Popdose - Latest Comments in Dw. Dunphy On… The Tubes

Re: Dw. Dunphy On… The Tubes

John Hancotte — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 11:30:59 -0000

Another BIG Love Bomb fanatic here. Loved Remote Control also and what Todd brought to the table. I think I bought Utopia's POV (wish they could have hung in there as well - kept improving as far as I'm concerned) at the same time and I saw the tour in '86 (plus the Fee-less Tubes at DC's Cellar Door as well). Love Bomb has many great moments: Piece, Come As You Are (Fee at his emotive best), For a Song (not much Fee on Side 2 - aka 2nd Thing as it was labeled on the vinyl - but this is classic Fee), Roger's Eyes, Bill's Feel It, Wooly Place(!!!)... Todd shaped it into what it became, much like what he did for XTC's Skylarking. I like the Genius tunes when they pop up in shuffle mode on the iPod, but I never sat down and listened all the way through. But then, that's how music is ingested these days, at least around here.

Re: Dw. Dunphy On… The Tubes

Elaine — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 12:25:52 -0000

Oh, you're not alone. I love that song, too. I know the whole "Outside, Inside" album backwards & forwards. I saw The Tubes perform in the 90's, Fee-less, and while they were entertaining, it just wasn't the same. No horns during "Tip" = not even the same song.

Re: Dw. Dunphy On… The Tubes

retroblog — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 10:58:10 -0000

oh come on! Love Bomb is a classic. Especially the second side. yes, it just sounds like Tubes mashed up with Utopia but still, it's a fun listen. :)

Re: Dw. Dunphy On… The Tubes

DwDunphy — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 06:29:08 -0000

I didn't say I didn't have them, I said that for the purposes of this article I was foregoing them. The A&M stuff barely resembles Genius Of America, the focal point of the write-up.

Re: Dw. Dunphy On… The Tubes

chimster — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 00:25:17 -0000

You are doing a disservice to yourself by not listening to the Tubes during their A&M years. The Tubes sold out with mainstream crap during their Capital years (Completion Backwards Principle) The first two album were progressive rock genius. The other three were not as good as the first two, hence their sell-out to Capital gave them a last ditch effort to become well know. (Heck, they even showed up on the Xanadu soundtrack with a duet with Olivia Newton John. How embarrasing.

If you don't have their self-titled album and Young and Rich, you don't deserve to review them.

Re: Dw. Dunphy On… The Tubes

Eric S. — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 20:43:58 -0000

I listen to that 1992 compilation on a regular basis, but I have to admit that while I own Genius of America, I've probably only listened to it two or three times at the most. I would say "wildly uneven" pretty much sums up The Tubes.

As for "a fine three-song EP", I also nominate Fee's 1984 solo outing "Read My Lips" (Yeah, I know David Foster produced and wrote that too). "You're Still Laughing" and "Saved My Life" (from St. Elmo's Fire) are as good as anything The Tubes did up to that point. Foster was at least smart enough to bring along Steve Lukather for co-writes/guitar and Richard Marx, Bill Champlin and Bobby Kimball for backing vocals.

Re: Dw. Dunphy On… The Tubes

ZVance — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 20:39:54 -0000

You go David, Bora, Bora 2K! The kicker was seeing the Tubes Live.They were incredible! Turn me on again and again, say youalways want to be my friend. Todd busted his professorial arse to try to help save that band after Fee's Legofmyego, so's David can make me a star, flowed out of the band , after recording the Bomb. I saw Tubes @ the cellar door in DC without Fee. Spooner & the boys turned Love Bomb into a continuous dance party.. We sweat all the alcool from our selves the elves.

Re: Dw. Dunphy On… The Tubes

Terje Fjelde — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 19:34:45 -0000

Oh, I agree! Maurice White co-wrote that one. And there's a great build-up with the horns in the middle of the track that I love (from "I can't find the words...")

Re: Dw. Dunphy On… The Tubes

DwDunphy — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 19:32:35 -0000

This whole darn week has been something of an idiot's guide (if I'm involved, could it be anything but?)

Next up, tomorrow's Chartburn! Come back, little Sheba!

Re: Dw. Dunphy On… The Tubes

DwDunphy — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 19:17:14 -0000

Yes, and "Fifty Foot Woman" was on Completion Backwards... I was just saying that the band has a strangely entrenched relationship to the opposite sex material wise.

And I'm not denigrating the earlier Tubes stuff, but for anyone who associates them first as arena rock, it's really a shock. Besides, judging from the sales of Genius Of America, nobody started with Genius Of America (although it's never too late, guys!)

Re: Dw. Dunphy On… The Tubes

steed — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 19:15:32 -0000

"Tip of My Tongue" is one of my favorite songs ever! The Tubes were a little too all over the place for me, but my lord if Tip isn't awesome.

Re: Dw. Dunphy On… The Tubes

jbacardi — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 18:58:01 -0000

Young and Rich, Remote Control and the excellent live twofer What Do You Want from Live? are all good records, not particularly "weird", and well worth revisiting. If you started with the past-their-prime Genius, you started way too late.

"Wild Women" is on Outside/Inside, by the way.

Re: Dw. Dunphy On… The Tubes

DavidMedsker — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 18:34:23 -0000

I have an unhealthy fondness for Love Bomb. I know it's not a good record ("Stellaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"), but that entire second side just fascinates me. I saw them live on that tour (Utopia was the opening band, snap!), and they played that second side in its entirety. It was actually really cool.

Re: Dw. Dunphy On… The Tubes

Anthony Hansen — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 17:42:04 -0000

So...when are we getting an Idiot's Guide to The Tubes?