First off, it is important to mention that all the proceeds from this CD go
to help pay Paul Natale's medical costs incurred through his battle with
cancer. This alone is a good reason to go out and purchase this CD. Natale,
who plays in The Den Mothers and Quick Fix has been a part of the Boston
scene for several years, having spent considerable time with the recently
departed Boy Wonder.
Fittingly enough both Natale's bands contribute tracks. The Den Mothers open
the disc with a fine little pop ditty called "Lucky" and Quick Fix take us
on a ride down hard rock lane with "Mercy" which reminds us a bit of The
Cult. From there the CD is full of hits and misses, with a batch of sub par
performances from bands that we expect a lot more from (The Gravel Pit, Jack
Drag, The Control Group), as well as some solid efforts from up and comers.
Star Ghost Dog, who have been getting better and better with their
recordings over the last couple of years, give us one of the better
performances with "Holiday", a tune that sounds a lot like a band from
Athens Georgia called Magnapop. Helicopter Helicopter's "Mechanical
Firefly" and The Douglas Fir's "The End of the Beginning" are also right
there in the hits department.
Leave it to the Pills to come along and save the day with their brand of
infectious pop on "Mandy goes pop". Ex Permafrost Guitarist Ad Frank also
contributes a very nicely produced track entitled "You may already be a
winner".
Being a big fan of compilation CD's, it was a good opportunity to get to
hear a few bands that I hadn't heard before. With all these artists, some
accomplished and some relatively unknown, coming together and helping out a
friend in need, it is hard to be too critical of this project.
