Staying Loose

Vienna songwriter, guitarist, and singer Hans Platzgumer fronted the H.P. Zinker outfit for several years, establishing a connection with several key American artists and actually creating something of a following for himself in the process. This is more than one can say for quite a few other European rock artists, especially ones from Vienna. A good natured and positively-vibed fellow, the music he made during the early '90s was loaded with stamina and sharpened with the hardcore punk blade. Platzgumer seemed to think like "la rock artiste," always planning what the next project would be. The recordings are inconsistent, all but for this one, whose subtitle of "A Compilation" reveals the secret to success. By choosing out the best titles and largely ignoring the relatively cheesy Beyond It All from 1990, the band has come up with a single CD that truly shows its better side. Just about anything anybody could really want by this band is here, including the wonderful cover of "Billion Dollar Babies."