"The cover is misleading. Here we see GG as the trashy guy most people know. Strange, since he was much more human at this point. Kinda wild hair and clean shaven (there's a pic in this CD's booklet that shows this). And that's not the only thing different. The music is, well, music. None of the bashing scratching noise of his other stuff. And his voice? Rather than the deep bellow, his all snotty and punk. High pitch. The band? The Jabbers. Led by Rob Basso's solos (HOT!) with GG providing drums. A few guests pop up, GG's bro Merle on bass, an electric piano player (GASP!) and a trio of ladies who act as prostitutes on the comic "P***y Summit Meeting" and then provide backing vocals on "Cheri Love Affair." Sound quality is raw, just as it should be. The music is a twist of punk agression ("Bored To Death" is 100% punk) and some goofy power pop (the twisted bubblegum of "Unpredictable"). And is it obscene? Nah. Not really. Except for "@$$FACE," but at least it's kinda funny. There's a few slurs of swearing throughout the album, but there's no dog crap or perv sex like his other stuff.
Best tracks: Don't Talk To Me (punk masterpiece), I Need Adventure (rockin' riff and solo), Cheri Love Affair (groovy), and Automatic (crazy call and response vocals).
Enjoy, and BE CAREFUL OF HIS OTHER STUFF!!!!"
From the when he could sing era.......
homefree | Mass | 10/18/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
"In a G.G. sense "Always, was, is and..." is a great album. Any G.G. fan knows the Jabbers (his backing band on this album) actually were a decent band. The playing is tight throughout the record. And there are even some PG-13 songs to be found as well!! Compared to later recordings G.G.'s voice sounds like it belongs to another person. Dare I say he hits a high note every so often! The humor is more funny than sick on this one, as G.G. was only beggining to stir up the kind of trouble he is known for. The lyrics though not as sick as later outings, will by no means be confused with Dylan. For example from "Gimme some head" ............."hey now girls I want lip service. I don't wear a uniform and I'm not in the service." G.G. god love him. The tracks on this album became some of his best known "GSH", "You hate me, I hate you", "NYC tonite", "1980's rock and roll", and the (I'll be damned) toe tapper "Don't talk to me" If you want a quick look into the career of G.G. go for the ROIR release "Hated in the Nation." If you want an album where you see where the G.G. we all know and hate started when the music actually mattered then go for this one. You will be pleasantly surprised."
Pre-Scumfuc
Chris Bovio | Conway, NH, USA | 11/07/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This album is absolutly amazing. This is GG Allin at his very best. A lot of people think that this was before he did heroin, but you are incorrect. I know for a fact that GG was on heroin at this point. Anyways, this is GG's first band, aside from Malpractice(for this, buy the GG Allin Singles Collection).
The songs are fact, catchy, and include amazing guitar solos from the amazing Rob Basso. The bassist was Al Chapple, and the 2nd guitarist was Chris Lamy, I believe. It may have been someone else as well. GG did most of the drums.
For the Jabbers in a different sound, check out their new record that just came out on Steel Cage Records. GG is dead, but the Jabbers are still making music, back with Rob Basso, Chris Lamy, Al Chapple, and Mike O'Donnell, and featuring the fabulous vocals of Wimpy Rutherford(The Queers), you can't go wrong!
Back to the album. The title really says it all: GG Allin and the Jabbers - Always Was, Is, And Always Shall Be."
Saint GG, full of piss
S. Clark | 10/04/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"New Hamshire's favorite son. Makes me proud to have come from there. Too bad his musical output went to hell so quickly after his first couple albums. He took himself too seriously, and thought he had to walk the walk, even if it meant plodding stupidly down into hell. But at his early peak, he was sublimely, beautifully obscene."
What was, isn't and always should've been
A. M. Lewis | 01/25/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Well if your here, your obviously a G.G fan, so your probably going to hate this review. Honestly, these days G.G Allin isn't exactly my bag, but in my younger angrier days I loved him. It was during those days that I accidentally came across the Jabbers. I couldn't believe it was G.G. He was actually singing, and the Jabbers were putting together some of the most infectuious 80's punk tunes I have ever heard. It's been about 6 years now since I first started listening to these guys, and about the same amount of time since I've stopped listening to GG's solo stuff. For Jabber fans (or maybe just me), it's really a shame that G.G went through what he went through. The Jabbers could've been up there with Minor Threat as punk God's. "Bored To Death", "Don't Talk to Me", and "Unpredictable" are the highlights on this album, that is unfortunately missing "NYC Tonight"."