Search - Dicks :: 1980-86

Its From The Heart

Patrick T. Grady | Palatine, IL | 06/26/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"When people talk about old school Texas punk rock, people usually mention either the Dicks or the Big Boys. This CD, a sampling of the Dicks entire discography, will show you why people keep talking about the Dicks. The first 12 songs feature the original, Texas-based line-up led by vocalist Gary Floyd. This is really the best stuff on the CD. Things kick off with what is perhaps the Dicks' best known song, "Dicks Hate Police" and is a great way to start. Things only get better from there. The tracks from their split live LP with the Big Boys really rock and the stuff from their first full length, "Kill From The Heart" (originally on SST records, now long out of print) is fantastic. I only wish there was more on this CD from that album. 5 songs are just not enough for me. There is a definate touch of Texas-style blues in these songs which I really love. I hear that no one can locate the original master tapes for this album, so the chances that it'll ever be re-released are slim. Up next are the two songs from the "Peace?" single. These are the first to feature the Dicks' 2nd line up, the one Gary Floyd formed in San Francisco. Again, more great stuff. "No F*ckin' War" is just a great, great song. The next tracks are from the Dicks' 2nd (and final) LP, "These People" (originally on Alternative Tentacles). These songs, featuring the SF line-up, are all right, but I find them less interesting than the "Kill From The Heart" stuff. The only song I find completely expendable is is the final song, which again features the Texas line-up and seems like a toss off. The CD booklet is devoid of lyrics, but contains a discography and linear notes from the likes of Gary Floyd, Ian MacKaye, Klaus Flouride, Spot, Mike Watt, and Bob Mould. Essentially listening for fans of early 80's American punk and hardcore."

Pretty damn good

chris lea | boerne, tx | 12/02/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"man, i wish these guys would have a reunion. i never was too wild about the latter stuff (when they moved to s.f.), but the first incarnation of the band was great. gary's big blusey vocals just fit perfectly over buxf, pat, and glenn's raw, sparse instrumentation. my only grippe for this is that they left about 20 minutes of black space on this cd and this is only selections of each record, i would've found this to be a much better compilation if it were perhaps 2 cds and included all the records and the tracks from the flipside live video with mdc. either that or a reissue of 'kill from the heart' by sst would suffice."

Hey man, got a quarter?

crusher | San Francisco, CA United States | 11/08/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Brutal, honest, aggressive, misanthropic, righteous and pissed. The Dicks knew how to bring it.



Gary Floyd fused hardcore anger with Texas blues, creating a messy, menacing yet utterly beautiful growl that is comparable to no one.



You don't really have a choice. Buy this CD. IF you wanna shell out some $$$ for the original LP of "Kill From the Heart," it's worth it.



I agree with other reviewers - this reissue would have been better if they'd just included ALL of "Kill from the Heart." I'd go further and say they should have included all of "These People" and both singles plus comp tracks as well. A band this legendary really deserves no less than a full discography reissue.



I disagree with other reviewers who don't care for the slower, bluesier stuff. This is Gary at his vocal best, honing his style, to later be part of the awesome Sister Double Happiness. Give it a chance.



And as much as it bugs the macho hardcore kids, The Dicks weren't just a seminal hardcore band. They were a seminal hardcore band led by an openly gay singer. It's not just shock value. It's real. Think about this next time you're watching yourself in the mirror singing along to "Young Boys' Feet," "Sh*t On Me," and "Saturday Night at the Bookstore."



Enjoy."