| I am happily inundated with the best sounds of the year...Fortune
& Maltese already tipped my LP vote, but they top themselves
with what could be the best two 45s of the year. Their 'Leave
No Stone Unturned' b/w 'Time Has Gone' single on Get Hip is
a folk-garage-pop masterpiece, full of the expert songwriting
and arranging that made their 'Konquer Kampus' LP an instant
hit. Their "Bewitched" 45 for Larsen is on the much
grittier side, and just as effective as their poppier efforts...the
Pallbearers take the fuzz to another level.
Cosmic Debris
FORTUNE & MALTESE - "Konquer Kampus" (Hillsdale)
The Bobby Fuller 4 and Paul Revere & The Raiders get in
a matter transporter with 60s surf & drag producer Gary
Usher at the controls! Oops, a power surge!
Ron Thums, REQUEST Magazine
FORTUNE & MALTESE - "Konquer Kampus" (Hillsdale)
I can't say enough good things about this album or this band.
Hell, I can't think of any BAD things to say about 'em at all.
On the back of this one, they claim it's "a dance fan's
dream album" and the grooves sure bear that out. From the
kick-off blast of "If Push Comes To Shove" right through
the final lap on their "High Horse," Fortune &
Maltese offer up some of the swingin'est sounds the whole world
'round. This is pure 60s teen stompin' with both snarl and chime,
depending on the situation. Not only do they write and sing
some incredible songs, but they've got a crackerjack backing
group in The Phabulous Pallbearers. Tons of material to love
here"Tappa Kegga USA" is straight up frat fun that
jumps and shouts, but with some killer guitar raging in the
break; "Cuz I Want You, Yeah I Need You" has more
garage-punk leanings, aided by the able accompaniment and clear
guitar sound of those Phabulous Pallbearers and, yes, those
sweet harmony vocals these guys do better than any other group
on today's scene...that alone is worth the price of admission.
Should you buy this? Do you really have to ask? There are few
bands out there worth your time and money the way these guys
are. Buy it, play it, and play it again. And again. Thank me
later.
The Teen
Scene
FORTUNE & MALTESE - "Konquer Kampus" (Hillsdale)
Is Hillsdale the best label on this planet or what? Well, I'm
not gonna pick favorites between Estrus, Norton, Dionysus and
others, but with this LP and the Boss Martians 'Jet Away' LP,
I have two albums that will provide listening pleasure for years
to come. If you dig frantic, testosterone-driven rock and roll,
you can't ask for much more that the 14 tracks founds on this
LP. All of the tunes are up-tempo, sweat-soaked rockers that
will get everyone in the room up and dancin' in no time. The
lyrics and song titles are great, like 'Tappa Kegga U.S.A.',
'Pizza Party Twist' and 'Girls Ruin Everything.' So grab fancy
threads and get ready for an intense, all-out stomp-n-shout
frenzy!
The Continental #2
FORTUNE & MALTESE and the Phabulous Pallbearers - 12"
(Screaming
Apple)
In a recent issue, when I was reviewing their second EP, I
compared these guys to pre-Dick Clark era Paul Revere &
the Raiders. Listening to this, their first full-length LP I
still have to go with that description as they've really got
that hard-drivin', swingin' from the rafters party sound of
those early Northwest garage rockers down pat in a big way.
I defy anyone to be able to listen to this without wanting to
jump up and dance, scream, shout, shimmy or whatever - there's
just no way..."Low Man On Her Totem Pole", "I
Just Don't Care" and their scorching version of the classic
"I Found a New Love" are among their best ever. If
you're into jumpin', can't-sit-down garage that's easily in
a class with the best of Untamed Youth and the Swingin' Neckbreakers,
this is definitely the way to go!
The Platterpuss
FORTUNE & MALTESE - "Konquer Kampus" (Hillsdale)
Y'know, back in the day before hippies, frat bands ruled the
musical roost of the good ol' US of A. Mighty groups of wild
men with names like Paul Revere & The Raiders, The Sonics,
The Wailers, The Swingin' Medallions, Don & the Goodtimes...now
thirty years later, the golden keg and panty raid goggles are
passed onto the Delirious Duo, namely Fortune & Maltese!
Along with their backup cronies The Phabulous Pallbearers, these
midwest nut-cases bring back the golden age of kegs, porta organs
and girls with bangs through three way-out singles and three
over-the-top full-length waxings. All these are ready for you,
courtesy of Happy Hour, Screaming Apple and Hillsdale record
companies. Their live shows are legendary. Their records a gas
Bands this great come around very rarely, don't miss out on
Fortune & Maltese. You might end up extinct like those pathetic
patchouli procuring primates, the "Flower Children!"
Eek!!!!
Bad
Trip #10
Fortune & Maltese and the Phabulous Pallbearers - 12"
(Screaming
Apple)
Greg at Get Hip is absolutely in love with this band and was
competing to have them on his label, but Germany - thanks to
Ritchie and Screaming Apple - won the contest and thus we can
boast of having presented the world its probably best ever Garage
Beat record. Man, this gang has it all the speed, the power,
the verve, the style, the beat, the immaculate taste (of picking
licks and choosing the covers and souping them up to the Fortune
& Maltese standard), the set of vintage guitars brought
to best effect, the Premiere drums, the saxophone, the Farfisa
organ, the coolest ever tour bus, the hearse, everything to
be world famous. If ever a garage band will really move something
and not just achieve general acclaim worldwide, it'll be this
lot. Just listen to their unbelievable breaks, their killer
stops, their generally burning yet lowkey attack: it's the music
that blows your hair back at a 90 degree angle, not the volume
of the amplification. Their mixture of Mersey-inspired Beat,
early 60s R 'n' R and genuine American Teenpunk will set new
standards for any garage band coming after them. There will
be none, because who could follow them? HJK
HARTBEAT, Germany
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