Seminal power pop band live in 1978

Originally released as part of the omnibus box set Everything You Always Wanted to Know About the Rubinoos, the band has released this period live performance on its own for separate download. Taped at London’s Hammersmith Odeon on April 1, 1978, the concert shows off the band’s stellar harmony singing, tight guitar rock, super-tuneful songs and broad stage humor. Jon Rubin’s voice (which still sounds great today) is d-r-e-a-m-y, Tommy Dunbar shows off his killer guitar skills, and the band’s rhythm section is dialed in. This was a really tight live unit. Along with their best-known sides (the original “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend,” a charting cover of “I Think We’re Alone Now” and the pop-soul “Hard to Get”), there’s the rare “Hey Royse,” an a cappella doo-wop cover of “Rockin’ in the Jungle,” and a monumental jam of “Sugar Sugar” that quotes “Smoke on the Water” and “Downtown” before inviting the audience to sing along. The set closes with an unrelenting take on the Seeds “Pushin’ Too Hard” that suggests maybe rock ‘n’ roll wasn’t quite dead… yet. If you weren’t there, this is what you missed; if you were, this is what you heard, and it still sounds sweet. [©2011 hyperbolium dot com]

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