Search - Various Artists :: Not So Quiet on the Western Front

A slice of early 80's Americana

David Blakeslee | Wyoming, MI United States | 09/17/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"No, it ain't the music of back-woods hillbillies or lonesome cowboys out on the range, but it's no less authentic or expressive of a unique moment in American culture. Perhaps we are still too close to this era to recognize what a spontaneous and authentic musical phenomenon took place in the days before hardcore punk became mired in its own cliches and formulas. I myself was a part of this scene, and my band, the Church Police, is one of the 49 groups from California and Nevada that fill this CD. Not all of the bands, but many, were what I call "suburban subdivision bedroom bands," because that's where we played some of our best music and, in a few cases, where some of these recordings were made. It's hard to imagine a compilation that could have done a better job at representing what was happening in the punk scene at the time. There are a few of the big name S.F. bands, the Dead Kennedys and Flipper, that were main players in that era, but they don't dominate the collection (though Flipper's cut is probably the longest.) Instead, what strikes me most vividly now is the fresh sound and brashness of these bands. It's kind of funny listening to them, such a blend of hyped emotions, serious anger and alienation, but tempered by irony because most of the bands knew that they really weren't gonna go anywhere as far as a "career" was concerned. We were as interested in getting into the shows for free ("put me on your guest list!") and maybe winding up the night with 25 or 50 bucks in our pockets after all was said and done. You gotta love the spontaneity and craziness that these kids brought to their music. It would be incredible to have a reunion of these bands, not that too many of them are doing much with music these days, I imagine. I don't listen to a whole lot of underground hardcore these days, but if you want a top-notch sampler of the "real stuff" I recommend this without reservation."

Punk's breeding ground

stbob | 07/30/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This album spawned more punks than any other! It is a definitive collection. Every punk worth his boots was reading Maximum Rock'N'Roll, even if they hated it, and this was the definitive release by Maximum Rock'N'Roll and Alternative Tentactles. I'd list the standouts, but they ALL stood out. Buy this album. Buy it. Buy it."

The Oven is my Friend

marc_b_333 | Rust Belt, USA | 05/24/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This album was just amazing! While most of it was predictable top-notch 80's hardcore, there was also some cool noise and other stuff mixed in. Almost every song on this is great. It reflects the anger and intensity that existed back then. The Reagan Cultural Doctrine did not leave room for a few of us in scattered pockets in the US, and this music made an awful decade tolerable. This record was my soundtrack for delinquency. Having lived in the era, the CD seems like a time capsule. Not essential unless you want a history lesson and can deal with all of the era-specific references. The Church Police song was the best one and it was not even hardcore."