The Tubes' reputation (or lack thereof) is built on their uninhibited '70s performances, and, to a much lesser extent, on the non-hits collected on T.R.A.S.H. Before ultra-clean
David Foster production pushed the
Tubes into the Top 40 in the '80s, this circus of the insane recorded with an eclectic array of talent, delivering bouncy, wavy Americana spit-wads like the immortal "White Punks on Dope" and the materialistic "What Do You Want from Life?" Some funny stuff here ("Slipped my Disco"), but what works onstage, surrounded by naked women, doesn't always require repeat listening. The
Tubes were definitely ahead (or outside) of their time, and "Don't Touch Me There" is the kind of looniness
Jim Steinman would take to the top and beyond. The
Tubes constructed many brilliant singles with wit and depth, but you-had-to-be-there for much of T.R.A.S.H. Still, this collection of their A&M work is easy access to the Tube's overlooked '70s stuff, and worth a few spins. ~ Doug Stone