Search - Brownsville Station :: Smokin' In The Boy's Room: The Best Of Brownsville Station

Motor City Blues/Boogie From Cub Koda

J. E FELL | Carterville, Illinois United States | 02/10/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This band led by rocker & writer Cub Koda is known primarily for their hit single and teenage anthem "Smokin' In The Boy's Room" (hence the title of this disk). However, the band is more than just a one hit wonder. This motor city band combined a healthy dose of humor via Cub Koda with some punkish blues/rock to form a lethal combination. The music sounded like a combination of other Detroit bands such as Alice Cooper mixed with the blues/rock of the early J. Geils Band. Koda's influences are early rockers like Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry, Little Richard and others along with bluesmen like Slim Harpo, John Lee Hooker and Junior Parker. The band released six albums during the seventies mostly on small labels. None of the individual albums are currently available on compact disc. The band consisted of Koda, Michael Lutz on rhythm guitar, bass and vocals, Tony Driggins on bass before Lutz switched over and first T.J. Cronley and then Henry Weck on drums. The set contains 4 non-lp tracks which were issued as singles and are rarities. The set also contains a number of crunching covers like "Jailhouse Rock", "Road Runner", "Rumble". "Let Your Yeah Be Yeah", "Barefootin'", and "I'm The Leader Of The Gang." Koda's wry sense of humor and stage banter can be witnessed in such tunes as "Kings Of The Party", "Mama Don't Allow No Parkin'" and the John Lee Hooker rewrite "Martian Boogie". It sounds as if he were an influence on Peter Wolf of the J. Geils Band or vice versa. The sound and liner notes are excellent from Rhino as usual. My only complaint and the reason I did not rate this higher than four stars is that the disk is only about 65 minutes. Considering the original albums are all out of print Rhino could have at least utilized the entire time available on the disk. Cuts such as "Be Bop Confidential" and "Sweet Jane" were left off among others and could have easily been added to fill out the remainder of the disk. If you enjoy your boogie ragged and with a dose of humor this set is recommended. Fans of Motor City rock and roll will also find much to enjoy. Note that the original version of "Smokin' In The Boy's Room" betters Motley Crue's by far."

What a Wonderful Time

Brad | Clinton, Tn United States | 09/27/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have read the others reviews with great interest, but would like to add some comments of my own.I grew up near Flint Michigan in the late 60's and early 70's, and BVS would play a venue called Sherwood Forest on a consistant basis. They played alongside such notables as Alice Cooper, Bob Seger, Ted Nugent, Tea Garden & VanWinkle, Argent, Mike Quatro Jam Band, Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels, Catfish Bob Hodges, Tower of Power and many others.But the star attraction of the night (The shows started at noon and went to midnight)would always be Brownsville Station. I once seen Cub Koda jump from the top of a moving van to the stage and land on his knees. God that had to hurt. (Cub is deceased now by the way.) They would suddenly stop in the middle of a song and request that all the kids would go home and address a brown envelope to Brownsville Station, fill it with all their money and send it! These guys were hilarious.Apart from the fun, these guys ROCKED. This IS rock by the way. Forget Smoking in the boys room, try "Rock and ROll Holiday" and "RoadRunner". This was the REAL Brownsville Station!Concerts and music, once gone, echo dimly in the past and in our mind become forgotten moments. The vibration known as Brownsville Station will never leave me. "Well I dont care where you come from, you dont have to be ashamed of having fun, Just roll with me baby and lose all your blues & just get down with some blue suede shoes"We're on our way, to a Rock & Roll Holiday!
Cub Koda / Brownsville Station"

THE GREATEST BAND IN 1974!

grinlv | 11/29/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"One of the bands that first got me into rock was Brownsville! Their lyrics are hilarious (i.e.THE MARTIAN BOOGIE), the playing fast & fun (lke rock should be), ans Cub Koda has such a distinctive voice it all comes together in 1 gloriouspackage! Forget Motley Crue's lame version of SMOKIN' IN THE BOYS ROOM---Brownsville id it first and they still smoke!"