The Fuzztones - LSD 25 (25 Years Of Fuzz And Fury) (2005)

The Fuzztones weren't the best of the '80s garage revival bands, but they were one of the first, and their commitment to a life in paisley was unquestionable. Rudi Protrudi and his endless cycle of sidemen started making noise in New York City in 1980, helping lead the charge for the likes of the Chesterfield Kings, the Cynics, the Lyres, and dozens of other like-minded bands, while the Fuzztones themselves are still kicking around today despite sitting out most of the '90s. LSD 25 is a glossy career anthology which features 25 songs from the Fuzztones' back catalog, along with a bonus DVD of promo videos, television appearances, and interviews. While 17 different people drift through the Fuzztones' lineup over the course of these 25 songs, the quality of the music remains admirably consistent, as does the band's commitment to what might be best called anti-hippie psychedelia. Protrudi does a better Sky Saxon routine than Saxon himself usually did, and the various guitarist and Farfisa manglers deliver grimy clouds of fuzz, peals of Rickenbacker jangle, and rising and falling squeals of low-tech howl at the right moments. At his best, Protrudi could even write an original that was up to the standards of the band's many covers, most notably "Bad News Travels Fast," "Nine Months Later," and "Ward 81." However, there was always something just a bit too clean and mannered about the Fuzztones, as if they practiced their shtick just a little too well, and LSD 25 doesn't do much to shake that image. As good as these performances are, the sweat and passion of their '60s forbearers is rarely audible on this disc. Still, garage revival fans will certainly enjoy LSD 25, and this is a fine and thorough look at the Fuzztones' fabled career; the band's low-budget promo videos on the bonus DVD are also a major kick (especially "Ward 81," which lifts some visual motifs from Samuel Fuller's cult classic Shock Corridor). Too bad the booklet doesn't offer any information on the where and when of these songs (though you do get pictures of every member of the band over the years, a nice gesture to be sure),