Psychedelic/garage-rock revivalists before it was fashionable, the Fuzztones actually transcended their influences. This generous best-of CD is world-class rock-and-roll - kinetic, ingeniously crafted, and with attitude to burn. Pick hit: a suitably snarling version of the Sonics' "Cinderella," one of the great lost singles of the early 1980's. - STEREO REVIEW (1996)

When The Fuzztones - lascivious reprobate Rudi Protrudi on "lead snarl", accompanied by girlfriend Deb O' Nair, Michael Jay, Michael Phillips and Randy Pratt - first emerged from the entrails of the Lower East Side in 1980, they were an oddity. Far away from the synthetic new wave chic of the period, they instead mixed gang-ish early new York punk attitood with the dark garage yelp of Sixties Pebbles compilation bands. On this 22-track career overview we get them at their best - dyslexic organs blazing on their storming version of The Haunted's "1-2-5", Protrudi slurring/howling "I'm a humping hound - get my bone!" with brilliantly idiotic non-PC sass on "I'm In Heat", and the whole libido-furnace sounding like a more homogenised, marginally less exciting, version of FUNHOUSE-era Stooges. - Tom Cox UNCUT (1996)

If the 80's brought any good whatsoever, perhaps it came in the form of this NYC-based psychedelic/garage gang. The Fuzztones were sadly one of the only successes of the fuzz guitar revival that also produced The Cynics, Chesterfield Kings, and Miracle Workers. Among the highlights: "Action Speaks Louder Than Words," "Strychnine," "She's My Witch," and "Look For The Question Mark." FLASHBACKS isn't merely a compilation either, going that extra mile to provide hard-to-locate BBC sessions and alternate takes for completists. - MUSIC REVIEW (1996)

Hands down, the best musical movement of the 80's was the revival of obscure sixties garage rock and psychedelia. Analogue to the shaggy haired creatures they fancied, the bands playing these shake and bake tunes never sold mountains of singles, but their records were great all the same, and many of them sound even better now than they did back then. Fronted by the charismatic Rudi Protrudi, The Fuzztones were one of the first of the lot to make people sit up and take notice. Fashioning themselves after folks such as The Chocolate Watchband, the Seeds and the Doors, the New York combo released a barrelful of outtasite singles and albums during a thirteen year period, bedecked with tortured vocals, screeching harps, bobbing tambourines, whiney organs - and you guessed it - fuzztone, fuzztone, fuzztone! Unbeatable anthems include "Nine Months Later" (a cruel ode to a pregnant groupie), "Action Speaks Louder Than Words," "She's Wicked," "Bad News Travels Fast," the eerie "Charlotte's Remains," a zippy reading of the Haunted's "1-2-5," "All The King's Horses" (featuring guest appearances by Arthur Lee from LOVE and Sean Bonniwell from the MUSIC MACHINE), "In Heat," "Down On The Street," and "Look For The Question Mark,"along with two Sonics covers, "Strychnine," and "Cinderella," that are nearly as vicious and intense as the original versions. Wilder than a hungry lion running after it's supper! - TWIST AND SHAKE (1996)

What we have here is a retrospective of one of the most highly regarded (or most hated, depending on your point of view) garage 'n' roll bands of all. They take their love of 60's garage and psych and add their own punch to it. Protrudi (both alone and in collaboration with other members) is also a great songwriter, and songs like "Charlotte's Remains," "Action Speaks Louder Than Words," "In Heat," "All The King's Horses," "Nine Months LAter," "I Never Knew," "Ward 81," and "Heathen Set" are all quite stunning examples of that. - NOISES FROM THE GARAGE (1996)

The Fuzztones ruled the black-leather garage netherworld throughout the 80's, alternating their aural mayhem between New York City and Los Angeles. Their FLASHBACKS CD is fiery proof the "paisley revival" has true staying power. FLASHBACKS isn't really a "best of"; The Fuzztones released far too much material (more than 40 records) to make a 70-minute distillation possible. The 22 tracks here instead are some choice LP cuts, alternate versions, demos, and previously unreleased material. Rudi Protrudi is the focus behind the Fuzztones' dark sound. His approach recalls an alley cat in the throes of vicious copulation, his guitar alive with buzz, his voice a groaning invitation. The Music Machine's Sean Bonniwell, Steppenwolf's John Kay and The Mysterians' Question Mark have nothing on Protrudi; perhaps he's the result of them all. Lock up the girls. Protrudi & Co. have reformed and are lurking once again in L.A. - Tim Gassen MAGNET (1996)

Close to twenty years of Fuzztones out takes and alternates. Pretty awesome collection at that, combining a hint of the Doors, a dash of the Sonics, some Kinks, Seeds.... This is something else. - Reflex FLIPSIDE (1996)