Reddy Teddy: A (Meh) Boston Band

Boston often gets overlooked when bands that inform punk are discussed. The Real Kids are obviously an important touchstone, but even before that garage approach to the music was worked out Willie Alexander was kicking around before his ill fated trip to the Big Apple to be a part of the (pretend) last Velvet Underground recordings. And while Alexander wasn’t a player in the Reddy Teddy line up, the fact that he had a hand in the recording of its album says a great deal about the direction of the music – namely that it’s not too special, but has a few elements that would later be important to the nascent punk scene that sprung up around the Rat.

The fact that Reddy Teddy never recorded a proper album shouldn’t discourage those that scour early ‘70s releases looking for power pop and hard rock being ratcheted up into something else. Again, this isn’t punk – but these guys were on the scene just as Aerosmith started to gain the recognition that they somehow carried through three or four subsequent decades. In fact, that bands utilization of some Brit hard rock, blues and slinky rock stuffs could be considered a part of the formula that Reddy Teddy would get down on its recordings from ’76.

These aren’t Elvis Costello style rockers, but something between the New York Dolls and Alice Cooper that propels these nine tracks. “Novelty Shoes,” specifically, benefits from the injection of Cooper’s influence. That’s not to say that anything here comes close to Love it to Death ‘cause that shouldn’t even be a consideration. And see as in ’76 the Ramones were cutting its first album, the fact that Reddy Teddy sounds as if it’s from an earlier portion of the decade isn’t exactly a ringing endorsement. And really, if played back to back, this set of work and the Ramones first album, Reddy Teddy comes off like some radio friendly hacks.

The Boston band never got snatched up by a major, instead releasing these nine album tracks via some independent label. Despite that, it sounds rather polished and at moments even gets near a trashy, ‘70s Bo Diddley style. Portions of “Magic, Magic” ape the low down drum style of the RnB star, but sadly then move into some more middling rock. Taken as a whole, that’s pretty much what all of this is. So, it’s kinda confusing to grasp why exactly these guys get checked in punk circles…

There’s some feedback that might be pleasant to hard rock and punk fans, but beyond that, it just comes off as a band that you might have seen opening for Kiss – who had a bit of punk about that if not considering its over blown stage show and douchey make-up. The fact that these tunes from Reddy Teddy have been re-issued does, though, mean that Boston is getting a call up from around the world for its rock music – that’s good. But apart from the town receiving its due, there aren’t really any teeth to these rockers. It’s just rock to rock. Meh.