ALL! On A Major Label? Part One

It's definitely been said in this blog before that The Descendents/ALL are my favorite band and have been since I heard their song “80's Girl” aired on Towson State's radio station when I was about 15 years old. What may have not been stated is that I had been listening to both bands for about a year or so before even realizing they were essentially the same band. This may sound ridiculous but keep in mind it was 1988 the internet was not readily available and serious fanzines were hard to come by in the suburb of Columbia, MD. 

Plus even though the formats of their albums were kind of similar, the bands were on different record labels. The Descendents releases were on SST Records while ALL's were on Cruz Records. Matching up of band members, on every case card only listed by the first name, was a pretty difficult task since The Descendents had so many different members. Even though ALL's band members had remained constant, at this point ALL was up to their second singer. 

Full disclosure: The same thing happened to me with The Misfits and Samhain. Probably even longer since it would still be a couple years until I really got into The Misfits. 

  

  

Around 1990 when Allroy's Revenge was released I eventually figured it out and The Descendents and ALL became my favorite BAND. A couple years later ALL would secretly move on to their third singer Chad Price for 1993's Breaking Things album. In 1994 ALL was set to release their sixth album, second with Chad, named  Pummel. I was anxiously anticipating its release. 

Around this time the local “alternative” radio station WHFS had a show called “Now Hear

This”, focused on upcoming new releases. The show also had local bands perform in its closing section “Dave's Garage”. Offhand Washington DC's Frodus is the only “Dave's Garage" band I can remember. On the night I am passively listening to a Sunday night episode of “Now Hear This” when I heard Dave say, “Next we have a song from the new album by the punk band ALL”. 

Did I hear that right? Although the show did have some lesser-known bands in the past, most were still "modern rock” sounding bands on major labels or larger indies. Not melodic punk like ALL on small independent labels like Cruz Records. 

After the commercial Dave came back on announced the song. It was called “Stalker” and I was instantly floored. It was so loud. The song had Stephen Egerton's signature guitar but it sounded so much eviler. Karl Alvarez's bass sounded like it was plodding along much more distorted than anything I had heard him play before. Drummer Bill Stevenson sounded like he was beating his drums even harder than he usually does. But the most shocking aspect of the song was singer Chad's voice. He still sounded like himself but his voice sounded more growly and angry as he sang “I hear footsteps down the hall, I've been waiting right behind your door, No one will hear. Don't you worry my dear”? When he sings “It's your eyes, your smile, It's your hair, your face It's your life” he has reached almost demonic death metal style vocals, while guitarist Stephen Egerton plays Slayer-Esque riffs to close out the song. 

       When the song was over DJ Dave announced that the song was off their forthcoming album Pummel, still three months away from being released. But this time it would not be on Cruz. This one was coming out on Interscope. A major label. 

    

  Before you think I am going to go on a "corporate rock still sucks" rant about punk or underground bands signing to major labels I've never felt there was anything wrong with it, It was always my belief if you worked hard, paid your dues, etc, which The Descendents/ALL definitely had done, good for you. Plus like I said in my Dear You entry, the independent labels were pretty hard to find in the suburbs, often resulting in not being able to obtain a copy for a while after its release. With Pummel coming out on a major I knew it would be able to be picked up the day it drops. 

  

No, I never get upset or anything when band signs with a major label with only one catch: They don't change their sound. After hearing Stalker premiered on that February night I feared that may have been the case with ALL. It would still be a couple months until Pummel would be released and I could find out 

  

Numbers 29 - 20 of My Top 100 All-Time Favorite Albums

Numbers 29 - 20 of My Top 100 

All-Time Favorite Albums

* means I bought the album right when it was released or at the latest a few months

# means I discovered it later 

29 - Agnostic Front (1984, Rat Cage)- Agnostic Front wasn't included on my list of best punk/hardcore releases here because that was for more overlooked releases that don't get as much attention as they deserve. I do consider Victim in Pain to be the best hardcore album of all time. Eleven short, fast, urgent songs, and one slower one, in just fifteen minutes. All of them crammed with good lyrics about unity within the musical scenes, getting stabbed in the back, and the usual hardcore subjects. Agnostic Front would take a real turn towards metal on their next album never really returning to the fast hardcore style but live you can safely assume they will play all the songs from Victim in Pain. (The cover shown is the Combat Records cover because I never really liked the original) (#)

28) The Wedding Present - Seamonsters (1991,

RCA) - On Seamonsters, The Wedding Present took a darker sound than on their last few albums with much shorter song titles too. They also added tidal waves of still melodic guitars framing singer/guitarist David Gedges thick Leeds accent resulting in a lot of seriously intensive moments. Seamonsters is also hands down one of the most perfectly recorded albums. Every instrument can be heard perfectly. Just like he did on The Jesus Lizard's Goat album earlier on this list, Steve Albini's production brings the album louder and quieter in just the right moments so you don't have to. (*)

27) Killdozer - 12 Point Buck (1989, Touch and Go) - In the Twilight Zone episode "Time Enough at Last" where banker Henry Bemis reads in the bank vault only to come out and find the world has been wiped out by nuclear war. I always thought Killdozer's loud heavy sludgy music would have been the perfect soundtrack for the smoldering world Henry finds as he walks around exploring the damage. Add Micheal Gerald's growly singing stories of pop culture and local twisted events which occurred in their hometown of Madison, Wisconsin makes up one of the most perfect albums out there. Hearing this album was also the reason Billy Corgin and Kurt Cobain picked Butch Vig, who recorded most of Killdozer's work, to produce their upcoming albums Gish and Nevermind. (*)

26) Subhumans - Incorrect Thoughts

(1980,Friends/CD Presents) - The Canadian band, not the British one of the same name. I posted a whole entry on this album here so I am not going to into it. Let's just say these guys were one of the first bands which showed punk rock can also be filled with tons of driving melodic guitars and hooks. If you check it out make sure its the CD Presents version which includes one probably my third or fourth all-time favorite song ( a list too hard to make) "Behind My Smile", which wasn't included on the original Friends Records release.(#)

25) Suicidal Tendencies - S/T (1983, Frontier) - This is another album I won't get to into because I wrote about it here. However I have to add it was an album that changed my life when someone gave me a third-generation tape of it sometime in 7th grade. Hardcore punk rock but with metal guitars here and production greater than almost any other album of its genre. It's also the only real punk album the band released. Like Agnostic Front and so many other bands of the time, they moved a more metal sound after this. I also have to add while I write this I am drinking a Pepsi. (#)


24) The Clash - London Calling (1979, CBS) - May make some enemies but I consider The Clash our generations Beatles and  London Calling our Sgt Pepper. Up until this point The Clash had released some awesome albums filled angry punk rock albums before exploring other types of music on London Calling, just like The Beatles did with timeless rock and roll albums before they recorded their masterpiece. Whether it the band's originals or songs they are covering, every note on every song is perfect and in just the right order for the London Calling to always be listened to straight through. The iconic cover photo seals the deal.(#)

23) The Replacements - Let it be (1984, Twin

Tone) - Whereas London Calling is our generations Sgt Pepper,

The Replacement's Let it Be would be our Exile On Main Street. Like the Rolling Stone's masterpiece, Let it Be is where The 'Mats perfected their sound but still kept the songs varied and gritty before cleaning them up on their next album, the almost equally as great Tim. The cover photo of the band sitting on the roof of guitarists and bassist brothers Bob and Tommy Stinson's mother's house has become almost as iconic as the one of Paul Simonon smashing his bass on the cover of London Calling. (#)

22) Fugazi - In On The Kill Taker (1993, Dischord) - 1990's Repeater would normally be in this slot but since I wrote about it here I'll add my second favorite Fugazi album. In On The Kill Taker is the last album that still contained a few anthems Fugazi was known for before moving in more of an experimental phase which was hinted on their previous album Steady Diet of Nothing and will go full force on the follow-up Red Medicine, my least favorite Fugazi album. In On the Kill Taker was produced by Ted Nicely, who had previously worked with the band, but it was originally recorded by Steve Albini. Those recordings were shelved because both the band and Steve were not thrilled with the outcome. A few of those mixes can be heard on Youtube. (*)

21) The Cure - The Head on the Door (1985,

Fiction)  - I would probably include the 1980 "album" Boys Don't Cry as my favorite release because it includes so many of my favorite songs but technically it is a compilation of singles not available in the States at the time. Instead The Head on the Door takes the place. Just like U2's Unforgettable Fire this was the ultimate Cure album. From the poppy opening track "Inbetween Days" to the closing darker  "Sinking" at the end, this is what I feel The Cure was supposed to sound like. This also pertains to an album by another band that will be appearing about ten more down the list. (*)

20) The Descendents - Milo Goes to College (1982, New Alliance) - The Descendents (and ALL) are my all-time favorite band(s) and I like almost all their albums equally. As far as a favorite though I have to go with the debut. Each song on the album shows the individual musical personality of each band member who wrote them, The album also includes so many of their awesome classics in "Hope", Bikeage", and "Suburban Home" but also has a few that have been forgotten over the years like "M-16", "Parents", "Statue of Liberty", and "Marriage".(#)

Next Up

19-10

Out Of The Vaults #12 - The Descendents - Hallraker Live!

Each week or so my wife will dive into our CD cabinets (The Vaults) and randomly pull out one of the thousands of CDs. The chosen album will then be given to me and I will talk about the Cd for awhile no matter how good, bad, obscure or embarrassing the chosen disc is. Where did I buy it, when did I buy it, what was my first reaction to hearing it, do I still listen to it today etc.


Out Of The Vaults #12 - The Descendents - Hallraker !

The Descendents are my ALL-time favorite band. Hallraker was the first album I ever bought by them.


It's like in Nick Hornby's book  High Fidelity when the narrator asks, "Which came first-the music or the misery? Did I listen to music because I was miserable? Or was I miserable because I listened to the music?" Are the songs on Hallraker some of my favorite Descendents songs because it was the first album I bought by them? Or is Hallraker one of my favorite albums because so many of my favorite Descendents songs are on it?

I am unsually not a fan of live albums. They just don't hold up on repeated listening. Most of the ones I have bought in the past either end up being given away or sold back to used record stores. Hallraker and its recorded on the same tour counterpart Liveage are two exceptions.


Hallraker was released because fans felt Liveage left off so many of The Descendents best songs but most people still prefer Liveage. I on the other hand favor Hallraker for a few reasons. The first being there are so many songs on the album which The Descendents rarely played live. Songs like the quick lead off burst of "Global Probing" of he faster super old songs in "Kabuki Girl" and "Hey Hey". All three originally on their1982 debut album Milo Goes To College.


There are also three of the best songs off the at the time new album ALL. The angry "Jealous Of The World", the very metal "Iceman" and the power hooks in "Cameage" were all left off of Liveage. Plus how could they have forgotten one of the songs which kept me going through many rough times, "Pep Talk"?

Hallraker also contains some of The Descendents' best "Girl" songs. The classics "Good Good Things", "Cheer" and "Christmas Vacation", all with subject matter totally relating to stuff I was going through when I bought the record at 16 years old. "Christmas Vacation" in particular has a few moments really hitting home.


The pseudo thrash of "Hurtin' Crue", the youthfulness of the always played back to back "Rockstar" and "NoFb" and the 17 second classic "I Want To Be A Bear" round out one of my ALL-time favorite live albums.


There is one more major reason why I favor Hallraker over Liveage- The "All-O-Gistics". Out of all the songs on every Descendents album including the two "Reunion" albums, "All-O-Gistics" is the only song I cannot listen too and it is on Liveage. Maybe it's the "Quan, quams" but the songs just bugs me. Totally breaks up the flow of the record.

Obviously I am not saying to forget about Liveage. If you did you would miss out on great live versions of “Bikeage”, “Silly Girl”, “Weinersnitzel”, “I Don’t Want To Grow Up”, “Suburban Home" and 13 other awesome Descendents songs.