MAXIMUM ROCK & ROLL
reviews:
V/A - "Hyped To Death #1 CD
You must first read my collector's column "What We Do Is Secret" elsewhere in this issue to understand what Hyped To Death is all about. Then come back and read this review. Despite inexplicably kicking off the series with bands that start with "R" rather than "A", #1 is an awesome start for the series. The punk interpretation here is widened to embrace such doilies as the lo-fi garage punk bashing of MIKE REP AND THE QUOTAS, the pop punk of the REACTIONS, the mannered CLASH-isms of the RED ROCKERS, the hard rock of JOY RYDER & AVIS DAVIS, and the power pop of the RUBBER CITY REBELS. 30 tracks. Just a dud or two (REGULAR JOES, fr'inst), the rest are way above average memorable ass kickers. A handful from '84 but most're from the oily days. My current faves on this are the REALTORS, RERUNS, and (LA) REACTORS, but that's likely to change on a weekly basis. (HY)
V/A - "Hyped To Death #2 CD
Bands from the "Sa-to-So" part of the alphabet. SNUKY TATE ain't killer but are incompetently funny as hell. Ditto with the SILLIES and their "Is There Lunch After Death". The SCRAPS remain unknown despite Chuck's research, but their track is great singalong pop punk. Ditto with the SCHEMATIX. MEGA-WAY too many great songs on this near dudless 33 tracker to point out: my only suggestion is buy, listen, and worship your newly anointed gods... (HY)
V/A - "Hyped To Death #11 CD
This vol (numbered "11" but it's really number 3 in this series) covers bands from the "Sp-to-Te" part of the alphabet. The spazzed out STAINS from Maine start things off, circa '80. A surprise comes from (the later southern jangle pop lamesters) SWIMMING POOL Q'S with their killer debut 45 called "Rat Bait", complete with horns but manages to maintain a snarling art punk stance throughout. TEACHER'S PET progs out with treated vocals and keyboards. STRAND proto-punks out with a cover of the STOOGES' "Search and Destroy". The SUICIDE KINGS time warp from an '85 release to settle nicely into an early punk sound. TERMINAL MIND embarrasses the Texas punk scene with a lame-voxed waver. STUMBLEBUNNY is a roots boogie band, stretching the def of punk to its limits. The STICKERS lamer is appropriately on the Ouch label. Not one of the better vols, a mere handfulla good'uns and lotsa unmemorables. However, well researched liner notes neatly put bands in their time and place in punk rock history so you gotta buy it anyhow. (HY)
V/A - "Hyped To Death #12 CD
Bands from "Th-to-U". A buncha "known" stuff, all good (TOOLS, TOT ROCKET, UNNATURAL AXE), a few handfuls of unknowns. TRACKS and MARC THOR do Beantown proud, while neighbors THUNDERTRAIN try to rock'n boogie themselves into the punk spotlight. Nothing terribly outstanding that you haven't already heard, tho US CHAOS offers a classic anthem our way, "Don't Wanna Live". My faves're the UNDEAD's "My Kinda Town" and THAT HIDEOUS STRENGTH's schizoid madness from 1977. Overall somewhat better than #11, but pales in comparison to #1 and 2. Don't hold it against Chuck tho, it's just that part of the alphabet. Still, a must-own for the completist in ya. (HY)
(www.hyped2death.com) #1-12 reviewed January 2001
V/A "Hyped To Death #21 CD
The liner notes claim there were periods in the history of punk where
better music was being issued on 12" than on 45. While this installment,
compiling LP tracks from the R to Z part of the alph, doesn't go outta its way
to prove that theory, it IS another fun ride thru the back alleys of the genre.
On this we find lesser bands (391, RAUNCHETTES, SUBTERFUGE) on better known
indie labels (Posh Boy, Bomp, Mystic), while also digging up lesser known tracks
from usual suspects (THE ALLEYCATS with a track off the usually overlooked Sharp
Cuts comp, MIDDLE CLASS, etc). You get some pretty fringe stuff ("paisley-punk"
by THE END, "Christian punk" by UNDERCOVER), as well as the more standard
sounding punk fare (STRANGLEHOLD, STRETCHMARKS). URANIUM SAVAGES track
"Policeman" sounds a lot like the Vast Majority's "Wanna Be A Number". No
classics in the making, but a few digworthy tracks, like ROGER C. REALE,
SUBTERFUGE, DETOURS and THE RATS. (HY)
V/A "Hyped To Death #22 CD
A continuation of Hyped To Death #21, which compiles LP tracks from the
R to Z part of the alph, this appears to be the one that all the best tracks
were saved for. This kicks far more ass with far more straight ahead blazing
punk than its predecessor. Lotsa tracks that woulda made great 45's: THE REDS
"Whatcha Doin" and WHITE BOY "I Hate" to name but a few. You get a downright
anthem in F-MODELS "It's Not Right". Pop punk is done right on "Violent Days" by
SCREAMING SNEAKERS. A straight 10 track run of Canuck bands gets you pogo-ing.
Titles like "Kill Your Parents", "Go To Hell" and "I Don't Wanna Be Your Friend"
are begging to become the classics of tomorrow. One of the best in the Hyped To
Death series and very highly recommended.
(HY)
V/A "Hyped To Death #31 CD
Apparently there were a lot of bands with names in the V to Z part of
the alphabet, so you get a whole 74 minute comp with such bands hailing from the
Northeast and Midwest part of the US alone. This one includes tracks off 45's
and LP's, as well as the unreleased (the comp starts with a one by the ZERO
BOYS, which has since been finally issued on a recent reissue of Vicious
Circle). Famous obscurities like The VIOLATORS, The TREND, VILETONES and
DETENTION. Obscurer obscurities like The WHALES, VISIGOTHS, CRAZY JACK. WRECK'N
CREW sounds just like the ZEROS, ZOMBIE SQUAD like the MISFITS, WAGES like a
band with a real "hit" (!), VICTIMS OF SOCIETY sound like brit shit. The
incisive lyrics of the VORES "Amateur Surgeon" ("Show me your face I wanna Cut
Cut Cut") and the wild protopunk of HOOKER's "Young & Suicidal" are kicking
my ass right now. Pretty damn decent: I'd put this in the upper third of the
Hyped To Death series. (HY)
#21-31 reviewed Febrary 2001
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