Review
Rocket Redux
(Smog Veil)
Release Date: 02/24/2004 12:00
Reviewed by R.J. Smith
A bitter irony: Years after two of its founding members died, Rocket From the Tombs have never sounded more alive than they do now. RFTT were one of the earliest punk bands — drawing on Led Zep, Alice Cooper, bad dreams and good poetry. Led by the brilliant and unstable guitarist Peter Laughner (who died in 1977), the Cleveland band broke up 30 years ago and, never having recorded anything more solid than rough demos, splintered into the Dead Boys and Pere Ubu, two pillars of Midwest punk. Now the survivors regroup for a goof, with guest member Richard Lloyd (of Television) making even bigger noise than Laughner knew how to, and playing Rocket material that existed only on bootlegs or cover versions. Songs like “Ain’t It Fun,” “Sonic Reducer” and “Final Solution” were — are — lonely, affirming Midwestern yawps. This is music good enough to live for.
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