​by GE 138.

     This release is, hands down one of the best So Cal Punk records ever committed to 2 inch tape. Ever. It was an absolutely essential part to my 1980's soundtrack that's for sure. 😎 The debut release from Redd Kross has turned 40 years old this year, and it's been repackaged, of course, but I don't think it's been remixed / remastered. Jim Mankey (of Concrete Blonde fame) did an excellent job making this sound awesome the first time around, so I don't think there was a need to try to make it sound better. It sounds great just the way it is / was / whatever. It was fluffed out with the almost obligatory at this point demo tracks and live cuts which is fantastic but it also just confirm that the classic Circle Jerks early stuff was cribbed from this band big time. BIG time. Every fucking song on here is absolutely crucial. Annette's Got The Hits, Cover Band, I Hate My School, Clorox Girls, all killer material from a band of bored teenage miscreants who are still actively making music to this very day. Sonically this sounds amazing, and the demo tracks (recorded by Spot) are pretty impressive and sound killer. The Redd Kross sound shines through early on, especially on the songs Standing In Front Of Poseur, and Rich Bitch, which was unreleased for some reason. Dunno why, as it's a great song and sounds just as good as every other song on here. Weird. And just for shits and giggles, this collection closes out with a song recorded live in 1979 at Black Flag's The Church rehearsal spot called Fun With Connie, which is I Just Want Some Skank note for fucking note. Ugh. Shame on you Greg Hetson! 🤣 With all the classic stuff getting reissued with better mixes and extra tracks, I find myself buying all this stuff up just to replace the old copies I have of the original album, and this rerelease will definitely be replacing my copy of their original eponymous 6 song release that's for sure! This shit's like sweet sonic ear candy. To be consumed in small quantities only though to make sure you don't catch the diabeeetuus like me... heh heh Yeah, even though this repackaging of the first Redd Kross release was part of the uber-lame Record Store Day thing, it's still a crucial piece of nostalgia to acquire if you haven't already. If you don't have this album in your collection then shame on you. You're missing out big time. This stuff is, as the kids say, 'da bomb'. Do the kids still say that? Meh. Who cares... lol

Available wherever Punk is bought and sold as the cheap disposable commodity that it is. Available digitally on the Redd Kross Bandcamp page by clicking here. Also available on Amazon (click here) and Apple music (click here). "Like" the band on Facebook by clicking here. Follow the band on Instagram by clicking here. 

​by GE 138.

     The flogging of a dead horse continues. 😥

     A recently discovered demo tape of a musical project put together by Mr. Colvin with the help of Brian James of The Damned called Dee Dee Ramone's Deadline was committed to vinyl and I can only assume it's for the completists out there who think that everything Dee Dee did was gold, which it certainly wasn't, or that they know that anything with Dee Dee's name on it will sell for a buck, but in any case, the stuff on here isn't that bad sounding, both aurally and quality wise. The 8 tracks that make up this collection are promoted as never appearing on any other release, but I know that one of these songs ended up on a Youth Gone Mad album (I Got A Right) and another was on the Dee Dee Ramone And The Chinese Dragons single (What About This), so make of that what you will. The 2 other guys who make up this band, Alan Lee Shaw on bass, and George Butler on drums, are competent musicians, but they don't really shine on any of these tracks, but again these were just demos and I doubt that they were ever meant to see the light of day beyond the inner circle of the band. Seems like the band was going for a Lords Of The New Church / bad Hollywood metal band kind of vibe, but as always it ends up sounding like the Ramones because of Dee Dee's gift of writing a song. Besides the aforementioned tunes, I Can't Come Out, One Way and Human Being Parade are pretty OK tunes, so 5 out of 8 songs being listenable ain't too bad, now is it? 😉 There will never be anyone like Dee Dee Ramone, and as long as there's a market out of there for all things Dee Dee related, then releases like this one will forever flow from the faucet of the estates of dead rock stars who need to generate some cash. Le sigh. 

Brought to you by the fine folks at Overground Records from the U.K. Only 400 copies available, so be quick to grab yourself one before they're all gone. Available wherever Punk is bought and sold as the cheap disposable commodity that it is.