To Whom It May Concern: The 1981 Demos

1981, a newly evolved “hardcore punk” roamed the planet, but amidst the stinky shithole venues that would have it, pop-punk was invented by CH3 (and Shattered Faith, and Youth Brigade, and….). I never understood why these guys didn’t ride the coattails of Nirvana to megabucks and why instead a burned out junkie like Mike Ness (Social D.) and Offspring did instead… This CD is a release of old demos that led them into the studio. Curiosities to those of us who have the original/final products etched into our brains, but fucking really really good old school punk rock for the rest of you. I will argue that this band was THE FIRST “pop punk” band ever (and that it began and prolly shouldve ended here). For fans of the Ramones, Motown, Beach Boys, shaking your hips and fucking like Reagan just pushed the red button and you’ve only got 30 minutes left to live.

1) you make me feel cheap with a more 12 bar boogie woogy guitar and no backup vocals (including the girl)
2) surfy, Manzanar: yes, about the Japanese Concentration Camp just over the hill from us near Bishop, rockin!!!!, the background vocs appear
3) FCC
4) rippin!!
5) pop punk anyone without the stupidness? Right here, practically Beach Boys melodies
6) track proves why they tore the assholes out of all the hardcores who would show up to gigs
7) hardcore intensity again
8) awww, sugar coated fun, head nodding beauty
9) upbeat punk
10) cover of Who’s My Generation
11) FCC: track that ended being the title track for their classic Posh Boy release quick FCC (“fuck you”)
12) another more hardcore, upbeat track
13) starts slow, shifts fast, the ol’ slow-fast-slow recipe that was in the air at the time