Fine "Best Of" For Band That Bridged Pub & Punk Rock
Eric R. Last | San Bruno, CA United States | 09/11/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Eddie And The Hot Rods were the last of the true Pub-Rock bands. By the time the Hot Rods' 1976 debut album appeared, pub-rock was breathing it's final gasps. Very soon, the punk onslaught overwhelmed the remaining pubbers. Eddie and The Hot Rods were able to hang on longer than the others, largely because their faster tempos and higher energy were more in line with the punk ethic. (Dr. Feelgood also managed to survive for largely the same reasons.) They tried to catch the wave and present themselves as a punk band, but listening to their recorded output makes it quite clear they had more kinship with the pub-rock crowd. But they managed to record three pretty fine albums (as well as one pretty mediocre swan song) and last until 1981. Along the way they scored a big hit with the classic "Do Anything You Wanna Do". Other choice cuts include "Teenage Depression", "Quit This Town", and "Power And The Glory". The best of the Hot Rods' brief lifespan can be found on this excellent compilation. Note: This collection does NOT include any material from various reunion projects that occurred between 1984 to 1996. And that is as it should be; the true heyday of the band was 1975 to 1979, the period covered in this set."