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THE SWAMP RATS
Disco Still Sucks! (Get Hip)
Reviewed by Alan Wright
Oddly, this compilation of singles by Pittsburgh '60s punk legends the Swamp Rats is credited to Bob Hocko and the Swamp Rats, which is odd considering he wasn't even on their first single, but since he seems to be the only member who actually cooperated with this release that may be why. The Swamps Rats were formed out of the ashes of the Fantastic Deejays, a Merseybeat inspired band that penned cool originals and released some singles and one great full-length LP in 1965. The Swamp Rats couldn't have been further away in sound, as they performed mainly covers and were one of the most demented, unhinged and fuzzed-out bands this side of the Sonics. It's no surprise that they covered "Psycho," as well as copying the Sonics' arrangement of "Louie, Louie" for their first single. Backed with "Hey Joe," the trio utilized twin fuzzed guitars, drums and no bass for a primal sound that few could match.
Expanding to a four-piece and adding a bassist, and Bob Hocko who alternated between drums, lead vocals and guitars, they unleashed a series of crazed 45s, all of which are collected here along with some unreleased tracks. Among them are seriously raunched out takes on songs like "She's Got Everything" and "Till The End of the Day" by the Kinks, "Ain't No Friend Of Mine" by the Sparkles, and standards like "In The Midnight Hour" and "Tobacco Road," and a primitive yet engaging cover of the Beatles' "Here, There and Everywhere" which harkens back to the fantastic Deejays sound. This release is an expanded version of a mid-70s Swamp Rats compilation called "Disco Sucks," which strangely omitted their insane take on "Psycho" and other singles sides, substituting lackluster songs by Hocko's '70s hard rock band Galactus and two Rats reunion songs that failed to capture their original essence. This Get Hip reissue rectifies that, including all the singles, plus three unreleased tunes: an alternate take of the Stones' "It's Not Easy," and two Hocko originals, the melancholy "I'm Going Home" and the proto-punk Stooges-like "Hey Freak." The CD also includes three uncredited and rather strange bonus songs by Bob Hocko accompanying himself on acoustic guitar.
[Pick this up at www.gethip.com.]
© 2003 - Alan Wright