AMG Review of Solid Gold Sound

Brian O'Neill
All Music Guide

The venerable Fleshtones awarded themselves a gold record in tandem with the release of Solid Gold Sound, possibly accentuating frustration at remaining a cult peculiarity for their two and a half decades together. Subtly, the grooves themselves also hint at some level of disenchantment; whether it's the lyrical cynicism of the New York Dolls-ish "Whatever It Takes," which name-checks disco divas, or the track that follows it, "Good Good Crack," which could be disco, there seems to be resentment. And there shouldn't be. The Fleshtones have struck gold with many fans of punk-infused retro-rock, and the meat of this disc will do nothing to dissuade them. There is a French version with a modified cover and different track order, and the vinyl version includes two bonus tracks, "Beer Run" and "The Friends of Bazooka Joe."