AMG Review of T.R.A.S.H. (Tubes Rarities and Smash Hits)

Doug Stone
All Music Guide

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.