Produced by
Al Kooper, this debut by the notorious San Francisco group is best known for the blazing anthem "White Punks on Dope." Although
the Tubes' raison d'être was their shock-rock stage dynamic,
Bill Spooner,
Fee Waybill, and company could, on occasion, deliver some offbeat pop splendor. A good example is the song "Haloes," co-written with
Kooper, a tough power pop jewel that sounds like
Todd Rundgren colliding with
Roxy Music. Also of note is "Boy Crazy," which shows off
Spooner's guitar skills. But for every "Haloes" and "Boy Crazy," there's a novelty number consciously created for the stage and that ultimately embarrasses, such as "Mondo Bondage" and "Space Baby."
Kooper's production is faultless, however, as are the horn and string arrangements by
Dominic Frontiere (Frontiere did the original score for the '60s cult sci-fi show The Outer Limits). ~ Peter Kurtz