Teen Babes From Monsanto (Pink Vinyl)

By the time Redd Kross' dynamic siblings Jeff and Steven McDonald hit the studio with drummer Dave Peterson to record 1984's EP of covers Teen Babes from Monsanto, any notions they once had of being a punk band were far in the rearview window. They'd become a kickass rock & roll band instead, giving the rock & roll icons whose songs they cover here a serious run for their money. Their version of "Deuce" makes the Kiss original sound like Poco, they give the Rolling Stones' "Citadel" a pummeling hard rock remake, play the Stooges to a draw on a spookily explosive version of "Ann," and steamroll all the whimsy out of David Bowie's "Saviour Machine" while giving it a doomy Black Sabbath makeover. It's not all devil horns and power chords though; they cover the Shangri Las' "Heaven Only Knows" with a sneering light touch and deliver a giddy reading of "Blow You a Kiss in the Wind," a Boyce & Hart song sung by Elizabeth Montgomery on an episode of Bewitched. And as a bonus, they cover their own song, "Linda Blair," in extended metal freakout style. More of a lark than a serious statement, Teen Babes is a serious good time and cleared the decks for Redd Kross, paving the way for them to start writing great songs of their own. ~ Tim Sendra