THE SHIRTS make their sophomore appearance with “Poe”. The TELEVISION-style guitar interplay, powerful vocals, sharp organ stabbing, and pummeling rhythm section puts this performance right in your face. This group was at the top of their game and the version of “Poe” that wound up on their debut LP two years later just does not compare. MINK DEVILLE’s “Let Me Dream If I Want To (Amphetamine Blues)” has an up tempo sorta ska feel to it. Musically it’s great to hear how two guitars, keyboards, bass and drums never step on each other’s toes in every single nook and cranny of the composition. “Head Over Heels” has TUFF DARTS coming back with a more retro 50’s type of love/date song with a 70’s modern motif. “Your mama says there’s something ‘bout me just ain’t right, your daddy says my heels are just a little too high” kinda gives this away. Not even a year later singer Robert Gordon becomes such a 50’s purist that it’s awful hard to imagine him clad in high-heeled glam stacks.

The kettle really starts to boil even hotter once MANSTER makes it’s presence known. Their cover of “Over, Under, Sideways, Down” by THE YARDBIRDS takes the whole musicality up a notch or two. Total instrument virtuosity enters the picture with brothers Alan and Robert Hertzberg’s unbelievable guitar skills. Thomas Giordano’s walking bass line is so fast it makes my hands cramp up just from listening. John Fehling’s drums are super fast as you feel like you got off a roller coaster after the abrasive vocal finale. The ensemble slows down to a contrasting crawl on “I’m Really Not This Way” that is kind of like JEFF BECK meets PIGPEN (Peanuts character not G. Dead keyboardist!). Vocalist Warren Stahurski tells his sad tale of life as a homeless man with a certain amount of humor (“Not exactly sure what day it was when I officially became a bum”). At the point when the listener lets the less serious elements of the song take over in comes the most emotional guitar solo ever played by any human being and brings you to tears. Like the calm before the storm the song ends quietly and then…

In comes SUN and all total fucking hell breaks loose. I don’t mean to hyper sensationalize, but this is quite possibly hard rock’s finest moment in history. The Timmy Hollans battering drum intro to “Romance” is about a subtle as an ax blow to the cranium as this over-the-top paean to pussy pounding pounces forth. Once Nicky Buzz’s vocal hits your ears it’s hard not to see him as the black BON SCOTT. After guitarist Randy Fredrix’s mesmerizing solo the song goes into a bridge that ends with a two blood curling screams that last about six seconds a piece. It is the sound of Buzz’s voice and Fredrix’s guitar playing the same note in unison. Near the last section of this onslaught of the senses bassist Clyde Isom breeks out of the pocket into JACK BRUCE territory. It’s almost hard to notice at first because Buzz is going to town on the screaming again. The ending is the same brutal drum solo that started “Romance”. Now I’ve heard a lot of music over the years but this tune truly hit hard. Every time I play this for someone their face looks like a different person when the tune is done.

About the only to way to follow this up is to accept defeat immediately. STUART’S HAMMER has a lot to live up to indeed. It’s as if you imagine vocalist John Placko knows he has been blown off the stage, but still puts forth enough shrill in his opening scream to command attention (of course in reality he probably sang a different evening). Once you settle into his band’s groove you start forget how SUN beat you down to the ground and are able to appreciate“Everybody’s Depraved” for the great song that it is. Killer electric piano, good guitar and good times. Next up THE MIAMIS put you right into the heart of 1976. For starters, looking at their photo it’s hard not to think about “Welcome Back Cotter” as one these guys looks just like Arnold Horshack “We Deliver” it unabashed bubblegum pop-rock that is as tight as a band can be in a live setting. All five of its members sing and this group’s sole contributing track could not be better placed. More good times indeed. After three groups that only get their one shot apiece we get the familiar sound of MINK DEVILLE once again. Or do we? “Change It Comes” has the whole group doing reggae. Even singer Willy DEVILLE changes his voice entirely to do this. The song is perfectly placed and….

In comes cum shot numerous dose. THE SHIRTS save their best for last. “A.V.M.” is quite an achievement; the amount of musicianship, emotion and dynamics is just fucking off the chain. First off, guitarists Artie Lamonica and Ronnie Ardito construct the most beautiful dueling lead harmonies. In the middle section of the song, their dual soloing goes into separate speed-picked call and response parts that eventually weave themselves into speed-picked dual leads that are just beautiful. The ending section features vocalist Annie Golden’s piecing screams as the overall volume intensifies into the ultimate climax. There is so much happening in this opus that it is difficult to believe that clocking in at 6 minutes and 24 seconds, this is the longest track on the record. It is also hard to comprehend the collective genius of bands like CAMPER VAN BEETHOVEN or BIRDS OF AVALON not being influenced by this fantastic music.

THE LAUGHING DOGS get their second shot with another song that again has the JOHN LENNON vibe somewhat ("Somewhat" meaning I hear a little more Paul on this one as well) - great stuff nonetheless. TUFF DARTS end “Live At CBGB’s” with “Slash”. Robert Gordon tells a deranged groupie to beat it and thus concludes one of the greatest compilation albums of all time.

- Herring