The Hustlers

by The Hustlers

Overview

Undoubtedly the Hustlers were a talented quartet, and occasionally on this eponymous retrospective from Gear Fab that skill comes through reasonably clearly. Unfortunately, the fidelity of the first two-thirds of the recordings on the CD is so poor that the patience of even the most hardy '60s garage aficionados is likely to be tested. The problem materialized with the source tapes rather than with the consistently excellent specialty reissue label's attempts at mastering them for public consumption (though Gear Fab is guilty of trying to stretch the available material too thinly). In a sense, it is a case of art imitating life -- an irrevocably marred legacy for a band whose recording efforts were consistently hindered by management in its day. Of the early rough cuts, passing marks go only to pre-band "Bossa Nova Outer Space," a sort of sub-Joe Meek slice of extraterrestrial instrumental rock, on which the muddy sound actually suits the song's otherworldly aim. The rest -- gutsy garage approximations of beat music and the Byrds (including an interesting acoustic take on "Eight Miles High") with hints of emergent psychedelia -- certainly shows ample promise, but it feels as if you're forced to listen to the music as it bleeds through the walls of a neighboring room. Luckily, things pick up considerably with the loping fuzz-punker "If You Try" (there are two earlier alternate versions presented as well), a sizable regional hit, and "My Mind's Made Up," the latter strong enough to find its way onto the second Florida volume of Gear Fab's Psychedelic Crown Jewels compilation series. They comprised both sides of the combo's sole 1966 single. These songs show the Hustlers to have been a tough, outstanding folk-rock outfit, wearing its Fifth Dimension-era Byrds influences on its sleeve, but -- as the stunning, raga-esque "Destination Nowhere," a lost classic, proves -- wearing it exceptionally well. If you're willing to wade through the hiss, terribly uneven levels, and ham-fisted edits of the early demos, those three songs alone should be worth the cost of the CD for most garage heads. ~ Stanton Swihart

Product Details

Release Date:	12/23/2003
Label:	GEAR FAB RECORDS
UPC:	0645270020428

Tracks

1. Bossa Nova Outer Space
2. I Don't Know
3. Trying to Forget Her
4. We Were in Love
5. Vivid in My Mind
6. If You Try
7. Eight Miles High
8. We Were in Love
9. 'Cause I Know
10. Vivid in My Mind
11. If You Try
12. If You Try
13. My Mind's Made Up
14. Destination Nowhere
15. Nick's Drum Solo
16. Sounds of Life
17. I Know

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Hustlers   Primary Artist
Joe Romeo   Bass
Nick Frasca   Drums
Bobby "Boris" Wooley   Bass
Steve Kimball   Bass

Technical Credits

Gene Clark   Composer
John McNicol   Composer
Bob Leavitt   Composer
The Quiet Four   Composer
Roger Maglio   Liner Notes
Nick Frasca   Composer
Bobby "Boris" Wooley   Group Member
Roger McGuinn   Composer
Ruby Terry   Composer
David Crosby   Composer
Benny Carter   Composer