#program annihilator reviews

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SST 045. The last proper studio album (until What The… In 2013). In My Head is still a strange one to behold. Essentially a straight up rock record with that Ginn progressive twist. Originally conceived as a Greg Ginn solo album, and it shows, this definitely rewards repeated listens. There are some classics here, such as In My Head, Out Of This World and Drinking and Driving. Oh, and Society’s Tease is the most heavy metal song the band ever did. The cassette and compact disc have three extra songs, those being Out of This World, I Can See You and You Let Me Down.

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SST 059. 1986. EVOL is the third album by Sonic Youth and their first for SST Records. This was also the first Sonic Youth record to include Steve Shelly on drums having replaced Bob Bert. The Sonic Youth we all know was now in business.

At this point Sonic Youth's sound was beginning to change. The no wave fuzz and noise of their earlier releases was still evident but they were beginning to transition toward a greater pop sensibility.

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SST 050. 1986. The story goes that whilst Black Flag were recording the Loose Nut and Process of Weeding Out records during March of 1985 they invited the Minutemen over to the studio for a jam. After it was all laid down and edited it was decided that the recordings would not be released until either one of the groups broke up. There are four tracks here, three instrumental jams and one proper song, that being Fetch The Water, which has a nice Calypso feel to it and fills the room with loveliness and sunshine whenever it is played.

In the December of that year, and at only 27 years old, D Boon was tragically killed in a car accident. So rather than being a fun little snapshot of a Sunday afternoon well spent, Minuteflag became a tribute to a dear and much missed friend.

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SST 058. Sadly released the week D Boon died and it's difficult to get past that when listening to this. Musically this is a continuation of the Project Mersh record in that the songs are longer than usual and have more of a pop/rock feel. Firehose was definitely a continuation of this record. Lyrically Boon is as political as he ever was, maybe more so. Just check the opener Price of Paradise. Its just killer.

There's a whole bunch of cover songs here too, BOC, CCR, Roky Erickson, Meat Puppets and Urinals. Noteworthy too that we have four songs which Watt wrote with Kira from Black Flag and it was around this time the duo started working on Dos. It seems the band may have been on the brink of some commercial success too as they had just come off a big tour with R.E.M. Oh, what could have been...

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SST 044. Originally released on World Imitation records in 1981 and later reissued here on SST in 1985 this is the debut recording by Meat Puppets. There’s five songs here, one being an instrumental, that sit someplace between the Germs and Captain Beefheart. No other hardcore/punk band then or since has sounded like this. Crazed and unique indeed.

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SST 052. Dave Chandler should have joined Black Flag when Dezo left. Just think on that for a moment. Dave Chander playing My War, It’s too perfect! Anyway, this record is great, not as doom laden as the debut. This has bags more energy, more swing and clearly displays both their Sabbath and Flag influences. No posing here, this is a proper Heavy Metal band.

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SST 041. Wurm formed in 1974 but waited 11 years to release an album. Some band that the bass player joined a few years later got in the way I guess. At this point in time the line up consisted of Chuck Dukowski on bass, Ed Danky on guitar, Lou Hinzo on drums and Simon Smallwood on vocals, formally of the band Dead Hippie.

Anyway, this is a great record, it’s like Ted Nugent trying to do punk rock. Check out the song Nailed To The Wall, all slow and horrid, it could have sat very comfortably on My War. There’s a great version of Black Flag’s Padded Cell on here too. It’s also worth noting that the model on the album cover is non other than Suzy Gardener from the band L7.

Feast was finally reissued last year as a double LP entitled Exhumed. The second record includes the tracks from the debut single, a few compilation tracks and the 1977 demo. ED Danky's old band Reign of Terror had thier EP re-issued last year too.

I posted this earlier today but Tumblr deleted it due to nudity. That's why your seeing a Motorhead beer mat on my copy of Feast.

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SST 047. Tom Troccoli’s Dog was a band that featured Greg Ginn on Bass, Black Flag roadie Dave Claassen on drums and another Black Flag roadie by the name of Tom Troccoli on vocals and guitar. Tom's playing is clearly influenced by Ginn but on the whole this is quite a mellow listen, sorta folk, kinda country and pretty druggy. Often seen supporting Black Flag around this time the record includes 10 original and a cover of Bob Dylan's Girl From The North Country. Chuck and Dez lend a helping hand here too. Fans of Grateful Dead, Neil Young, Meat Puppets and such may dig it, It’s pretty good. Oh, and D Boon did the cover art!