Monday, February 8, 2010

What one hardcore/punk album has stood the test of time for you?


Jay Pepito with Reign Supreme in Santa Barbara, CA, 7/25/08, Photo: Zac Wolf

Jay Pepito - Reign Supreme

This is a difficult question to answer, because it's such a broad one. If I had to pick one, it would probably actually be "Start Today", and I'll explain why. While one could almost certainly make the case that records like "We're Not in This Alone", "Bringin' It Down", and "Age of Quarrel" are more 'classic', or 'timeless', (and I'd probably agree, after all, the latter of the three is unparalleled in my opinion as the finest musical accomplishment of the human race, period), "Start Today" has a brilliant sense of both understated hardcore/punk aggression and angst, mixed with a melodic approach that was revolutionary for it's time and place.

"Start Today" is the record that fueled a hundred drives to the Manville Elks Lodge and Casino Skate Park and CBGB's and Deja One in high school, and it was that record in a lot of ways because it's less intense and less serious than so many of it's brethren. I think that simplicity is what makes it stand out, and though I'd wager that "Age of Quarrel" or any of the more impactful and grandiose classics are more 'crucial' or seminal, I'd probably assert that "Start Today" is, for me at least, the more honest soundtrack to my early romance with punk and hardcore music.


Pete Tabbot and Dave Franklin with Vision at CBGB, NYC, Photo: Ken Salerno

Pete Tabbot - Vision

Wow, quite difficult to cite one above the rest...Way too many great NY, DC, Orange County (CA), Boston/RI and Chicago area albums to name just one. But if I have to, it's The Misfits' Walk Among Us LP. There may not be another album with so many perfectly simple yet melodic hooks...The music couldn't be more basic, but Danzig croons, all the while in creepy/cartoonish fashion, with amazing sing-alongs in every single song. Predecessors like Buzzcocks/Clash/SLF and next-gen bands like Naked Raygun offered some of the best hook-laden, vocal-straining-worthy music ever, but 27 years after its release, I still sing along to Astro Zombies, Teenagers from Mars and the rest of those songs in my car at full volume (and perhaps will 20 years from now). Classic.


Rob Fish with 108 at the Burning Fight Fest, Photo: Matt Miller

Rob Fish - Release / Ressurection / The Judas Factor / 108

There are a lot of records that have stood the test of time for me but I am going with one from a band that introduced me to punk rock.

Black Flag - Jealous Again EP. My favorite release by one of my all time favorite bands. Chavo has always been my favorite Black Flag singer as there is an emotion and desperation in his voice that never fails to connect with me.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

mines is lady gaga

Ben Edge said...

GB, Misfits, Chavo-era Flag. Three perfect records.

I am in 100% total agreement with every one of these guys.

Anonymous said...

Ron reyes was the shit!! Aka chavo pederast..but i dont know i like dez alot to..number 1 is damaged for sure though dez moving to 2nd guitar ol' chuck on bass and a young henry on the mic..idk too hard to judge its all fucking amazing..

Alternate 1995 said...

Shhhiiitttt Jay Pepito just said Deja One. That's sick!

mel said...

have you got many more of these lined up Tim/Gordo? A good idea.

DOUBLE CROSS said...

Yeah, we've got tons and from a wide array of people. I'll minimally post an entry of 3 per week, depending on what other material we have. Right now we have a lot of content lined up and ready to roll, so these should last for awhile. Glad to hear that people generally seem to dig these, I know I do. -Tim DCXX

Anonymous said...

Start asking people that matter(ed).

DOUBLE CROSS said...

Hey Anonymous (imagine that)...

We DID and HAVE asked people that mattered to US. You don't like it, do your own site. -Tim DCXX

laurent said...

great photograph of rob fish

hutch13 said...

misfits "WAU" - BG - any Black flag thru "damaged" works for me. But no one saying Minor Threat??!!?? dude... Bad Brains - ROIR! Dicks, Effigies, Descendents "MGTC"? and NA 1982 7" is flawless! Last Rights 7" is repeatable daily for a century. Slapshot "Step On It", Sheer Terror "JCHE", Warzone "DFTS, DFTS" and Rest in Pieces "My Rage" - those lyrics and breakdowns are amazing. and SOIA has to come into play if GB are contenders. "BST&NT"is beyond classic.

mel said...

Cool Tim. Look forward to reading more, along with the usual content.

What about you and Gordo picking one record that stands the test of time and writing about it.