Young, Loud and Snotty, Dead Boys, 1977, :35
★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
A short, sharp shock. Vocalist Stiv Bator's wanna-be-a-snarl-but-actually-a-whine might have influenced a thousand angry teens to turn to punk, but it's kind of annoying after a few songs. More important, though, is their stance. You might write off "Caught With the Meat in Your Mouth," a nasty account of a groupie, as juvenile lewdness, but there's something to object to on nearly every song. Take "I don't need none of your bedroom bruised sweet box / And I don't need none of your spoiled ass sweet talk / I wanna write on your face with my pretty knife / I wanna toy with your precious life" from "What Love Is." The full-on sexist bile of "Look at me that way, bitch / Your face is gonna get a punch" from "I Need Lunch." Not to mention the totally unnecessary "Ya got dents in your head that tell me all the beds / You've been shoved on" from "All This and More." I get they're young, dumb, and high on a wave of rejection of all social and sexual mores, but it's just too misogynistic to take today. The punk ethos shouldn't be represented by these nasty fellows. Two stars, barely, for having influence. Favorite tracks: "Sonic Reducer" and "High Tension Wire," I guess.
A short, sharp shock. Vocalist Stiv Bator's wanna-be-a-snarl-but-actually-a-whine might have influenced a thousand angry teens to turn to punk, but it's kind of annoying after a few songs. More important, though, is their stance. You might write off "Caught With the Meat in Your Mouth," a nasty account of a groupie, as juvenile lewdness, but there's something to object to on nearly every song. Take "I don't need none of your bedroom bruised sweet box / And I don't need none of your spoiled ass sweet talk / I wanna write on your face with my pretty knife / I wanna toy with your precious life" from "What Love Is." The full-on sexist bile of "Look at me that way, bitch / Your face is gonna get a punch" from "I Need Lunch." Not to mention the totally unnecessary "Ya got dents in your head that tell me all the beds / You've been shoved on" from "All This and More." I get they're young, dumb, and high on a wave of rejection of all social and sexual mores, but it's just too misogynistic to take today. The punk ethos shouldn't be represented by these nasty fellows. Two stars, barely, for having influence. Favorite tracks: "Sonic Reducer" and "High Tension Wire," I guess.
