25 February 2014

STARK RAVING MAD


The (cassette version of the) first 12" from New York City's STARK RAVING MAD is an absolute ripper. You should be familiar with this already, but for the less fortunate: I am here to help. Screaming political start/stop spastic thrash from 1984 - there are connections to (fellow former Texans) DRI and MDC and in a different world perhaps this band would be just as renown....but the second record from these freaks dropped off a bit and that was the end of the road. But these 15 songs, clocking in at a whopping 10 minutes, are pointed and chaotic in all the right ways. 

Interview with the band from March '85 here. I'm guessing these are my kind of people, and I sincerely hope they stayed that way...



5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I grew up in Houston and have always considered this a Houston band, as most people from that region did. I do believe they moved to SF (at some point) as the counterparts you mentioned (and as I later would). But I am rather confused by the "New York City's" labeling. Could you/anyone clear this up?

Harmonious Dischord said...

This is cool. I would have been all over this back in the day. I can hear the DRI MDC thing but later on they go for a Big Boys sound, bizarre. Should have been pretty huge.

Harmonious Dischord said...

Hey man, I expect you're scraching your head, my comment I left for this should have been for Vile Bodies

the wizard said...

Anonymous - They moved to NYC in '85 or so. At least that's what the internet tells me, it's not like I was there...

Colleen H said...

The first EP was recorded at Noise New York in NYC in 84 and the second EP was recorded at Rampart Studios in Houston in 85. Yes, I'm old, and I was in the studio with them both times.