I've put this one aside several times in the past, not because it is somehow lacking, but it's more a collection of various recordings than a mix tape or a comp. But Saturday night at the LIGHT BRIGADE show I was talking to Mike about my one of my favorite punk songs (I named the band, he immediately recited the lyrics, justifying our friendship even further) and that song is sitting right at the front end of this tape in raw demo form, so I figured it was some kind of a sign. And so here we have two tracks from EMBRACE, a few jams from HELLBASTARD's Ripper Crust demo, that horrible cover tune that OFFENDERS never should have released, plus tracks from ASEXUALS sophomore release Be What You Want (1: While the first record is fukkn flawless, I purged this one long ago but these tracks are stellar...a change in taste or was I just not paying attention? 2: "Contra Rebels" is a pro-US military intervention track, an oddity in 1980s punk even if they were from Canada). Australia's VICIOUS CIRCLE from the 1985 split with PERDITION dish out a few rippers, and the tape closes with a poignant and irreverent 1986 live recording from DANBERT NOBACON of CHUMBAWAMBA (singing about Rupert Murdoch 25 years ago, no less). There are demo tracks that pre-date 7 SECONDS' 1986 LP New Wind (the one that most people say is when they started to suck, but I still contend that they were crucial up to and including the release of Soulforce Revolution, an unpopular opinion to say the least...but don't even get me started on how I think they are better than BLACK FLAG), and the tape starts with six demo tracks from the band that got me to upload the whole damn thing, GRAY MATTER. If this was someone's version of a punk primer kit, then they did a stellar job.
killing confusion by killing options // burning our bridges to stay warm
6 comments:
And in justifying our friendship even further, I also have always been pro-Soulforce Revolution! And yes, I too have found out over the years that that is an unpopular opinion. Ha!
That Offenders "horrible cover" is what completely turned me off of the band
that nobacon track is going on my radio show monday night! chumba tribute to commemorate the unwambafying of the world through their dismantling the band...
(mon 10-after midnight PST kwvaradio.org - click "listen now" in upper left)
Oh wow, I had that Asexuals song, "Contra Rebel," on a mixtape someone made for me when I was 14 (circa 1990-91), and I haven't thought about it in at least 10 years. But I'll bet I still have the tape somewhere in a crate, haha. Also, I'm with you on 7 Seconds. My first album by them was Ourselves, and I was like "Why do people hate on these guys' newer stuff? This is really good!" Of course, that was also when Ourselves and Soulforce Revolution were their two newest albums...
Thanks, have to agree with the 7 Seconds also, maybe not better but more consistent.
Been digging the New Wind stuff lately, thanks.
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