Project 1950

Project 1950 is technically a Misfits album, but it's more like Frankenstein's monster, a cobbled-together project given life by the kinetic, funbox electricity emitted by a bunch of guys chopping out punkified covers of favorite oldies. Led by the amateurish yet somehow delightful warble of Jerry Only, who sounds like Brad Garrett of Everybody Loves Raymond if the glowering actor were to sing, this reincarnated Misfits lineup also includes drummer Marky Ramone and ex-Black Flag guitarist Dez Cadena. Since each veteran provided Project 1950 with believable liner notes professing his love of the vintage material, it's good to hear their excitement in the recordings, which crackle with enthusiasm. Produced by John Cafiero with attention to maximum thickness, "This Magic Moment" explodes out of the box with a flourish of guitar and pounding drums, only to hit another gear with the addition of supporting vocalist Ronnie Spector — yes, Ronnie Spector. The erstwhile Ronette sounds like an angel with a dirty mind backing up the devil-lock'd Only; together with Ramone and Cadena's thudding instrumentation, their version is like the soundtrack to a greasers-only formal. Though Spector doesn't return until the album's closing number, Only and his henchmen continue on through a boisterous "Dream Lover" (complete with background "oohs," "aaahs," and "yeah yeahs") and an overdriven "Donna" that's the most punk-leaning of 1950's material. The album flags a bit by its middle — "Great Balls of Fire" and "Latest Flame" seem to pile on top of one another, as if Only's Fred stopped short and Ramone and Cadena came crashing in behind him like Scooby and Shaggy. But the guys crank it up again for an obligatory tear through "Monster Mash," and "Runaway" isn't half bad, either. Project 1950 isn't really the Misfits. For one thing, it's about as scary as a bunch of cartoon ghouls driving around in a goosed-up Munsters funny car. But the album is really enjoyable in a nostalgia sort of way — it's most interesting for being nostalgic both for rock & roll's birth and its punk rock adolescence. [Note: The CD arrives with a bonus disc featuring live material and music videos.]