Various Artists-Hard To Beat (Twenty-One Stooges Killers) (1987)

 

Artist: Various Artists  (Thrust, Exploding White Mice, Seminal Rats, No Mans Land, Stress of Terror, God, Asylum, Johnny Kennis, Magnolia Strip, Raw Power, Hard Ons, Vocal Lizard, ME 262, Psychotic Turnbuckles, NRG, feedtime, Plunderers, The Girlies, Celibate Rifles, Harum Scarem,, Hellmenn)

Title: Hard To Beat

Label: Au Go Go

Format: 2XLP

Cat #: ANDA 70

Year of Release: 1987

Country and Year of Edition Issue: Australia  1988

Listed Condition: VG+/G+ heavy spine damage

Sell Date: 12/2/21

Sell Price: $19.99

Discogs Last Sold: 11/25/21 $22.73 NM/NM

Low:  $11.35

Median: $19.66

Average: $19.36

High: $35.96

Current low price: $15.99

Current Number on Sale at Discogs: 32

Have/Want: 560/99

Where Sold: Lake Worth, FL

Time it took to sell: 6 years

Where and When Bought: Nuggetts Boston early 90's used

Gwiz-gau Letter Grade: B+

Sad To See It Go: No

It goes without saying, when a band endeavors to cover the Stooges, the result will be good, if not as crucial as the original thing.  This Australian set of 80's heay hitters like feedtime, Celibate Rifles, Hard Ons and Exploding White Mice join a bunch of lesser known rockers to create a theme album.  Could there be a better concept for a tribute?  Maybe not?  Would you rather have Olivia Newton John or Men At Work do "Seek and Destroy?"

Since this is the baseline songbook for every pre-Hardcore punk band, there isn't much to screw up.  The question is how great can you make YOUR version?  When my band Saint Bastard first gigged we did some covers which I hate to do but was outvoted.  Instead of doing an able version of "Down On The Street" as the Exploding White Mice did, we just rewrote it into our own bonehead  song called "Wall."  It still is on our set list to this day long after the covers and band name have been jettisoned for A Bunch Of Girls.  We also covered "I Wanna Be Your Dog" but maybe not as good as NRG.

It must be noted that the Raw Power group on this is not the famous Italian hardcore one, but an all Stooges cover band whose some release came on cassette with the 55th DNA Fanzine in 1986.

So what are the standouts?  You mean besides everything? ME 262 did a really nice "I've Got Nothing."  That features singer Mark Roxburgh who was in a band relesaed on the Waterfront label called Decline of the Reptiles that sound worth checking out.  Plus there the Screaming Tribesman bass player.   GOD, who I had a single from, do a nice "Real Good Time."  Asylum right after that does a good "T.V. Eye."  Johnny Kannis from the 70's band the Hitmen doing "Kill City" reminded me that the opening from the original was used as a TV theme for bowling or some locally televised production growing up in 70's or early 80's Massachusetts.  Speaking of which The Plunderers Nic Dalton was a Lemonheads member for five minutes and he turns in a good "No Fun."  

Celibate Rifles "Gimmie Danger" and Hard Ons "1970" are excellent as expected.  

It's a fine tribute record.