I must have read hundreds of record reviews over the years – some were good, some were bad and most were just the kind that you read over and quickly forgot. Only a few really stood out – for me it was the Creem review of the Ramones first album that motivated me to jump on my bike and ride out in search of that unforgettable album. However, in most cases it’s pretty hard for the reviewer to really convey how the music sounds. You assume that the reader is either familiar with the band or at least knows what similar bands sound like. Of course, there are those annoying reviews where almost nothing at all is said about the record that is being reviewed and the column is filled with some recollections about everything other then a description of what the record sounds like.
For that reason, I really don’t like writing CD reviews. However, a few weeks ago I was fortunate enough to get a copy of a CD that was never released and deserves to be in your CD collection. This CD (or actually 2 CDs) is a compilation that encompasses the history of the Hysteric Narcotics. The Hysterics were one of the many overlooked Detroit bands from the 1980s – they released one album, several singles and also appeared on a few compilation records. Their influence and talent were way ahead of their time, but at least they left a recorded history of their existence before they broke up. This double CD builds upon this history and highlights their brilliant legacy.
There are 51 songs spread out over both CDs. All of the familiar tunes from the album and singles are present, but this is just an appetizer for the remainder of the album. There are unreleased songs, cover songs and live recordings from clubs and radio shows. Since there are no song listings or liner notes, I spent many hours listening to the CD and trying to figure out what each song title is. This is a pretty interesting game – if the song is an original – how can you guess what the title is? You hope that it’s one of those phrases that gets repeated often throughout the song, but that doesn’t always work. There’s also no way to determine if you’re right anyway. With apologies to the Hysteric Narcotics – I developed my own track listing which still unfortunately has a few holes in it. Whatever titles I gave to the songs – this CD is essential listening to anybody that appreciates Detroit “garage” rock & roll. I really find it hard to explain exactly what “garage music” is; after all, Little Steven’s garage show will play anything from the Stooges to the Beach Boys, but I guess that I know garage when I hear it. A lot of great Detroit rock & roll was overlooked in the 1980s and the Hysteric Narcotics certainly fit that bill.
The first CD contains most of the songs that you are already familiar with from the LP and the singles; if you had the pleasure to see the Hysterics at Paycheck’s or some other fine music venue, then you already know all these songs: Electric Children, Wild As Soul, Charlotte’s Web will immediately have you bopping your head and speeding up on the freeway. The real fun comes with Disc 2: you’ve got some live recordings, some new songs that I never (or rarely heard) and even some stuff off of a live radio show. This is where I really worked hard on trying to break the song title code. The quality varies a little, but these raw recordings also show the Hysterics at their best – performing in a front of a live audience that truly appreciated their hard work and creativity.
I truly hope that this CD will soon get released, so the whole world can enjoy the music as much as I am right now. Until that day happens, I’m just going to have to gloat and enjoy my own personal Hysteric Narcotics box set (even if I still can’t figure out all the song titles on Disc 2).