Song Of the Day: September 1, 2005
The Gun Club - Devil In the Woods
From the LP Keats Rides a Harley, Happy Sqid Records, 1981
New CD Re-issue on Warning Label Records
Not exactly punk according to any orthodoxy, this compilation of lo-fi recordings of some of the Urinals' favorite (mostly) Californian contemporaries is an absolute joy, from the fake funk of the Earwigs to the junkyard exotica of the Human Hands and way out beyond. Oh yeah, there's this great early Gun Club track too. The new re-issue contains one bonus track apiece from all of the bands what appeared on the original comp, plus the tracks from the Urinals-based Happy Squid Sampler 7". A wonderful document to place on your shelf right next to the Homework CDs from Hyped2Death.
Also, some kind folks have seen fit to issue the Warfrat Tales compilation from 1983 in a new unabridged version which, like the Keats CD, contains tracks from the Gun Club, 100 Flowers, The Earwigs, and the Urinals, as well as stuff from the Last, Rain Parade, Wednesday Week, and more.
4 Comments:
"Not exactly punk according to any orthodoxy"
Sir, if you mean that Keats is not punk according to all those who want pun confined to some formula, you are exactly right. Outside the ol 1-2-3-4 Keats is as punk as anything, that is if punk means an agressively, ever expanding universe of fuck it. I bought the record way back in ancient times and it has always been on of my favorite comps. And it is a great example of what we old people thought of as punk before the Rule Book was adopted.
Scott-
Well said, sir! When it comes to punk, I've always been kind of a big-tent guy. Synthy DIY, cheesy organ-driven new wave, electro-industrial, power pop, anything that threw off the shackles of bloated prog-rock and complacent classic rock is good with us.
Best,
Jon
...anything that threw off the shackles of bloated prog-rock and complacent classic rock is good with us.
...and a thousand Boston fans wept.
"I can neither confirm nor deny ownership of any Rush albums in high school, Senator."
Thanks for posting this track! I always preferred this version to the later "Devil in the Woods" that appeared on the Miami album.
Keats rocks. Don't forget the Leaving Trains! -- jonhope
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