In The Congo / The Bulrushes / Clay Midgets / Video Eyes / Glow In The Dark / Telephoto lens / Certain Harbours / Speaking Sands / Burning Bush / Hunting / Zebra Club / Three Wise Men / Mambo Sun / 

Question Ball / Nuts 7 Bolts (unreleased single) / Telephoto Lens

/ In The Congo / Nuts & Bolts / Question Ball / Glow In The Dark / Hunting / Video Eyes / The Bulrushes / Automatic Doors / Zebra Club

COOKING VINYL

Emerging from the same mid eighties US alternative scene that spawned the likes of R.E.M., The Replacements, Soul Asylum and the like; Hoboken, New Jersey band The Bongos where a trio who revelled in the same shambolic jangle poppiness.

Though never quite reaching the same commercial heights as their contemporaries, The Bongos have enjoyed a certain cult status over the years, a groundswell that sees the re-release of debut record DRUMS ALONG THE HUDSON here, the original recordings bolstered by various new studio recordings produced by Moby not to mention rare live bonus tracks.  DRUMS ALONG THE HUDSON finds The Bongos revelling in that mid eighties alternative jangle rock sound, messily recorded but full of attitude and energy, just think The Replacements Let It Be or R.E.M.'s Murmur for instant reference points.  Opener IN THE CONGO is a shambolic explosion of garage rock surf guitars and rockabilly vocals whilst on THE BULRUSHES and CLAY MIDGETS you can hear traces of The Pixies in the psychotic sounding screams and hollers.  GLOW IN THE DARK returns to those garage rock roots, pretty melodies buried beneath urgent guitar skirmishes and steady drum patterns.

TELEPHOTO LENS is a song that centres around a scattershot guitar riff and tribal drum beats, Richard Barone delivering his vocals in a mixture of new romanticism and urgent rock n roll glory, part Mission Of Burma, part Talking Heads, part Visage.  CERTAIN HARBOURS reveals The Bongos more sonically adventurous avant garde leanings; bursts of free jazz and prog worthy drum rolls entering the mix, an enticing vision of just where the band may have gone if they'd lasted the distance.

Of the extra tracks on offer here, the live versions of songs like NUTS AND BOLTS and IN THE CONGO are energetic but badly recorded entries that'll appeal to the diehard fans only.  The Moby produced BULRUSHES 2007 is perhaps the records finest addition though, the original song given a sonic makeover; The Bongos sounding bigger and better than ever.

As a welcome reminder as to the legacy of The Bongos, DRUMS ALONG THE HUDSON is essential listening to anyone with even a passing interest in the mid eighties US alt-rock scene.

BIOGRAPHY

The Bongos, formed in Hoboken, New Jersey, were a pop band active in the eighties. Led by Richard Barone (vocals, guitar), the band also included Rob Norris (bass), James Mastro (guitar) and Frank Giannini (drums). The group began recording as a trio (comprised of Barone, Giannini, and Norris) for UK-based Fetish Records, then moved to RCA Records, where they recorded their signature song and MTV hit, Numbers With Wings. Along with R.E.M. and a handful of others, they helped create an exploding college radio market that led to the commercial viability of Alternative Rock.

In 2007, Cooking Vinyl Records released a 27-track Special Edition of the group's debut album, Drums Along The Hudson, which includes rare, live bonus tracks and new studio recordings of the original trio produced by Moby.

Richard Barone's first book, FRONTMAN (Backbeat/Hal Leonard Books) is due out in September '07, along with a new solo album produced by Tony Visconti.

LINE UP

Richard Barone

Rob Norris

Frank Giannini

DISCOGRAPHY

Untitled (fetish Records>1980)

Hunting

In The Congo

Mambo Sun

IN THE CONGO (Fetish Records>1981)

Hunting

In The Congo

Mambo Sun

DRUMS ALONG THE HUDSON (PVC Records>1982)

In The Congo (2:52)

The Bulrushes (2:32)

Clay Midgets (2:42)

Video Eyes (1:40)

Glow In The Dark (2:00)

Telephoto Lens (2:00)

Certain Harbours (2:57)

Speaking Sands (0:29)

Burning Bush (1:30)

Automatic Doors (2:00)

Hunting (2:12)

Zebra Club (3:08)

Three Wise Men (2:21)

Mambo Sun (4:30)

Question Ball (1:36)

MAMBO SUN (Fetish Records>1982)

Mambo Sun (3:03)

Hunting (2:12)

TIME AND THE RIVER (Fetish Records>1982)

Question Ball (1:36)

Claymidgets (2:41)

Burning Bush (1:30)

Certain Harbours (2:57)

Speaking Sand (0:29)

Videoeyes (1:40)

Zebra Club (3:08)

Three Wise Man (2:21)

Number With Wings / Beat Hotel (Razor & Tie>1995)

Number With Wings

Tiger Nights

Barbarella

Skydiving

Sweet Blue Cage

Space Jungle

Apache Dancing

Brave New World

A Story (Written In The Sky)

Beat Hotel

Come Back To Me

Splinters

She Starts Shaking

Totem Pole

Blow Up

Barbarella (Remix)

DRUMS ALONG THE HUDSON (Cooking Vinyl>2007)

In The Congo

The Bulrushes

Clay Midgets

Video Eyes

Glow In The Dark

Telephoto lens

Certain Harbours

Speaking Sands

Burning Bush

Hunting

Zebra Club

Three Wise Men

Mambo Sun

Question Ball

Nuts 7 Bolts (unreleased single)

Telephoto Lens

In The Congo

Nuts & Bolts

Question Ball

Glow In The Dark

Hunting

Video Eyes

The Bulrushes

Automatic Doors

Zebra Club

LINKS

The Bongos>www.drumsalongthehudson.com

FURTHER LISTENING

The Replacements

R.E.M.

Mission Of Burma