Release Date: 25 August, 1992
Audio CD
Tracks
- Tuff Enuff
- Twist of the Knife
- Why Get Up
- Got Love If You Want It
- Rock This Place
- Stand Back
- You Can't Judge a Book by Its Cover
- Powerful Stuff
- Wrap It Up
- Two Time My Lovin
- Look at That, Look at That
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Rating 4.0
T-BIRDS ARE PLAYING AT MY PROM!!!!What I just found out today was some of the best news I have ever heard. The T-birds are playing at my prom! This will be the best night of my lifee!!3 1/2 stars. Decent latter-day compilationThis collection brings together eleven songs from the Fabulous Thunderbirds' Epic-years, which were slicker and more commercial than their earlier albums for Takoma and Chrysalis (now Benchmark).
I prefer the Thunderbirds' bluesier and less mainstream late-70s/early 80s-recordings, but this is a good overview of their late-80s/early 90s Epic releases, including the hard-rocking of "Tuff Enough", the fine, swinging "Why Get Up", and the anthemic, three-chord thumper "Let's Rock This Place".
The Fabulous Thunderbirds' version of Slim Harpo's "Got Love If You Want It" is only available on this compilation, and it's the bluesiest tune here, the excact opposite of the awful, synth-laden 80s pop-rock of "Wrap It Up" (Kim Wilson even sounds like Tom Jones!).
The Fabulous Thunderbirds' four albums for Epic were rather uneven, and unless you're a very devoted fan, this is pretty much all you'll ever need from that period. Just remember that this is NOT where you go for their earliest (and best) material...that is available on ASIN B000007WPI, "The Fabulous Thunderbirds Collection". Or rather it would be if it was in stock. Hrmph!
3 1/2 stars.This Is Some Powerful Stuff!!!The Fabulous Thunderbirds - Hot Stuff: The Greatest Hits is correctly named in that these are indeed the biggest hits in the T-Birds long and storied career. This single CD package certainly could not be called "Best Of..." or it would have to encompass at least 6 CD's of music and a 40 page career retrospection booklet! So, instead we get the most popular and best known tracks for the budget-minded consumer. "Tuff Enuff" is basically the better-known rewrite of that all-time classic from their club days, "She's Tuff," but it's such a great number that it's good the second time around as well. "Wrap it Up" features a wonderful keyboard hook and would do Sam and Dave proud, while "Why Get Up" (featuring snoring sound effects) is absolutely hilarious; one of the TBirds best comic numbers. "Powerful Stuff" features bass player Preston Hubbard's powerful hook, while the entire band (Jimmie Vaughn, guitar, Kim Wilson, vocals and harp, and Fran Cristina, drums) really rocks out on "Rock This Place"; Jimmie's mega-riff guitar work is especially good here. Of course, with a band as good as the TBirds, several tracks are conspicuously absent, most notably "She's Tuff" "Jumpin Bad" "You Ain't Nothin' But Fine" "Scratch My Back" "Tear It Up" and "Gotta Have Some/Just Got Some". (Some of these gems are available on Tacos Deluxe, the new compilation of early Birds classics.) Even so, this is still a good place to start your TBirds collection; there may be only eleven tracks of the two dozen or more than could be called the best of The Fabulous Thunderbirds, but rest assured, this is some powerful stuff!!! |
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