THE TUBES
Tubes World Tour 2001 (CMC)
Reviewed by John Sekerka

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The Tubes were great, once. Not twice. Anyone privy to their comeback tour in '93 will attest to this fact. Main songwriter and guitarist Bill Spooner had flown the coop, and Fee Waybill, once a charismatic frontman with a penchant for outrageous costume changes was a mere parody of himself. Hard to believe that this was the same wacko outfit who rocked the world with their "What Do You Want From Live?" record, enthralling teens with such risque music as "Don't Touch Me There", "White Punks on Dope" and "Mondo Bondage". Portraying punk rocker Johnny Bugger, Waybill broke his leg on the "Live?" tour and that was pretty well that. Snakebit, the band spiralled into mediocrity, punctuated by a painful appearance on John Candy's SCTV fishing show, belting out "Sushi Girl" in three piece suits. They were right to call it a day, and they were wrong to resurrect the beast. This greatest hits live CD is pretty much a warning that Fee will take his worn vision of rockinroll to the grave. It is also a redundant release considering the far superior "Live?" set. At least they had the foresight to omit "Sushi Girl".

© 2000 - John Sekerka