Gotta 'fess up front that the Fast never were my idea of a top notch En Why See rock 'n roll outfit, but unlike a horde of music aficionados I do enjoy their recordings a whole lot more than is socially acceptable. Yeah they weren't exactly a knock-down-drag-out buncha guys like the Dictators or Von Lmo, but they did produce some great Anglo-derived early punk rock that does hold up to much of the glam slam music that was being produced in England during the seventies. And with that in mind I snatched this not-so-recent book up if only to re-live more of those seventies record-browsing days when albums like THE VELVET UNDERGROUND LIVE AT MAX'S KANSAS CITY, THE HEARTBREAKERS LIVE AT MAX'S KANSAS CITY and of course MAX'S KANSAS CITY VOLUMES ONE AND TWO (notice a pattern?) were popping up in the record bins and boy did I wish that I could have enough moolah to take 'em all home 'n give 'em all a nice big listenin'!
It's a picture book that former Fast member Paul Zone (the one with the sailor fixation) put out, filled with really rare and historically pertinent snaps of bands we used to read about alla time in ROCK SCENE but were too chicken to run away to New York City to actually go see. Featuring photos of the big-time local acts (well, at least big-time to us kids striking poses in the bedroom mirrors of our suburban squats) a book like this really does help reinforce all of those memories of heavy-duty rock 'n roll thrills that were being promised to us from the far away grit and fun that was happenin' at the time. And boy does it got the hotcha snaps that have remained hidden so far, not only with plenty of Fast live shots and loads of nifty fliers (hey, it's THEIR book!), but those of close and personal friends and allies ranging from the likes of Blondie, Lance Loud and the Ramones not forgetting various not-quite-over-the-"made it"-line acts like the Planets and Krayola (not the Red ones, but the all-gal punks) who we might have read plenty about but never got to hear much to our dismay I gather.
Amazingly obscure snaps of a pre-beat box Suicide (back when Alan Vega was spray painted in gold wearing that blond ladies wig and Martin Rev was bangin' on a bass drum), and even Wayne County un-tranned can be found, and although this era of rock 'n roll is one that continues to stimulate my stirrups I'm kinda glad that it didn't come out way back when because frankly, I don't think my poor li'l heart coulda stood it!
And for you big time if it ain't on the radio it can't be any good!" rock fans a few major movers can be found here such as Marc Bolan and Ray Davies not forgetting Sparks and Kiss, which somehow I see as a big incentive for all of you to dig into your pile of oft-neglected albums to give KISS ALIVE your first spin in thirty years!
The text that precedes the snaps is extremely informative to an anal retentive seventies rock fan such as myself though can get bogged down a bit (I mean, the "Man 2 Man" post-Fast disco days don't really send chills up and down my aching spine), but as usual you can "bleeb" over that stuff to get to the goodies you've been waiting for! And like, I've been waiting for this kinda book for eons already, and if you're still clutching onto your old fanzines and self-produced singles four decades later like I am let's just say that you just can't find a better resensifyer for your sagged out system! Now if I could only turn on the tee-vee and watch an old episode of DRAGNET on the local station would my seventies longings be quenched, at least for a tiny while.
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