NBC's Hullabaloo was one of network TV's first attempts to deal with the explosion that was post-Beatles pop music, but unlike ABC's vastly superior competitor, Shindig, it was produced by folks who were essentially clueless. That's the surprising conclusion one draws from this four-volume anthology. In fact, from the succession of not-exactly-with-it hosts (Frankie Avalon? Trini Lopez?) to the hits-of-the-day medleys in which rockers crooned with the Peter Matz Orchestra, this Hullabaloo has all the hip cachet of an episode of The Perry Como Show.
There are a few transcendent performances scattered about the collection -- an ultra-rare glimpse of cult rocker Bobby Fuller stomping through ''I Fought the Law'' -- and for surreal kitsch it's hard to top what Jerry Lewis and son Gary do to the Beatles' ''Help!'' Mostly, though, the set is both a real grind to sit through and a cautionary reminder that the '60s weren't always as much fun as you think you remember. C+
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