There's an old phrase that goes something like this: "Let's talk turkey." I don't know what it means, but if it means getting down underneath it all back to where it began and outlining the underlying thematic/post-thematic accentuations re: Nietzschean subversive transgression in terms of pre-theorized transgressive subversion, then let's not do that. Instead, I'd like to discuss the whole concept of "speedy punk rock."

I love "speedy punk rock." It's fast, ... read more

I saw Pink Floyd's Roger Waters live in concert tonight! Here's what he played off each album:
The Piper at the Gates of Dawn - nothing
A Saucerful of Secrets - nothing
More - nothing
Ummagumma - nothing
Atom Heart Mother - nothing
Meddle - nothing
Obscured By Clouds - nothing
The Dark Side of the Moon - nothing
Wish You Were Here - nothing
Animals - nothing
The Wall - "In The Flesh?," "The Thin Ice," "Another Brick in the Wall (Part 1)," "The Happiest Days of ... read more

Let's start this off with a laugh at my expense. I sent my friend Christian Smith a sensitive, heartfelt email reading as follows:
Subject: Obscene "Generator" parody

For some reason I've been singing the intro (to myself) like this lately:

Like my cock
Like Aunt Janet
Like I'm fucking Adam West...

But now look at Christian's seething, bile-ridden reply of hatred to my caring note of friendship:

If you were an "image" commercial for a major corporation, you'd be slo-mo ... read more

How on Earth do you get this far into your career without harboring ANY desire to try something new? Christ, even the Ramones showed more stylistic growth over the long run than these guys. And this is a shame, because there were some moments on Generator, Recipe For Hate and Stranger Than Fiction when it really seemed like they were developing into a great and creative hard rock/hardcore hybrid. But this is just a throwaway. I mean, they've already written every single one of these songs. So ... read more

Yay! They're FAST again! And Brett Gurewitz is back! And they're on Epitaph!
And that's pretty much all I can tell you. I don't even know what the cover looks like! I just found a promo copy (two months before its Feb. 12 release date - HA!) and have been enjoying it quite the large sum of bits over the past 12 hours or hence. Again, forget what you heard for the past few years - BAD RELIGION ARE ONCE AGAIN A REALLY FAST MELODIC PUNK ROCK BAND. Only three of these 14 songs are slow, and even ... read more

Feel free to raise that grade to an 8 with the caveat that at least half of these melodies have already been used by Bad Religion on previous albums. Still, the lyrics are overwhelmingly and surprisingly positive, mostly concentrating on the idea that if you stay true to yourself and be proud of who you are, then even if you don't become a huge success, at least you'll have made your own important mark on the world. Or some crap. Also, the vocal melodies and harmonies sound effervescent, bubbly ... read more

I absolutely DESPISED this record on first listen. The riffs are generic and at times completely ripped off from earlier Bad Religion material, the tempos are slowed, and Greg's arrogance is completely out of control in holier-than-thou diatribes like "Mediocre Minds" and "The State Of The End Of The Millennium Address" (not to mention in his claim in the liner notes that Bad Religion are "the best band in the world"). See, I'm fine with arrogance if it's deserved. ... read more

This is where Mr. Brett quit to run Epitaph full-time, so Greg Graffin had to handle pretty much all the songwriting by himself for the next three records, with a tad of input from new guitarist Brian Baker (formerly of Minor Threat, Dag Nasty, and The Meatmen). This is no problem in regard to lyrics; Greg's brighter than a thousand suns in that department. The problem is that most of the melodies simply aren't up to par. If you insist on making your music this simple, you gotta remember to ... read more

The major-label debut! Finally, they get their long-overdue radio play with the midtempo semi-hits "Infected" (which I LOVE!) and "21st Century Digital Boy" (actually one of the weaker Against The Grain tracks that they re-recorded for no clear reason). Same sorta stuff as the last record, but maybe a bit less experimental. Some are generic but fast (and, thus, enjoyable); others are slower and a bit more questionable ("Slumber," for example, is a folk rock song, ... read more

Even more strides towards maturity, including a song with steel guitar (!), back-up vocals by members of Concrete Blonde and Pearl Jam, and two positively grandiose (and depressing!) slow songs called "Watch It Die" and "Struck A Nerve." Some strange songwriting in display too -- two years earlier, there's no way they would have written something as strangulated and dissonant as "All Good Soldiers," for example. I think this is a terrific, incorrectly maligned ... read more

This is where they really started to change. But, like I said, to this day, they still haven't changed a whole heck of a lot. There are just more slow and midtempo songs than there were before. And, on occasion, more interesting guitar interplay, as you'll hear here on "Only Entertainment," "No Direction," and the spectacular title track. The only problem with playing slower songs is that, where speed can ensure that a bland melody still kicks ass, a non-punk standard bar ... read more

No Control freaks have apparently been known to complain that this is where Bad Religion started to "change." Well they ain't changed much! The speed is the same. The production is the same. The only new wrinkle on this one is the concept of "guitar interplay," displayed proudly in the beautiful title track, the gorgeous "Anesthesia," and ... oh, that might be all. But the others are still top-of-the-line hardcore speedpunk all the way through; it doesn't get weak ... read more

Suffer again. Same speed. Same production. New songs. Gets a little weak near the end, but nine of the first ten songs are unbelievably powerful and infectious. And the slow "Sanity" shows that even without the speed, this band is talented enough to arrange three or four basic chords in a unique and moving manner - one as beautiful and pretty as a flower in May. I know a sugarload of people who consider this to be their classic, and will obstinately listen no further. I understand how ... read more

Speedy speedy speedy! This was the introduction to the NEW Bad Religion - the one with TWO guitarists! I can't really say much more about this record than I've already said in my short introductory paragraph. Speed was the name of the game, and all the songs are similar, but what swell melodies! Like triple-speed Ramones! And where could be whoer than hey?
I agree that there's only so many things you can do with bar chords, but Bad Religion in the late-80s/early-90s were one of the best in the ... read more

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII've Had Enough of bein' nice! I've Had Enough of right and wrong! I've Had Enough of TRYIN' to love my BRU-THA!!!!
I've had enough of feelin' good and doin' all the things like I'm told I'm should - If you get on the wrong side of Me, you'd bettah RUN FAH CU-VAH!!!!!

LIFE IS FOR THE LIVING!!!! (OOO-YEAH!!) TAKERS NEVER GI-VING!!!!

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII'VE had enough of this UNIVERSE - not gonna get better, it's gonna get worse and we're all gonna ... read more

Like most of you, I was introduced to the big BR through their tight, clean, slick, and speedy later material (Suffer, to be exact), so, in returning to this early work, I was initially disappointed, and decided to react to this unpleasant emotion by pretending that the offending record didn't even exist. "I rebuke you!" thus spake I.
But dude, I was mucked in the nnnn. This is a really good hardcore record, full of hooky catches, speedy drums, raw guitar fuzz, and an honest attempt ... read more

You can succeed in life if you CHEAT. "Oh, look at that. Wow," you're all excited. "Whoopee, a new Bad Company album got an above-average grade - they must be getting better with age, sure I'll pay $75 for a concert ticket." But see, that's what they WANT you to think. You really have to peer a little further in - beyond what the mainstream media is willing to tell you. There's more to the story than that. Go to google and type in the key words "Jeb Bush flight ... read more

Well, it's a step in the right direction! The Bad Electric Company has shouted "HEY YOU GUUUUUUYS!" to a second guitarist and a new singer who sounds almost identical to Mr. Paul Rodgers! And the music must change!. The song is over, it's all behind me. Long Live Rock, I need it every night! The Bad Company are getting in tune - and they're gonna tune right in on you! There once was a note - pure and simple. Bad Company have returned to this pure and simple 70s style, with a very ... read more

How is this kind of shit SUPPOSED to make me feel? I'm 28 years old (going on 29), in the golden years of my youth, with 5 homemade 74-minute CDrs under my belt that I'm extremely proud of (4 solo and one with my old band Low-Maintenance Perennials), all freshly remastered and good to go. Lots of neat guitar interplay and interesting quirky melodic ideas. Neat noises Occasionally entertaining lyrics and pretty vocal melodies. Even other people seem to like it! (See the "Mark Prindle" ... read more

The long-awaited moment has arrived. You've arrived home to a huge household of people gathered to hear the brand new Bad Company album. You carefully peel away the plastic wrap, crack open the little plastic door and pull the disc out of its gorgeous white cover with the squiggly lines that I guess are supposed to be water or something. Open CD player, insert piece of modern audio art, close CD player, just push play. The creaking swish of the CD starts up and the anticipation in the room ... read more