The Best of the Trashmen

ミネソタ州ミネアポリスで62年に結成、アメリカの海無し県ことミッド・ウェストが誇るサーフ・バンドTHE TRASHMEN。 THE RIVINGTONSのR&Bヒット"THE BIRD'S THE WORD"と"PAPA-OOM-MOW-MOW"の2曲をアドリブで繋げたミュータント・チューン"SURFIN' BIRD"で一躍名を揚げたサーフィン・キングです。

RAMONES、CRAMPSクラシックにしてサイコビリーの原型、キューブリックの「フルメタル・ジャケット」やジョン・ウォーターズの「ピンク・フラミンゴ」にも使用された60Sサーフ/ガレージを代表する歴史的な一曲"SURFIN' BIRD"をはじめ、ジョボジョボという水音エフェクトが効いた"BIRD BATH"、そして歌も中々イケることがわかる"A-BONE"など、徹底してダンパ向けのフラットロックを収録。未発表曲2曲!

※CDには同時発売のLP版未収録の5曲を追加収録

"Ah-well-ah everybodys heard about the bird!" The gritty bray with which Steve Wahrer uttered those deathless words made the Trashmens 1963 debut single, "Surfin Bird," an instant classic in its first four seconds, and the song actually got better from there. "Surfin Bird" became a Top Five hit and a career-defining smash within months of its initial release -- not bad for a low-budget 45 financed by the band themselves -- and it earned them a reputation they couldnt truly satisfy. Even though they hailed from Minneapolis, Minnesota, about 1,800 miles from the Pacific Ocean, the Trashmens heart was in surf music, and at their best their blend of splashy, reverb-soaked guitar (Tony Andreason on lead guitar, Dal Winslow on rhythm) and lean, propulsive rhythms (Bob Reed on bass and Wahrer on drums) was as satisfying as any band in the Golden State. Their finest surf sides captured a touch of the madness of "Surfin Bird," and Steve Wahrer knew when to bust out his freakish vocal style for effect, but ultimately "Surfin Bird" was a glorious anomaly. It gave the Trashmen the national recognition they deserved, though, and 1965s "Bird Dance Beat" was a worthy follow-up. The independent reissue label Sundazed Records has been documenting the Trashmens glory days with a series of archival releases since 1990, and 2022s The Best of the Trashmen is the labels second shot at a definitive single-disc career overview, following 1992s Tube City!: The Best of the Trashmen. The two discs share 13 tracks in their digital editions (the 2022 album boasts 21 tracks on CD and 16 in its vinyl edition), but The Best of the Trashmen ups the ante with two unreleased numbers (covers of Buddy Hollys "True Love" and Chuck Berrys "Reelin and Rockin") and a well-chosen set list, as well as the improved audio that comes with 30 years of advancements in mastering technology. The 2022 release also includes a fine and informative liner essay by John Sellards and Zoe Willard that covers the Trashmens story in concise form, and this collection is great fun for big kahunas and hodads alike. If youre only going to own one Trashmen record in your lifetime, you cant do much better than this. ~ Mark Deming