What Love Is - Rocket from the Tombs, O'Connor, Gene
Ain't It Fun - Rocket from the Tombs, Laughner, Peter
Transfusion - Rocket from the Tombs, Laughner, Peter
Life Stinks - Rocket from the Tombs, Laughner, Peter
Muckraker - Rocket from the Tombs, Bell, Craig
30 Seconds Over Tokyo - Rocket from the Tombs, Laughner, Peter
Satisfaction - Rocket from the Tombs, Jagger, Richards
Sonic Reducer - Rocket from the Tombs, Bators, Stiv
Never Gonna Kill Myself Again - Rocket from the Tombs, Clark
Final Solution - Rocket from the Tombs, Bell, Craig
Foggy Notion - Rocket from the Tombs, Embassy
Amphetamine - Rocket from the Tombs, Laughner, Peter
Read It and Weep - Rocket from the Tombs, Bell, Craig
Seventeen - Rocket from the Tombs, Laughner, Peter
Frustration - Rocket from the Tombs, Bell, Craig
Down in Flames - Rocket from the Tombs, O'Connor, Gene
Search and Destroy - Rocket from the Tombs, Pop, Iggy
Cleveland's only legitimate claim to house the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame is a band that will never be inducted there. In fact, it is more than 25 years after the group broke up that a legitimate album of their material i... more »s now available on Smog Veil. This was Rocket From The Tombs--the mutant daddy to Pere Ubu and the Dead Boys. Originally, singer David Thomas started the band in May 1974 as a kind of vaudeville act, though later the group would have a good grasp of theatrics. A gifted guitarist/writer named Peter Laughner showed up at some of the farce-filled gigs, jammed with the band and joined soon after. Thomas and Laughner would make a new more musical lineup that included Gene O'Connor (Cheetah Chrome), Greg Bell, and Johnny Madansky (Johnny Blitz). Somehow this disparate crew got opening gigs ranging from Iron Butterfly to Captain Beefheart to Television (who Laughner joined briefly). Without Rocket From The Tombs, the world may have never heard "30 Seconds Over Tokyo", "Final Solution", "Ain't It Fun", "Sonic Reducer", and "Down In Flames"--all Rocket's originals, and all contained on this release, along with 14 other tracks culled from archival live recordings, some of which have never previously been bootlegged. Comprehensive Liner Notes and never before seen photos are jam-packed in this complete retrospective that showcases the true inception of the Cleveland underground sound.« less
Cleveland's only legitimate claim to house the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame is a band that will never be inducted there. In fact, it is more than 25 years after the group broke up that a legitimate album of their material is now available on Smog Veil. This was Rocket From The Tombs--the mutant daddy to Pere Ubu and the Dead Boys. Originally, singer David Thomas started the band in May 1974 as a kind of vaudeville act, though later the group would have a good grasp of theatrics. A gifted guitarist/writer named Peter Laughner showed up at some of the farce-filled gigs, jammed with the band and joined soon after. Thomas and Laughner would make a new more musical lineup that included Gene O'Connor (Cheetah Chrome), Greg Bell, and Johnny Madansky (Johnny Blitz). Somehow this disparate crew got opening gigs ranging from Iron Butterfly to Captain Beefheart to Television (who Laughner joined briefly). Without Rocket From The Tombs, the world may have never heard "30 Seconds Over Tokyo", "Final Solution", "Ain't It Fun", "Sonic Reducer", and "Down In Flames"--all Rocket's originals, and all contained on this release, along with 14 other tracks culled from archival live recordings, some of which have never previously been bootlegged. Comprehensive Liner Notes and never before seen photos are jam-packed in this complete retrospective that showcases the true inception of the Cleveland underground sound.
"Did the Ramones invent punk rock? No, they just prompted some critics to give the scene a name, and they really brought all the influences together. However, the aesthetics and concept of punk rock were around long before. Simple chords, shocking stage shows, nothing but pure and fast rock 'n' roll that would rather sound like "Nuggets" than "Sgt. Peppers". Iggy & the Stooges, the MC5, the Velvet Underground, the Dictators, New York Dolls, heck even the Seeds or the Sonics had the punk rock thing down long before the Sex Pistols or the Clash had ever picked up a guitar (nothing makes me angrier than when someone tries to tell me that the British invented punk - probably some moronic Crass fan). However the two pre-Ramones bands that sound the most blatantly punk are the Electric Eels and Rocket From the Tombs, both hailing from Cleavland. Rocket From the Tombs played the most nihilistic rock 'n' roll anyone could imagine at the time. Of course they had absolutely no chance of hitting the mainstream - they were too good for it. I mean would a song like "Ain't It Fun" ever be played alongside crap like the Eagles or James Taylor? The answer is NO. No one sounded like this in 1974. When the band broke up, members formed two of the greatest punk bands ever, the Dead Boys and Pere Ubu. If you like this album, be sure to pick up an Electric Eels disc. This is essential, and should be heard by anyone interested in proto-punk (hell, punk all together)."
Punk zero hour in the industrial wasteland.
donkey_shot | Switzerland | 03/13/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"These 1974-75 recordings by Cleveland`s Rocket From The Tombs are their collected works and quite simply the most scathing and searing punk music ever put to wax. Never mind the sonic overload and questionable sound quality of the source tapes and hear RFTT rip through "30 Seconds Over Tokyo" in a way not even Père Ubu could repeat, or shudder at the emotional intensity of wunder-guitarist Peter Laughner`s paean to a young life gone horribly wrong in "Ain`t It Fun". The classic "Sonic Reducer", later appropriated by The Dead Boys and issued in a version that pales (!) before RFTT`s assault and "Down In Flames" are amongst the other blistering punk performances.
This music bears no comparison: Ferocity to the point of self-annihilation, painfully raw playing fused with great instrumental prowess (Laughner) and David Thomas` nihilistic howl combine to make this the best rock release of 2002.
Incidentally, this tells us a lot about the state of rock music in these mediocre times, but hey, let`s not bicker: If you love Rocket From The Tombs from the get-go as much as I did, then make sure you also check out Cleveland`s other great (pre-)punk band THE MIRRORS and their archival collection "Hands In My Pockets". Another "lost gem if ever there was one"..."
The Reverend
Nicole Weiss | U.S.A | 10/28/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Listen well brothers and sisters, if this album rocked any harder it would not only blow your head too pieces but make any woman in a twelve mile radius give birth prematurely to any children that she might be carrying at the time. So use with extreme caution and respect for it will treat you with the same."
Fantastic document for all Per Ubu and Dead Boys fans!
D. Booth | Sydney, Australia | 07/12/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Absolutely fantastic document for all Per Ubu and Dead Boys fans, tracing the early development of these two legendary groups.I know this may sound like sacrilege to many Per Ubu fanatics but Rocket From The Tombs versions of 'Life Stinks', '30 Seconds Over Tokyo' and 'Final Solution',in my opinion, are far more superior."
Good stuff
J. price | Atlanta | 04/27/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Great if you are either a Dead Boys or Ubu fan. Better recording quality than Ubu stuff from the same time. Two very diferent roads taken from the Rocket begining."