R.I.P. the five members of The Tubes: Bob McIntosh (19?? - 1973) Jane Dornacker (October 1, 1947 - October 22, 1986) aged 39 Vince Welnick (February 21, 1951 - June 2, 2006) aged 55 Re Styles (March 3, 1950 - April 24, 2022) aged 72 Rick Anderson (August 1, 1947 - December 16, 2022) aged 75 You will always be remembered as legends.

The classic lineup of Waybill, Steen, Spooner, Anderson, Prince, Welnick and Cotten. Very talented musicians.

One of the most musically diverse, eclectic & talented bands on this planet & maybe others!!!!! What a blast!! These guys collectively had more influential input & output than i care to remember!! Did they make any money?? I dont think they cared too much!! They did what their hearts told them to do & to this day one of my most favourite bands of all time, i miss these dudes!!!! Bill 'sputnik'' Spooner was a true eccentric musical genius, & probably still is!!!!!!

Thanks so much to you and Martin for doing such a great show. It would be impossible for me to rate The Tubes discography because each album is #1 to me. I was lucky enough to become close with my favorite band and would be invited to all their shows whenever they would play anywhere in New England. They're all such great guys and would treat us like the rock stars. Fee even wrote and recorded a song about my good friend's girlfriend! Thanks again for such a great show.

Love The Tubes Prairie Prince is an amazing drummer who never seems to get mentioned when talking about great rock drummers. John Fogerty tapped him when he was making his comeback way back when. He could have picked just about anybody and he picked Prairie. Prairie & Rick were a super rock solid rhythm section. I saw them a few times in the early/mid 80’s. They always really delivered. If you like the pop production of Completion Backwards, check out Fee Waybill’s solo album Read My Lips. It was produced by David Foster and Fee had most of Toto backing him. I can’t rank the albums right now. I will need to do a listen of what I have (don’t have them all and most I have are on vinyl which I don’t listen to as often). Thanks for doing this one. I really enjoyed the reminders of all the great Tubes tunes.

One off the best live bands i ever saw in the 70s- as fun as any band, but also great musicians in the band. Thanks Pete as always.

Love Bomb is my favorite. I think side two is BRILLIANT! Oh well. : )

so underrated class band

A criminally underrated band who I was lucky to see live on their first UK tour that produced the amazing live album... their debut album also has my favourite sleeve design...classic..!

Thanks for talking about one of my favorite under appreciated bands ever!

The live album is probably one of the greatest sounding live recordings ever, if I could borrow your panels time machine it would be to attend that night in London in the ,70,s😍

I had the pleasure of working with Prairie Prince in the studio. He played drums on several tracks on my Cats of Sherman album. Great dude. Great drummer. He does double duty these days with The Tubes and Todd Rundgren. He nailed everything in 1 or 2 takes. He told me some great stories such as the making of Skylarking with XTC and working with George Harrison on Nicky Hopkins solo album. He just had knee replacement surgery a couple of months ago. I'm hoping he makes a full recovery and I get to have him work on more tracks in the future.

Saw The Tubes live in April 1976 on Long Island with Be Bop Deluxe as opening act. The Tubes were great musically with an over the top stage show including a motorcyle, dancing girls, a multitude of costume changes, the oversized Q guitar, etc. Their debut album is my favorite.

I remember seeing the Tubes on SCTV's - Fishin' Musician - with John Candy as Gil Fisher, host of the Scuttlebut lodge!

First album is my #1 easily. I enjoy most of their records, but the first one (and the Live album) are just classics to me. Really love the proggy burlesque of "Young and Rich" and "Now" too. I have never heard "Outside Inside" though and we'll have to get it! Great show.

Love Bomb, number 1 for me. A Todd Rundgren produced underrated MASTERPIECE!

I love Remote Control, even if it's almost a Todd Rundgren album. The debut remains my favorite.

So glad to see the ranking show of The Tubes. They bring back so many memories of sitting in my uncle's room listening to them when I was a kid. I'd love to rank them, but my memory is mush these days. I do gravitate towards the earlier albums.

I mostly agree with the exception of LOVE BOMB (which I love)!

Ranking Tubes records proves just how hardcore this channel is.

So I was always a metal head growing up, never gave the Tubes much of a thought. An older friend who was one of those guys who literally saw EVERYBODY, including Zepplin and Hendrix would tell me that the Tubes were the best live act he’d ever seen. Finally saw them 10-15 years ago and had to agree he was pretty close to being right. Only have one or two of their Lp’s but boy were they incredible live.

I saw them live at the Tower in Philly on the “Young And Rich “tour ..unbelievable stage show w/many props,and Thin Lizzy as the opener , and the “Now” tour, less props =smaller budget?.. still great. Always loved Prairie Prince’s drumming and art. The first two records, so unique and great!

Incredibly inventive and diverse band. Also with a sense of humor. Their early shows were real spectacles! Not surprised Todd Rundgren took such an interest. “Love Bomb” is the Tubes, “ A Wizard, A True Star”. And how about the genius of “Theme From A Wooly Place”, mash up of “Theme From A Summer Place” and “Wooly Bully”? Also, love the “sappy” Tubes ballads! Nice overview, guys!

The B-Side of Love BOMB is actually my favorite Tubes track ever 🤔😱

very under rated band,still out their rockin it.

I only know the song "White Punks On Dope" by the Tubes. I always thought it was a New Wave Band. In Style like the Talking Heads. Nice that you can learn so much about Music History here at Sea of Tranquility.

Pete I am so glad that your #1 is Remote Control. You're absolutely right on. It's one of my favorite albums, PERIOD! It's an album that I never tire of and....I've been a huge Todd Rundgren fan since 1970 and you're correct, in that Todd's mitts are all over this album. I would say that Telecide his been my fave for the longest time however, there are better songs for many reasons but "Please standby we're coming to you live" is so frenetic and manic (same thing?) that it was a mirror of myself at 18 y.o. Great episode! So thank you Pete and Martin for a thoroughly entertaining 47+ minutes that easily took me back decades. Cheers, Tim

Great instalment guys, really enjoyed it. I only know a small sliver of The Tubes' music, but what I know, I like.

I have loved the tubes since White Punks on Dope. I forced myself to go to a Journey concert in 1983 specifically because The Tubes were the opening act (as were also Sammy Hagar, Bryan Adams, and John Mellencamp). I left halfway through Journey's set but I got more than my money's worth with that slate of openers, especially since Fee decided to bring Quay Lude back for that tour. I saw them a couple of years ago and they still have that punch and sense of humor. One of the greatest bands ever.

When I inherited my Dad's record collection he had a few Tubes albums including the Live album that Martin has...Still haven't given them a chance but after this I am going to give them a go.

So underplayed these days. The ultimate fusion band!

The Tubes are one of my top 5 favorite bands and with the exception of 2 or 3 songs most people never heard of them.As far as my favorites Remote Control and the second side of Love Bomb are untouchable.If you listen to the bass and drums on side 2 of Love Bomb it's flawless.

An awesome band. For a while I thought they were an MTV era one-hit wonder (Talk to Ya Later). A few years later a friend with older brothers played the What Do Want From Live LP and I thought to myself this is serious music. Many decades passed and around 6 years ago purchased that live album and really started getting into them. There are awesome concert videos in KZfaq from the mid-seventies, in black and white, and they're breathtaking. I'm sure like Frank Zappa, behind all that comedy and quirkiness, many don't realize that notes are involved. Great show guys and at least 3 of those studio albums are weekend homework.

Great piece guys! Very good!

The Tubes were going to release an album in 1980 called Suffer For Sound, but they had to leave it unreleased when they changed labels. The demos were bootlegged back in the day and they were uploaded in KZfaq, if you like The Tubes I highly recommend cheking them out. Also some of The tracks got released both in the THRASH compilation and in the Remote Control CD rerelease as extra tracks

Side 1 of "Remote Control" is a perfect album side. And Cheap Trick is my favorite band of all time! If you decide to rank their studio albums and need a 3rd guy to join the conversation...let me know!

Never really got into the Tubes growing up. I had only heard of Talk To You Later and She's a Beauty until I saw them live where I live about 15 or so years ago and they blew me away both times.

I instantly hit the like button.

Martin's story about watching the Derringer reunion live made me so jealous! Sweet Evil is a masterpiece, I wish they came to Spain, but I'm aware Rick only tours US only mostly.

Man finally someone talkin Tubes! Thanks !!!

I’ve been curious about this band lately. Just the content I need. I’ll check them out decide if I need to purchase any albums. But by the descriptions of their albums they sound like they’d be in my wheelhouse. Thanks Pete & Martin.

Good job Pete and Martin on a band who put out interesting music with little notice. My ranking: Remote Control Debut album Completion Backwards Principle Now Outside Inside The 3 remainders all tied for this spot

A mighty important crusade! 8 Genius Of America 7 Love Bomb 6 Now 5 Outside Inside 4 Young And Rich 3 Remote Control 2 The Tubes 1 The Completion Backward Principle

wonderfully entertaining live band and incredible musicians.

Great to see The Tubes get some love. Nice one. Speed king by Saxon discuss!!

Pete, thank you soooo much for doing this. I requested a Tubes ranking a while ago, so I was elated to discover this! I bought The Completion Backward Principle upon its release, my first album by them, and have been a devoted fan ever since! Seen them live many times, culminating in right before the pandemic when they performed the album in its entirety. Personally I rate Now very highly, but can honestly say I love all the albums, and of coarse the legendary What Do You Want From Live! Untouchable! And come on guys-Don't Wanna Wait is absolutely marvelous! Check out Fee's new album; it's very strong! OK-I don't suppose you guys are up for a SLADE ranking? I know they didn't make the US, but were absolutely fantastic and the greatest live band in history imo!

Loved The Completion Backward Principle.

Seen the Tubes 5 or 6 times. A huge Tubes fan. Seen Fee Waybill play Dr. Frankenfurter in Rocky Horror Show at a the Barn Theatre in Augusta near Kalamazoo Mi. maybe 5 times during Summer Theatre. Was sitting in the van in Wings Stadium parking lot before the show. This guy was walking across the parking lot. It was Fee. Probably doing a soundcheck and heading back to the hotel. Love Bomb Tour. Todd Rundgren Utopia opened. Figure he produced the album.

Aaaaah, The Tubes... We all have our personal "History of Rock" universe. In mine, the sun is Todd Rundgren. So The Tubes also do have a pretty central spot. I love or like almost all of their studio albums. Only one I never could get into is Genius of America. I see them as kind of a quirkier version of Steely Dan. Their best tracks have a kind of tension I never found anywhere else : Pimp, Haloes, Tubes World Tour, Eyes, La vie en fumer, prime time, Don't touch me there, etc. Love them. Almost an hour about them : now that's cool !

I saw these guys back in 1978 and I had no idea who they were or what to expect but JFC did I become a fan!!

Love The Tubes ... highly underrated. As Martin says could be very commercial & I adore "Completion Backward Principle" which is tongue in cheek commercial (loads of videos from that one Martin, though a couple couldn't be shown on MTV !!) Live shows look like they were a blast. Would love to know if the Fee Waybill story about falling into the crowd with a Chainsaw & resultant broken leg is true or not (?)

The Tubes are a great band, they never really made money doing music and Fee Waybill ended up investing in commercial property that he manages onsite, he does theater and music for fun now in between managing his property. He was on Jonesy’s Jukebox a few years back and it was a great interview. Such a creative band.

Still have a band signed Outside Inside vinyl from the college days at Michigan State. 1.The Completion Backwards Principle 2. The Tubes 3. Outside Inside 4. Young and Rich 5 Remote Control

I saw them in a small club in Wheeling West Virginia. Love the first album. My favorite..

I was not brave enough at the time to buy a Tubes single so my Dad purchased it for me. Thinking back, I would have loved to have been in the shop as my late father asked the sales assistant "A copy of the Tubes' 'White Punks On Dope' please"! Just to have seen the look on the faces of those present.

Tied for the number one group in the world

Hi Pete love your ranking the albums videos, can I ask what software you use to compile your lists ? 🤘🎸👍

Love the Tubes! Always felt they were a band that were too smart for their own good. Kinda went over some people’s heads. Like Zappa, the humor wasn’t just to be funny. It was making a point! At least early on that was the case...

I was only 8 when their big hit single "She's a Beauty" charted and was all over MTV back in 1983. I never really delved deep into their catalog until very recently as a matter of fact. I bought a 3 disc anthology for The Tubes this week called "The Definitive Recordings 1975-1985" and have been really enjoying listening to it. I was not aware how cool their song catalog was.

The Tubes are kind of central in my own pop/rock universe, along with Todd Rundgren ( alltime favorite ), Utopia and others. Although I also respect and admire the Beatles or Queen ( first four albums essentially for Queen ) and to some extent the Beach Boys, the kinds of Bowie, Rolling Stones, Dylan, the Who and a bunch of other "Alpha dogs" are very peripherical in my musical world. So I was thrilled when I saw this Sea of Tranquility show, after those about TR and Utopia. Other "underdogs" that do have a very central spot in my musical universe and would in my opinion deserve a full show of their own : the Stranglers ( from Rattus up to 10, that's when Cornwell leaves the band, it's "l'âge d'or"; they didn't become big in America but man... What a great british band ! ), the Damned ( I don't care about their debut, although it's their most well known album, but from Machine Gun Etiquette up to the last one, I love them in the same way I love the Tubes : because of their idiosyncracy AND their musicianship ), Stereolab ( very interesting british band, Rundgren is a fan ), Nick Drake ( no pop/rock collection is complete without his three studio albums ) and Jason Falkner ( he was a member of Jellyfish and the Grays and then released a handful of solo albums that rank very very high in the guitar pop genre ).

The whole second side of Love Bomb cooks try to follow the drums and Bass incredible playing.

Huge Tubes fan from day one and lucky enough that I saw them tour the first album at the Palladium in NYC which was an off the charts great concert. I got to see them three more times over the years and they are top shelf and sadly underrated. Great job guys and thanks for doing that. Remote Control is #1 - First album #2. Pete perfectly said Remote Control is fantastic start to finish.

Love Bomb, Outside/Inside, Remote Control, Now!, Tubes, Completion Backward Principle, Young and Rich, Genius of America (only because Spooner was gone by then). You glossed over the fact that Bill was the lead singer on much of the early stuff. He even sang on the power ballad Don't Want To Wait Anymore, which is probably my favorite song on that album., although Mr. Hate is fun. Big Todd fan of course, and his ideas meshed with theirs so well, although Fee would disagree. Foster was awesome though and gave them much success. Brilliant at what he does, like it or not. Love the darkness of Now! The Live album would fall in there perhaps midway through, and they have a second live album too, post-Bill.

Terrific show guys. I love the Tubes, a band I grow increasingly fond of year by year. My top 5 would be: 1. Remote Control 2. Young & Rich 3. Completion Backwards Principle 4. The Tubes 5. Inside Outside

Oh man! This is right up my alley. I have loved this band for 40+ yrs. Great topic. My order was easy to put together: 01) Remote Control (A brilliant, almost cinematic masterpiece) 02) Outside Inside 03) The Tubes 04) Genius Of America 05) The Completion Backward Principle 06) Young & Rich 07) Now 08) Love Bomb

I bought the WDYWFL cassette, and wore it out when it came out. I got to see them on CBP tour. Here in Louisville KY, there were 600 fans that went to their concert in a 10000 seat arena. A normal band would have cancelled, but they put on a great show for us. I find that their music is much better live. It was a fun.

I like your "Hidden Details" t-shirt, what a great "comeback" album also!!!

The Tubes🥰 Still love them, saw them live twice, was invited back stage once in the early 90ies without Bill Spooner alas.

Thanks again to Martin and Pete for another great show of discussion and last minute changes in their order and discussions why. My recollection of the music at the time was that the Tubes really were a cult band until the start of the 1980s. Again, just one perspective but we - the record buying public - were always being told how much we should like them and their satirical and somewhat comedic and clever approach to music. And perhaps a bit to polished for the time as well. Some of the bigger bands at the time and perhaps a bit earlier were excoriated by most of the music press but beloved but the record buyers and concert goers. Grand Funk Railroad and Kiss come to mind. So perhaps is was some of a case of the more you are told you will like it, the more you resist it. Although during that time, they did develop and have a reputation as an outstanding live band though I never did see them perform at the time. It was actually being a strong Todd Rundgren fan that led me to The Tubes album Remote Control which was very much what I enjoyed about Todd and Utopia at the time. So followed them a bit on the next two and then sort of lost track of their output. So I would rank my top four as: 1. Remote Control 2. Outside Inside 3,. The Completion Backward Principle 4. The Tubes [eponymous debut] Thanks again, gents, for an excellent episode of SoT.

I love the NOW album...

Great video gentlemen . I"m not really familiar with this band other than their handful of hits . Pete , you mentioned that you likened them to Max Webster . I'm a huge fan of Max Webster , who I used to see a lot in the clubs around Toronto . I see the comparison , as the Tubes' hits that I have heard do have some shades of Max Webster in them. Your discussion of their discography has really peaked my interest in checking them out . Thanks !

I saw them in Wheeling Wva and they were great..

Hello SOT ... I am a Big TUBES fan ... Here's my list ... least to best 8. Now 7. Genius Of America 6. Love Bomb 5. Young & Rich 4. Tubes (1975 Debut) 3. Remote Control 2. Outside Inside 1. The Completion Backward Principle Enjoy ....

Interesting band choice for discussion, I first became aware of them on MTV, I remember their hits She's a Beauty and Talk to ya Later. I'm looking forward to going through their catalog🤗

Hey Sea of Tranquility, can you do a album ranked on the New York Dolls? Last Wednesday, I heard that Sylvain Sylvain passed away. RIP Sylvain Sylvain

Just last night I finished re-listening to the catalog! 8) Love Bomb (I do like this, however. Just my least favorite.) 7) Young & Rich 6) Genius Of America 5) Now 4) Outside Inside (My #4-2 could flip around depending on my mood.) 3) Remote Control 2) The Tubes 1) The Completion Backward Principle (I still have my VHS copy of the videos, as well!) "Mondo Birthmark" is a cool rarities collection, and "What Do You Want From Live" is a pretty good live record, too! Thanks for doing this one, guys. I've been a fan of them (and Fee's solo work) since about 1982. Even though they sound nothing alike I've always categorized the Tubes with Sparks. I guess I got into them about the same time, I guess...

I would agree with you about Bill Spooner; saw the band 3 times in the 70s and Spooner was a awesome talent; then i saw them in early 90s and they were good, but imo the sound of the band wasn't the same. The Live album best represents them at their best.

Hey Pete... ever heard of Canadian power pop band The Pursuit of Happiness? They are known as a on hit wonder band (I’m an adult now) but they have so many more great songs. Moe Berg is a great songwriter with hilarious self-deprecating humor. Their first two albums were produced by Todd Rundgren.

Good to hear this run down, particularly as I only have The Completion Backward Principle..... and nothing else! But It's a record I really love, just that I never went further so really enjoyed finding out more about The Tubes. 👍

LOVE this band! I have all their Albuns on Vynil (exceptions: Genius of America and The Tubes Now). My rank: 8- Genius of America 7- The Tubes Now 6- The Tubes 5- Young and Rich 4- Love Bomb 3- Remote Control 2- Outside Inside 1- Completion Backwards Principle (first one I´ve got from them). Prairie Prince one of my main influences on groovy drumming. Fee Waybill = amaaaaazing frontman and singer.

Pete! I just had the craziest dream that you had a band and were playing at a festival. You were the lead guitarist and Mr. Steve Keeler was the bassist. For some reason, you guys weren’t playing some rockin’ tune, you were preparing to perform Tragedy by the Bee Gees. You didn’t have a singer so yours truly filled in, having to learn the lyrics backstage. Strange dream but it was pretty damn cool!

I miss the Tubes (all my Tubes studio albums are on vinyl + no player), but my top 3 are Outside/Inside, Completion Backwards, and debut...Outside is the one I listened to most, o/w it's a toss-up for #2/#3. I never owned any of the others, but you gave me an itch to check out Remote Control. Have to upgrade the others to cd too! Thanks Pete and Martin. ^^

Interesting to hear this. I got my big kick on Tubes in 1983 when I saw some live tv performance from down in Germany, and especially "Out of the Business", which they also mentioned as one of their best numbers. Even if I knew them already after the first album which I bought and liked. Then I got a bit trouble liking "Now" which I bought next, but liked it better later. I didn't hear "Young and Rich" before in the 80s and it became my favorite album. I was a bit suprised they didn't like that one better. It's more relaxed and cool compared with the others I think, and very well done and produced by Ken Scott, which gives it a special mood that is great. But I agree with them that "Outside Inside" is one of their very best. It was cool to get that confirmed, because I haven't thought it's right to think so about that album, but now I see that isn't so stupid after all.

The first three albums are peerless, though 'Young & Rich' is the best produced (the first album gets a bit muddied with the orchestrations). The first time I saw them was 79 and they remain the best American rock band I've ever seen. The albums that come after 'What Do You Want From Live?' have their moments, but the originality, wit and chops of the band with their four brilliant lead singers are unmatched on songs like 'Young & Rich', 'Haloes', 'I'm Just A Mess' and all the obvious 'hits' from the 75-78 period that people focus on. Sputnik Spooner in particular is a genius, love his voice and instrumentally members like Prince, Cotten, Welnick and Steen remain massively underappreciated.

I only discovered The Tubes by seeing the video for "She's a Beauty" on VH1 Classics back in the 2000's. I've always dug that song but I've never checked their other stuff out before. Looks like I got some homework now.

I loved their live album when it came out and still play it today. White Punks On Dope is a rock classic.

Also, it was a real treat to see them play (along with Peter Gabriel) on David Bowie's Serious Moonlight summer 1983 dates in Canada- 65,000 of us at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton!

Great video, guys, thank you. Funny to hear Martin rightly point out the importance of musicianship when mining musical humor, then mentioning his love for Capt Beefheart, who sound like they practiced 15 minutes before recording their albums.

I think Pete hit the nail. My fave is Remote Control, then Outside Inside, then probably Backwards....gotta look into earlier stuff.

Kind of all over the place as far as their style goes, but I think that is part of the charm. I hadn’t dove in until recently as well but was pleasantly surprised. Not that I am comparing these two bands (because they are definitely different), but I find the White Stripes kind of like that too. I recently picked up their Greatest Hits release, and realized how much I missed. Not sure how you feel about them Pete, but that could be an interesting Ranking the Albums too. Take care! ✌️😎✌️

In 1971 was in San Francisco. At a movie clockwork orange. This guy we started a conversation in lobby.went back to his place .he was Michael cotton. At the house was prairie prince also.they weren't the tubes yet.was very cool night Chinese food and herb.my traveling partner i was with won an academy award for la la land.production design.i seen the tubes capital theater Passaic nj.opening was good rats.whatah show.hope you enjoyed my moment.

Young & Rich was, by far, their BEST album!

I like all of the Tubes LPs with Waybil and Spooner, including their first solo albums. I like all of their stuff but REALY like the pre '86.

the tubes are a highly talented band which the public didn't understand in fact it is way over a lot of the peoples head they kept doing different music not staying the same like most rock bands i see them in 1977 at hammersmith odeon london they had big ticket sales sold seven nights out at 3700 a night then several clubs gigs in london one of there best albums that people do not talk about is genius of america a great album no air play i no several musicians in london and talk very highly of them

They did have one top 10 single with 'She's A Beauty' but they never sold enough records to cover the huge costs of their touring band. When they were dropped by A & M and then Capitol they owed the labels a shedload of money.

Nice job. Al DI Meola covered the song from The Tubes. 1977 vs 1982 Electric Rendezvous. The Monkey Time is a Major Lance cover.

Such a cool quirky band. I remember the first time I heard “White Punks on Dope” they seemed so unique. I’m also shocked about their album sales. Hard to believe they didn’t even have a gold album. R.I.P. Sylvain Sylvain only one Doll left among us.

1 the Tubes 2 remote control 3 young and rich 4 completion backwards 5 what do you want from live

this should be a good show

I just saw a video of them live in concert from 83, OMG! It was like watching a little of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, the front man turning into all these different characters LOL! Seeing them perform while staging an earthquake in White Punks on Dope was a life-changing experience, these guys are fantastic! There's a trip in the time machine for me, I wanna take a blast into the past and be at that show cuz what I just witnessed was mind blowing!