Search - Trashmen :: Tube City: Best of

Bring In The Trash

BluesDuke | Las Vegas, Nevada | 01/18/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"What you could say about the Rivingtons, after the Trashmen got through with them, has the delicious irony of being applicable to the Trashmen themselves: Just as the Rivingtons (a snappy West Coast soul outfit) deserve to be known for far more than the two songs ("Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow" and "The Bird's The Word") which the Trashmen grafted into "Surfin' Bird," the Trashmen deserve to be known for far more than that masterpiece of ripsnorting berserk surf scatology. Which is not to say that "Surfin' Bird" is something to be ashamed of--if you can name the ten most insane in the brain slices of 1960s rock and roll and this isn't among them, you probably can't handle legitimately insane in the brain--but it is to say that the Trashmen were anything but the novelty act they have been branded, unjustifiably, as having been. (Those whose knowledge of the band begins and ends with "Surfin' Bird" could vouch for that if only by way of the two best-remembered covers of the song, in which the Ramones isolated the Trashmen's zip-gun thrash just short of the rubber room, while the Cramps isolated the rubber room just short of the full speed press.)



In fact, these guys were probably one of the best surf-garage bands of their time and maybe a little beyond their time. Remove "Surfin' Bird," and the Trashmen were at once the Ventures without the ersatz polish and sophistication (just try to imagine the Trashmen aspiring to cut guitar-lesson records or get the gig for cutting the theme for "Hawaii Five-O") AND Dick Dale and the Deltones (whose "Miserlou" they damn near beat at its own game) without the overmodulated atmospherics. "Bad News" alone would have secured their reputation if there had been no "Surfin' Bird" on their resume. (A shame that this set omits the almost-"Bad News" clone, "Stick Shift.") Their sense of humour and ability to kid around with themselves never entirely abandoned them (just listen to "Bird Dance Beat," an all-but-"Surfin' Bird" clone on which you can practically feel them straining to keep from cracking up as they play it). And you could line them up amidst any library of vintage surf bands and still experience the shock of realising that this gang of Minnesotans were pretty much meeting and often enough beating the West Coast wave-ravers at their own game, perhaps because their very isolation from the womb of the music made the Trashmen incapable of getting overly pretentious or self-conscious about it.



They weren't exactly perfect ("My Woodie" we could have lived without), but they had it right in the pocket often enough, and it's all--the cream of their post-"Surfin' Bird" singles-- pretty much gathered up here, including their unlikely and insistent version of "Money (That's What I Want)." This was relentless, kick-out-the-jam rock and roll before it became just so much in the way of "the future." The good news: They had a few extra innings in them, as "The Great Lost Album" (and especially the Trashmen's ethereal version of "Ghost Riders In The Sky") has since demonstrated. Completists can make for the "Bird Calls" box-set, but those who want the straight, no-chaser meat and potatoes should stick with this and "The Great Lost Album." Either way, the Trashmen deserve the retroactive respect they've begun to acquire in the past few years."

One Man's Trash Is Another Man's Treasure!

Mike King | Taunton, MA United States | 03/16/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Trashmen hailed from Minnesota and consisted of Steve Wahrer (drums/vocals), Tony Andreason (lead guitar), Dan Winslow (guitar/ vocals) and Bob Reed (bass guitar). Steve Wahrer combined the Rivingtons' songs "The Bird's The Word" and "Papa Oom Mow Mow," added some strange vocal sounds, and created the classic song "Surfin' Bird." That song went all the way to #4 in late 1963. "Bird Dance Beat" came closest to duplicating the sound but not the chart position of their major hit, peaking at #30 in early 1964. The Trashmen took the song "Church Key," changed the words to "Bird Bath," and added the sounds of gurgling and splashing water. "King Of The Surf" takes the main melody of "Johnny B. Goode" and adds surf lyrics to it. "Tube City" is an outstanding surf instrumental written by Steve Wahrer. Unfortunately, the surf craze was dying down and the Trashmen failed to make the top 40 again. By early 1968 the Trashmen had called it quits but, thankfully, they left behind this treasure trove of great songs."

Mary Tyler Moore, White Castle, Lake Calhoun, and......THE T

Bop Cat | 07/26/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a great CD. Probably the best CD reissue of Trashmen tunes available. (The greatest thing from the coast to come out of the North). Anyway, this band is not just a "surf" band from Minneapolis, but one of the best surf bands of the '60's. Excellent instrumental guitar work and some terrific vocal numbers, too. We all know that "the bird is the word", but every song is great here. I highly recommend this to anyone who likes not only surf/hot rod music, but also early '60's frat rock sounds. Surf the 10,000 lakes!!"