THE PRESS RELEASE: “The Wylde Ratttz were formed in 1997 to record tracks by The Stooges for the film Velvet Goldmine. With Ron Asheton as the secret weapon, the songs were easily dispatched and the band quickly organized a second session that produced a mixture of originals brought in by the band members, covers by The Pretty Things (one of Ron’s fav bands), and 40 minutes of killer instrumental tracks.”
THE LINEUP:
Ron Asheton: Guitar, vocals, piano, tympani.
Mark Arm: Vocals.
Thurston Moore: Guitar, vocals, electronics.
Mike “Pipe” Watt: Bass, Beam, spiel.
Steve Shelley: Drums, percussion.
Don Fleming: Guitar, vocals.
Sean Ono Lennon: Multitronics, guitar, vocals.
Jim Dunbar: Percussion, vocals, polaroids.
MY TWO CENTS: Do I even need to say anything here? I mean, seriously, look at that lineup — punk supergroups don’t get more super than this. You’ve got members of The Stooges, Mudhoney, Sonic Youth, Minutemen, Gumball and more. Plus you’ve got a set list of no-bullshit, balls-out, pedal-to-the-metal fuzz-punk nuggets that wouldn’t have been out of place on any of their albums. In fact, they still sound cutting-edge and fucking awesome more than two decades after being recorded. I can only assume the usual music-biz legal bullshit prevented this gem from coming out back when it should have. And I have no idea why it suddenly turned up out of the blue (on April Fool’s Day, no less). But hey, beggars and choosers. And better late than never. Bottom line: This is one of the best punk albums you’ve never heard. Until now. Crank this sucker to the max and make up for lost time.
