The finest non hardcore U.S. punk band ever?
Chris bct | San Diego, CA USA | 12/18/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Unbelievable there's not a review of this thing. Some of the best punk songs ever, 12 actually. The whole album is brilliant with only like 1 weaker song. The songs with an * only appear on the Pink Album Plus not on the S... Street CD. Click on listen to these: *'Nowhere to Run', *'Give till it Hurts', *'Slow Street' (slow version of Street Where Nobody Lives), *'Cry 815', *'Angela', 'Cleveland Confidential' (which is basically 'Real World'), *'Wall of Shame', 'Not Now, No Way', 'Six & Change', 'Dead End America', 'Street Where Nobody Lives' and their all time classic: 'What's this S. Called Love?'. If you don't agree those are 5 of the best songs ever done by a punk band, well, go back to your NEIL DIAMOND collection.
Because of those 6 studio songs its best really to buy both this CD and the S... Street CD. Because both have about 6 classic PAGANS hit songs that the other does not. Also, there's not all the same live songs on each CD.
What this CD doesn't have that the S. Street comp of their songs does have is 3 super great hits, as strong as the above 5: 'I Juvenile' 'Heart of Stone' and 'Boy Can I Dance Good'. All three are must have true hits by this band. As it is, this album has bonus trax added to the original released vinyl lp version, mostly live trax and they generally are not as strong as the studio recordings. The one live song in particular this has that's not on the S. Street comp album is a live cover of 'Final Solution' originally done by PERE UBU. Cool man.
Apparently, these guys started in 1974 under different names, (THE MAD STAGGERS 1974, VENUS IN FURS LATE 75 TO MAY 75, THE PAWNS EARLY 76). Unclear what those bands sounded like. The PAGANS began in late 1976. I know, I know, IGGY POP and JONATHAN RICHMAN and the MODERN LOVERS existed before that much less a bunch of 60's punk bands. But the PAGANS were the first version of what we came to know as punk bands from the 70's and 80's. The S... Street album mentions DMZ from Boston, WEIRDOS and CRIME from L.A. as also being extremely early punk bands.
This is one of those groups that is best in the studio as opposed to live. Not that I saw them live but all the live trax I've heard of theirs are not as snappy as their studio stuff. Those 5 songs are supreme numbers perfectly crafted, outstanding vocals, perfect blend of vocals/git/bass/drums. I used to call them the U.S. CLASH like I heard some other folks say but getting more into the CLASH in recent years I see that the PAGANS kept it more straight ahead and less artsy, less messin' around musically in different wonderful directions like the CLASH did. No, the PAGANS are more like? I dunno. Slightly bratty, sorta post rock, new punk master song writers. Their singles make the perfect album. Thank goodness for that. They have Street Where Nobody Lives LP and the Buried Alive LP whose studio tracks are scattered onto this and the S... Street CDs.
It's cool that they're from Cleveland and that David Thomas, the vocalist and beating heart of PERE UBU and also from Cleveland produced some of their songs.
'What's this S. Called Love?' is one of the finest songs of all time. Perfect somewhat fuzzy guitar, the band definitely knows where they're goin' in the song and the vocals just blast it out. Reasonable question too. chrisbct@hotmail.com"
Track Listings (26) - Disc #1
