Starters of the rock & roll party since 1976,
the Fleshtones are the band that refuses to quit, cranking out records and booking tours for their small but mighty fan base at a pace that puts most acts to shame. Given their prolific and generous nature, it's not surprising that the group has placed more than a few tracks on singles and compilations that aren't easy to find. But
the Fleshtones have come to the aid of cash-strapped completists with the release of Budget Buster, a collection that brings together 12 rare sides in one affordable package. By this time,
the Fleshtones have worked out pretty much all the nooks and crannies of their formula, and if you were hoping they'd finally unveil some rare dubstep experiment or Norwegian death metal tribute on this comp, you're going to be disappointed. But while plenty of groups save the cream of their material for their albums and toss out lesser tracks for indie singles or B-sides, that's clearly not how
the Fleshtones work, and Budget Buster is a top-notch set of wailing Super Rock rarities. Collectively, this set delivers as strongly as any of their recent LPs (which have found the group in excellent form), and the sequencing gives it the ebb and flow of a for-real album. Their cover of
Little Richard's "Dancing All Around the World" is as frantic as it should be, "Touch and Go" is an inspired exercise in wah-wah madness, "End of My Neighborhood" is a hard-charging screed against gentrification, "Everywhere Is Nowhere" includes a fine guest vocal from
Mary Huff of
Southern Culture on the Skids, and "The Band Drinks for Free" testifies that a great party and a great gig are still the goals of an evening with
the Fleshtones. And if you've been wanting more Spanish-language
Ten Years After covers in your life, Budget Buster features not one but two versions of "Ama Como un Hombre" that groove pleasingly. Budget Buster delivers conclusive proof that
the Fleshtones make Quality Control their top priority, and even the pickiest garage rock maven will flip a wig over this. ~ Mark Deming