Gomorrah on the Hudson Week: Part One -- Where's Leo Gorcey and Huntz Hall Now That We Really Need Them?

So as we mentioned last Friday, the Live at CBGBs album turns 40 later this year; I haven't been able to find the exact release date, but it was recorded in June of '76, so I'm assuming the original indie version -- before Atlantic picked it up for wider distribution -- followed soon after.

In any case, I bring this up -- and frankly I had forgotten about the impending anniversary -- because I recently got a very nice e-mail from one Michael Insetta, the bass player for a band called Stuart's Hammer, who have a track on the album. Mike a) thanked me for saying nice things about SH in my review of the album at The Magazine Formerly Known as Stereo Review and b) alerted me to a proposed forum at WFUV-FM in celebration of the LP's original release (hopefully to feature Tina Weymouth, Chris Frantz, John Rockwell of the New York Times and other worthies, possibly including some guy whose name rhymes with Sleeve Nimels).

I thanked Mike profusely, although I allowed I had forgotten what I wrote about SH in my eons ago review (I did recall liking the song, if not exactly what it sounded like).

Courtesy of Mike, however, here's what I actually said at the time:

Stuart's Hammer adds the regrettably brief "Everybody's Depraved," at once a hilarious satire on the unlamented Glitter movement of a few years ago, and a flat-out exhilirating piece of rock-and-roll.

Meanwhile, I suddenly realized I didn't own a copy of the CD reissue, so I went to Amazon and scored one as fast as I could.

And here, without further ado, is the SH song; darned if it doesn't strike my now elderly ears as a delightful toe-tapper. In other words, as pretty much exactly what I said about it in the review.

Incidentally, the rap on Live at CBGBs back in the day -- not by me, but by most other critics -- was that it suffered from a dearth of tracks by the Big Names of the Bowery rock scene, i.e. The Ramones, Talking Heads, Television or Blondie. Personally, I found the whole thing vastly entertaining in 1976, and upon rehearing it again over the weekend I still do.

Another cool track from the album tomorrow. In the meantime, for more on Stuart's Hammer, check out their official website over HERE.