Condensed Hamsters Explained

Condensed Hamsters
Type:	greatest
Artist:	The Hamsters
Cover:	Condensed Hamsters (album).jpg
Released:	1990 / 2000
Genre:	Blues Rock
Length:	61:14
Label:	Rockin' Rodent Recordings
Producer:	The Hamsters
Prev Title:	Pet Sounds - 10 Years of Rodent Rock
Prev Year:	1998
Next Title:	They Live By Night
Next Year:	2002

Condensed Hamsters (1990) is a Hamsters album that was originally released only as an audio cassette (Music Cassette) compilation of the four original cassette only albums (recordings from 1988–1990) that were only available from the band's gigs. They never received a national distribution. Eventually the band stopped producing the tape albums, including this compilation, when their CD releases started to become popular.^[1]

Then in 2000, after years of requests from fans, it was decided to find the master tapes (no one knew where they were!) and remaster the album for a CD release. Eventually the masters were found in the back of a drawer in Slim's office and they were passed along to the band's regular sound guru, Jerry Stevenson. After a lot of audio repairs and 'sonic enhancement' the masters were deemed ready for CD and they were released to the general public, both at gigs, their website and worldwide via the band's official distributor, Pinnacle Records.^{[2] [3]}

Track listing

1. "Switchboard Susan" – 3:34
2. "Georgia Slop" – 3:36
3. "Linda Lu" – 4:36
4. "Hard Ridin' Papa" – 4:40
5. "Crazy 'Bout An Automobile" – 3:14
6. "The Walk" – 4:10
7. "Chevrolet" – 3:12
8. "They Called It Rock" – 3:41
9. "Sweet Little Lisa" – 4:43
10. "Pouring Water On A Drowning Man" – 3:44
11. "Double Trouble" – 9:19
12. "Fire Down Below" – 4:18
13. "Chequebook" – 3:54
14. "Brother Doctor, Sister Nurse" – 4:33

• Tracks 1-6 from Night of the Rocking Rodents
• Tracks 7 - 13 from Revenge of the Killer Hamsters
• Track 14 from Flasher Hamsters From Hell

Musicians

• Snail's-Pace Slim —- guitars, lead vocals.
• Rev Otis Elevator —- drums, vocals.
• Ms Zsa Zsa Poltergeist —- bass, vocals.

Production

• Recorded by Johnny Holburn.
• Post-production sonic enhancement, editing and compiling by Jerry Stevenson.
• Produced by The Hamsters.
• Cover design by Phil Smee of Waldo's Design Emporium.
• Cover concept by The Hamsters.
• 'Breakfast illustration' design by Des Penny.
• Photography by Steve O'Connell (booklet) and Rob Petherbridge (inner tray).

Notes and References

1. Web site: Condensed Hamsters. debate.org. 13 December 2013. dead. https://archive.today/20131213123521/http://www.debate.org/reference/condensed-hamsters-musical-album. 13 December 2013.
2. Web site: Hamsters, The–Condensed Hamsters. discogs.com. 13 December 2013.
3. Web site: Condensed Hamsters. allmusic.com. 13 December 2013.