Peppi Marchello - vocals; Mickey Marchello - lead guitar; John Gato - guitar, keyboards, vocals; Joe Franco - drums; Lenny Kotke - bass
Lead vocalist Peppi Marchello gives this Good Rats audience some very straightforward advice at the onset of this final show, recorded as part of a three-day run at New York's Bottom Line. "We have an overflow crowd, so why don't we get crazy? This is New York, and this is a rock and roll show! All of you are from New York, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Long Island and from across in New Jersey; and you have a reputation for being aggressive and pushy. So let's be aggressive and pushy. Make some noise!"
With that boisterous intro, they break into "Takin' It To Detroit," which is followed by "Does It Make You Feel Good?," a favorite from their debut Warner Brothers album, Tasty. The band was back, promoting their third album, Birth Comes To Us All, released on Passport Records, an indie label distributed by Arista. The group had left Warners in a struggle to be more true to the eclectic music they were known for, and to be faithful to their league of loyal fans. In fact, that battle is effectively told in the song, "Dear Sir," performed in the middle of the set.
Although for this show they did not perform their well known song "Tasty," many of the other Good Rats classics are here, including "Reason To Kill," "Fireball Express," "Injun Joe," and "Klash-Ka-Bob," which features exceptional drumming from Joe Franco. For the many thousands of music fans that saw The Good Rats in their prime between 1975 and 1982, this recorded show will bring back some incredibly fond memories.