If it didn't get a bit spotty at times, "Got A Record" would probably be my pick for the best punk rock LP of the '90s; as it is, "Heat Seeker", "Rip Your Heart Out", and "Fed Up" make one of the best 1-2-3 punches to ever lead off a record, and "Heat Seeker" is most likely my favorite intro instrumental ever.
I don't really have any of my usual top-flight personal observations to add here, other than one Rip Offs story which is actually more of a Rev. Norb story. Rev. Norb used to put out Sick Teen, only the best zine ever, and whenever Norb would print an old band photo showing someone who wasn't in the band anymore he'd draw a cartoon word balloon above the guy's head, saying "I'm a fag! I'm a fag! I quit the band!" So, after the Rip Offs' van broke down on tour in Green Bay and the band broke up on the spot, Jon Von called Norb and left a message on his machine, saying "I'm a fag, I'm a fag, I quit the band" [click]. Okay, that was supposed to be the funny part, which should be the end of this story but instead I'll keep going. When I re-used the same Norb line upon quitting my old blog a few years ago-- along with the appropriate word balloon-- Photobucket didn't think it was funny at all and took down the photo as a "violation of terms of use". (Go to wiscpunk.org/zines/sick%20teen to read a bunch of old Sick Teens, which no one at Photobucket should ever ever be allowed see otherwise they would certainly die.)
To make up for the boring story, I'm including one of Norb's old Scott Kempner lists, plus an old note that I got inside a New Bomb Turks record which would be sorta funny except that I wiped out the funny part so you'll have to guess who we were talking about.
The Rip Offs -
"Heat Seeker"
"Rip Your Heart Out"
"Fed Up"
"My Baby Yeah"
"Zodiac"
"Can't Stop"
"Dolomite"
5 comments:
The choppy guitar on "Heat Seeker" reminds me a lot of The Cortinas.
Well. "Fascist Dictator", specifically.
I got drawn fairly immediately to Zodiac. I don't know whether that is a Son of Sam thing, or if it merely reflects my childhood passion for Ford Zodiacs. Of the model car variety.
I used to own the Cortinas "Fascist Dictator" 7-inch when I was younger. But, yeah, "Heat Seeker" sounds like a million other riffs (esp. Ramones), which is the point I guess.
"Zodiac" is a Supercharger song (pre-Rip Offs, somewhat).
Yes. I still have that Step-Forward (I think it was) 7" and a few more besides. Sham 69's "I Don't Wanna' 12" included; the less said about which the better.
I liked the intro guitar on "Fascist Dictator", but the vocals were mediocre. And the guitar solo kind of excruciating.
Yeah, I don't remember it being all that great, which is probably why I sold it.
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