CUB KODA AND THE POINTS
NOISE MONKEYS
J-BIRD RECORDS
4 EYES

Every few years, when the musical flavor of the month has run it's course, some adventurous youngster discovers that rock has roots that run deeper than expected and another " retro" craze is on. When a few truly ambitious souls dig back beyond the Brian Setzers and the Kenny Wayne Sheppards to the true originators, it's as if they've had a revelation. A very few "originators" are still on the circuit today and still deliver the goods, which brings me to this pleasant surprise.

Everyone is familiar with Cub Koda from his Brownsville Station years; hell, they were an institution in these parts, but his early 80's outfit 'The Points' kinda got lost in the shuffle despite numerous live gigs that often resulted in blown eardrums and irate headliners trying to figure out what went wrong! After a 20 year vacation, the gang is back, and although they may not be swan-diving off a bank 'o Marshalls anymore, I'd hate to have to share a gig with 'em.

NOISE MONKEYS opens with the boogie-blaster "FAST FOOD-SLOW DEATH" and lets you know what yer in for. Cub and " Guitar " Joey Gaydos trade licks that will put a smile on yer face as big as they must have had playin 'em. Although their styles are vastly different, they complement ( and challenge) each other, kinda like Link Wray cutting heads with Jeff Beck. With the take no prisoners rhythm section of Pete Bankert and wildman Cool Fred Schmidt hammering out back, old chestnuts like Chuck Berry's "40 Days" and more obscure fare like "Next Time" gleam like new chrome. Toss in a blues toon that sounds like Hound Dog hisself come back to the Crossroads to kick a little ass and before ya can catch yer breath, they up the ante with the thing they were always best at, heh heh, the POINTS LIVE!

The capper to this disc was recorded at their reunion show last summer down in Fremont, Ohio, where the aforementioned Link Wray surely would have been proud to know that his "Fire And Brimstone" was in such good hands. Do yourself and any friends who still get a gleam in their eyes when bands like the MC5, Stooges, Brownsville (or any of the Detroit rockers are mentioned) and pick up this four car pileup of overdriven, sometimes humourous, salute to what REAL rock 'n'roll is all about. And for Godsake, go see 'em live if they get the notion to get ta giggin' again; you don't want to wait another 20 years!

-PHIL KLINK