Tuff Darts – All For The Love Of Rock’n’Roll
Tuff Darts – Fun City
Tuff Darts – Here Comes Trouble
I first heard something from the Tuff Darts on a collection of bands that played at the legendary CBGB’s in New York when I was still on the air late at night on Album 88, way back at the beginning of my radio career. “It’s All For The Love Of Rock’n’Roll” struck me as a great punk/power pop anthem with tons of trademark post New York Dolls bravura. 
I hadn’t really thought about the band that much in the ensuing years, until I happened up this LP over at Records LA.
This version of “All For The Love” is a bit different, it sounds a bit more fully produced, I remember the other version having a more hollow sound and different, deeper vocals. Though the sound is a bit brighter, the song still packs a punch on this LP, as do many other tracks.
“Fun City” is a bit of an ironic title for a song where lead singer Tommy Frenzy runs down a laundry list of things he’s sick of in NYC. It’s interesting how the out of the blue lines “I’m a middle class American, I used to think I had it made, I never dreamt that I’d be second class, when i joined the big parade,” resonate more in 2011 than they did even in 1978. “Here Comes Trouble” is maybe the punkiest track on this LP, a upbeat little yarn with some punchy saxophone bits about a girl who has all the boys eating out of her hand. The Tuff Darts all but fell into obscurity until a couple years ago when they reformed, first to record a new album and later to memorialize guitarist Jeff Salen. It strikes me that a band like this would have no trouble continuing to record on indie labels in the present time, but things have certainly changed in the music industry since 1978. The sentiment and spirit on display in “All For The Love Of Rock’n’Roll” deserves to be heard and appreciated, and I hope you will in listening to these tracks from this band.
Cheers,
Michael