren album with Fee Waybill on vocals, and then Completion Backwards was just a complete sellout, an awful awful record, which, of course was the most popular thing they've ever done. I've gone back and listened to a few things and their music was very much of a time and place and doesn't really hold up very well. I'm sure they're still fun to see live, but I think the best thing they ever did really was that picture of naked Re Styles in the inner tubes.

if i had to vote for best Tubes song, it would probably be 'Space Baby'.

Your perspective is actually the same as mine. You like the albums best that introduced you to the band. With me it was the Completion Backwards Principal era. The only difference is, is that I also like the first three albums a lot as well and "Space Baby" is a great song.

Holerbot6000 · 09-03-2012, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Unknown Soldier

Your perspective is actually the same as mine. You like the albums best that introduced you to the band.

Mmmm. I don't know about that theory. Sorry. If Completion Backwards had been the first thing I had ever heard by the Tubes, I think it also would have been the last. Sushi Girl? Let's Make Some Noise? As one critic said at the time, The Tubes appeared, with that album, to be making some kind of satirical statement about corporate cutlure and branding, but there was nothing funny about listening to them throw away their musicianship on songs like that.

Just my opinion, of course. Good on ya for sticking with them and exploring their earlier stuff though.

Unknown Soldier · 09-03-2012, 03:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Holerbot6000

Mmmm. I don't know about that theory. Sorry. If Completion Backwards had been the first thing I had ever heard by the Tubes, I think it also would have been the last. Sushi Girl? Let's Make Some Noise? As one critic said at the time, The Tubes appeared, with that album, to be making some kind of satirical statement about corporate cutlure and branding, but there was nothing funny about listening to them throw away their musicianship on songs like that.

Just my opinion, of course. Good on ya for sticking with them and exploring their earlier stuff though.

I absolutely love every song on the Completion Backwards Principal (the weakest being the final two tracks which I still like) Now "Sushi Girl" and "Let's Make Some Noise" I think are great songs especially the latter which I'd put down as a very typical and distinctive Tubes song of that era.

Holerbot6000 · 09-03-2012, 04:44 PM

Good for you! Stick to your guns. I don't know why I'm being such an ornery sh*thead about it anyway.

I forgot that they actually did a Beefheart cover on their third album. Props for that!

Unknown Soldier · 09-04-2012, 10:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Holerbot6000

I forgot that they actually did a Beefheart cover on their third album. Props for that!

Their third album is often the most overlooked and yes I'd forgotten that they'd done a Captain Beefheart cover on that album as well.

Screen13 · 09-06-2012, 08:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Holerbot6000

Funny how different your perspective can be. I was in High School when the first Tubes album came out and we adopted 'White Punks on Dope' as our unofficial class anthem. Actually got sent to the Principles office once for playing it as our basketball team took the floor during a tourney. The first three albums were kind of fun/eccentric; very glammy and the musicians were obviously very good. Bill Spooner, Prairie Prince and Mingo Lewis were all featured on various avant rock albums of the time (including 'My Life in the Bush of Ghosts'). And then they started chasing the hit record and became infinitely less interesting. 'Remote Control' - Todd took a ton of **** for that one because he basically made a Todd Rundgren album with Fee Waybill on vocals, and then Completion Backwards was just a complete sellout, an awful awful record, which, of course was the most popular thing they've ever done. I've gone back and listened to a few things and their music was very much of a time and place and doesn't really hold up very well. I'm sure they're still fun to see live, but I think the best thing they ever did really was that picture of naked Re Styles in the inner tubes.

if i had to vote for best Tubes song, it would probably be 'Space Baby'.

Actually, I think it was Inside/Outside that became their biggest hit -
She's a Beauty was on that. Completion Backwards was understandable, seeing Remote Control go into the cut outs in quick time and being on a new label after being dumped by A&M, and having a sense of humor about it was cool (Re: The SCTV clip), but then what came next sounded bland to me. The video possibly made it more of a hit than anything else in my opinion. The David Foster Production era had at least one good album, so I can't totally knock it down, but I'm not too much of a listener of it either.

I remember Love Bomb (1985 - returning to Rundgren for the Production?) and thinking that a break was in need, although "Piece by Piece" was a passable Pop tune. Oddly enough I still remember watching some Music Show from 1984 that had a brief interview with Fee when he released his solo Read My Lips, which was made shortly before Love Bomb.

Screen13 · 09-06-2012, 08:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Unknown Soldier

I absolutely love every song on the Completion Backwards Principal (the weakest being the final two tracks which I still like) Now "Sushi Girl" and "Let's Make Some Noise" I think are great songs especially the latter which I'd put down as a very typical and distinctive Tubes song of that era.

The one song I really worried about was the single "Don't Want to Wait Anymore." I flipped it over to hear "Think About Me," instead. (memories when I was a kid.

Unknown Soldier · 09-07-2012, 01:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Screen13

Actually, I think it was Inside/Outside that became their biggest hit -
She's a Beauty was on that. Completion Backwards was understandable, seeing Remote Control go into the cut outs in quick time and being on a new label after being dumped by A&M, and having a sense of humor about it was cool (Re: The SCTV clip), but then what came next sounded bland to me. The video possibly made it more of a hit than anything else in my opinion. The David Foster Production era had at least one good album, so I can't totally knock it down, but I'm not too much of a listener of it either.

I remember Love Bomb (1985 - returning to Rundgren for the Production?) and thinking that a break was in need, although "Piece by Piece" was a passable Pop tune. Oddly enough I still remember watching some Music Show from 1984 that had a brief interview with Fee when he released his solo Read My Lips, which was made shortly before Love Bomb.

I really loved the David Foster production on those two albums, he gave the band a high-gloss sheen and their music had a slight funky feel as well on some of the songs. Inside/Outside was easily their biggest commercial success. Never liked Love Bomb with the return of Todd Rundgren, always saw it as a disappointment but did like some of the more experimental stuff on the album.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Screen13

The one song I really worried about was the single "Don't Want to Wait Anymore." I flipped it over to hear "Think About Me," instead. (memories when I was a kid.

The ballad was an obvious attempt at getting commercial success and I quite like the song, sounds terrible live though as its sung by Bill Spooner. "Think About Me" now that's a classic Tubes song.

09-03-2012, 11:27 AM	#12 (permalink)
Holerbot6000 Music Mutant Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: near a record store Posts: 327	Funny how different your perspective can be. I was in High School when the first Tubes album came out and we adopted 'White Punks on Dope' as our unofficial class anthem. Actually got sent to the Principles office once for playing it as our basketball team took the floor during a tourney. The first three albums were kind of fun/eccentric; very glammy and the musicians were obviously very good. Bill Spooner, Prairie Prince and Mingo Lewis were all featured on various avant rock albums of the time (including 'My Life in the Bush of Ghosts'). And then they started chasing the hit record and became infinitely less interesting. 'Remote Control' - Todd took a ton of **** for that one because he basically made a Todd Rundgren album with Fee Waybill on vocals, and then Completion Backwards was just a complete sellout, an awful awful record, which, of course was the most popular thing they've ever done. I've gone back and listened to a few things and their music was very much of a time and place and doesn't really hold up very well. I'm sure they're still fun to see live, but I think the best thing they ever did really was that picture of naked Re Styles in the inner tubes. if i had to vote for best Tubes song, it would probably be 'Space Baby'.

09-03-2012, 04:44 PM	#16 (permalink)
Holerbot6000 Music Mutant Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: near a record store Posts: 327	Good for you! Stick to your guns. I don't know why I'm being such an ornery sh*thead about it anyway. I forgot that they actually did a Beefheart cover on their third album. Props for that!