The Standells Albums (6)
'Ban This! Live From Cavestomp!'
Release Date 10/31/2000
Tracks 14
Label Varese
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
While the Standells broke up in the early '70s, drummer and lead vocalist Dick Dodd has staged reunion gigs on a fairly regular basis since the early '80s, and this live album preserves their appearance at the 1999 Cavestomp Festival in New York, an annual gathering for fans of vintage garage rock. Unlike most of the bands worshiped by garage loyalists, the Standells were music biz pros first and sneering upstarts second, so it's no surprise that this set sounds solid, tight, and just like the records; original members Dodd, Larry Tamblyn (organ and vocals), and Tony Valentino (guitar, harmonica, and vocals) are joined by bassist Peter Stuart, and they sound like a well-oiled machine, playing a baker's dozen of their best-known tunes with lots of skill and some genuine enthusiasm. It's probably not that different than the set they might play at an oldies package show, except that they get to wail on "Riot on Sunset Strip" and "Medication," and Dodd seems to enjoy revving up the crowd by shouting "Are you punk enough for the Standells?" and "Hey, ban THIS!" (the latter intro-ing the once-infamous "Try It"), which might not go over at Disneyland. In short, it sounds like a show that would have been a lot of fun to see, but on plastic, it sounds professional without matching the nervy spirit of their old records. Since a healthy percentage of the Standells' repertoire is readily available on CD, you're probably better off with a decent greatest-hits collection than this, though if you're a completist, you won't be at all let down. [The CD also includes three live video clips from the show, playable on computers with a CD-ROM drive; the band looks game, if a bit long in the tooth.] ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The Standells' final studio album is a mixed effort, despite the outstanding title track. The early Pink Floyd-like "All Fall Down," "Barracuda," and especially "Riot on Sunset Strip" are top-notch pop-punk...The CD reissue adds five rare but unremarkable bonus tracks, including outtakes and a non-LP single. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
This pop-punk relic isn't bad, but as the best of these songs -- "Why Pick on Me," "Sometimes Good Guys Don't Wear White," "Mainline" -- have been issued on whatever best-of Standells compilation you might pick up, its appeal is more for big fans. Of the more obscure tracks, "Black Hearted Woman" is a decent slow, menacing number, "Mr. Nobody" a decent punky cut, and "The Girl and the Moon" one of their best pop-oriented compositions. This CD reissue adds five tracks that were previously unissued in the U.S., which are okay but nothing too special. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Along with Why Pick on Me, this was the group's strongest album, although you're always better off with a greatest hits collection. "There Is a Storm Comin'" and "Pride and Devotion" are a couple of strong numbers that don't make it onto compilations, and "Rari, " the moody B-side of "Dirty Water, " tis one of their best little-known tracks. The CD reissue takes off one cut (the easily found "Sometimes Good Guys Don't Wear White") and adds six bonus tracks of only mild interest, including a version of "Batman." Add points for finding a longer version of "Rari, " though. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
A year or two before they really hit upon the garage rock style for which they're most known, the Standells were a popular club band in Los Angeles, grinding out covers of recent hits. In Person at PJ's is a document of their live set at the time, the ten tracks devoted mostly to well-worn R&B/rock tunes like "Money," "Louie Louie," "Bony Maronie," "Linda Lu," "So Fine," and "I'll Go Crazy," with a nod to the British Invasion in the Beatles' "You Can't Do That." If this is a disappointment, it's only in relation to the far more original work the Standells would do only shortly thereafter. If judged as a frat rock album (disregarding its having been recorded in a prominent urban club rather than a frat), it's actually considerably above the average; the group plays well and with verve. But the lack of original material and particularly distinctive approaches to the songs means it's not nearly as interesting as what they'd record later, and the sound quality is actually a bit subpar, though certainly listenable. You can hear a hint of what was to come in Dick Dodd's lead vocal on one of the less famous songs, Jimmy Reed's "Help Yourself," but largely this bears little relation to the Standells' best records. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide
