Remote Control [Expanded Edition]

by The Tubes

Overview

After stunning the rock world with their memorable debut in 1975, the Tubes ran into trouble. Although Young And Rich and Now had fine moments, they were uneven and left many rock pundits wondering if the Tubes had anything to offer besides shock value. They got their answer with the release of Remote Control, a cohesive and surprisingly thoughtful concept album. On this 1979 outing, the Tubes enlisted the services of wunderkind producer Todd Rundgren to create a concept album that skewers the television generation. The choice was a wise one - Rundgren helped the group harness their satirical bite and love of pomp-rock excess to create a sharp and engaging collection of songs. As they chronicle the life of an average joe whose life and dreams are swallowed by his television addiction, the Tubes lead the listener through a dazzling array of musical styles that include new-wave, lounge pop, reggae, and even full-throttle punk. Highlights include "Prime Time," a song that utilizes an effective combination of lounge-lizard atmosphere and new wave synthesizer textures to convey its portrait of television's seductiveness, and "Love's A Mystery (I Don't Understand)," a surprisingly straightforward ballad about romantic loss that features a truly heart-rending vocal from Fee Waybill. The group also gets a chance to show off their formidable instrumental chops on "Get-Overture," a tight instrumental that goes from atmospheric prog-rock to driving hard rock as it cleverly weaves together snippets of all the other songs' melodies. In short, Remote Control proves the Tubes were more than a bunch of musical jokesters. The end result is the band's finest hour and a treat for concept-album fanatics. ~ Donald A. Guarisco

Product Details

Release Date:	04/30/2013
Label:	Iconoclassic
UPC:	0602537218707
Rank:	30180

Tracks

1. Turn Me On
2. Tv is King
3. Prime Time
4. I Want It All Now
5. No Way Out
6. Getoverture
7. No Mercy
8. Only the Strong Survive
9. Be Mine Tonight
10. Love's a Mystery (I Don't Understand)
11. Telecide
12. Dreams Come True
13. Dangerous
14. Don't Ask Me
15. Holy War

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Tubes   Primary Artist
Todd Rundgren   Primary Artist,Guest Artist,Keyboards,Guitar
Vince Welnick   Keyboards
Mingo Lewis   Percussion
Re Styles   Vocals
Roger Steen   Guitar,Vocals
Michael Cotton   Synthesizer
Fee Waybill   Vocals
Rick Anderson   Bass
Bill Spooner   Guitar,Vocals
Michael Cotten   Synthesizer
Prairie Prince   Drums

Technical Credits

Todd Rundgren   Composer,Engineer,Producer
The Tubes   Composer
Vince Welnick   Composer
Prairie Prince   Composer,Design
Jim McCrary   Cover Photo,Photography
Mark Hanauer   Photography
Cotton Bend   Composer
Roland Young   Art Direction
Chuck Beeson   Coordination,Cover Design
Roger Steen   Composer,Group Member
Jeffrey Kent Ayeroff   Concept Coordination
William Edmond Spooner   Composer
Michael David Cotten   Composer
John Waybill   Composer
Charles Prince   Composer
Rick Marc Anderson   Composer
John Welnick   Composer
William Spooner   Composer
Fee Waybill   Composer,Group Member
Greg Calbi   Mastering
Rick Anderson   Composer
Bill Spooner   Composer,Group Member
Michael Cotten   Design,Composer