Not So Quiet on the Western Front: Alternative Tentacles [Import, Compilation]

No, it ain't the music of back-woods hillbillies or lonesome cowboys out on the range, but it's no less authentic or expressive of a unique moment in American culture. Perhaps we are still too close to this era to recognize what a spontaneous and authentic musical phenomenon took place in the days before hardcore punk became mired in its own cliches and formulas. I myself was a part of this scene, and my band, the Church Police, is one of the 49 groups from California and Nevada that fill this CD. Not all of the bands, but many, were what I call "suburban subdivision bedroom bands," because that's where we played some of our best music and, in a few cases, where some of these recordings were made.

It's hard to imagine a compilation that could have done a better job at representing what was happening in the punk scene at the time. There are a few of the big name S.F. bands, the Dead Kennedys and Flipper, that were main players in that era, but they don't dominate the collection (though Flipper's cut is probably the longest.) Instead, what strikes me most vividly now is the fresh sound and brashness of these bands. It's kind of funny listening to them, such a blend of hyped emotions, serious anger and alienation, but tempered by irony because most of the bands knew that they really weren't gonna go anywhere as far as a "career" was concerned. We were as interested in getting into the shows for free ("put me on your guest list!") and maybe winding up the night with 25 or 50 bucks in our pockets after all was said and done. You gotta love the spontaneity and craziness that these kids brought to their music. It would be incredible to have a reunion of these bands, not that too many of them are doing much with music these days, I imagine. I don't listen to a whole lot of underground hardcore these days, but if you want a top-notch sampler of the "real stuff" I recommend this without reservation.

This album was just amazing! While most of it was predictable top-notch 80's hardcore, there was also some cool noise and other stuff mixed in. Almost every song on this is great. It reflects the anger and intensity that existed back then. The Reagan Cultural Doctrine did not leave room for a few of us in scattered pockets in the US, and this music made an awful decade tolerable. This record was my soundtrack for delinquency.

Having lived in the era, the CD seems like a time capsule. Not essential unless you want a history lesson and can deal with all of the era-specific references. The Church Police song was the best one and it was not even hardcore.

Along with "Let Them Eat Jellybeans" and "New York Thrash", this comp introduced thousands of wayward youths in the '80s (myself included) to all the great bands that comprised the underground punk/hardcore scene. This one was a regional comp (like most of the time) that focussed Northern California and Nevada bands. Sure, I had heard some of these groups already, like Dead Kennedys, MDC and Fang, but there were a bunch of bands that I had never heard of before that were absolutely incredible like Social Unrest (over the years I sought out all of their great records--the ep and first three 12"s), Los Olvidados, No Alternative, Impatient Youth, etc. Even among some of the bands I already knew, there were tracks I hadn't heard yet. The best example of this would be "F**k your America" by 7 Seconds.

Another vital component of this record was the insert booklet that came with it. This is considered to be the first issue of Maximum Rocknroll magazine, which was and is still the most relevant punk zine for those who dig punk beyond the poser appeal that unfortunately dominates the majority mindset in music today. I remember reading the lyrics while listening to each song and drifting off into my escapist fantasy world of a punk utopia were I knew other people were out there that felt like I did. The punk scene was my religion in a way, for it gave me mental sanctuary from the stupid society that I lived in (and that hasn't changed at all!). None of the songs were too deep or complex, but they very much appealed to the teenage punk angst with lyrics about hating dumb rich people, rednecks, war, religion, etc. And that's the way it should be. Get your profound words in literature, but hardcore works best with in-your-face simplicity.

This record, and the lyric booklet that became MRR, is now available on CD for people who weren't around at the time (or since lost their vinyl). Alternative Tentacles did a cool job keeping the original aesthetic quality by repackaging the lyrics/zine into a CD-size booklet that still devotes an entire page for each band (plus a cool intro to the reissue by Jeff Bale).

Sure, some of the bands/songs on here are super generic and haven't held up with time, but the majority are still great to crank loudly today - and not just for nostalgic value.

Obviously this isn't for dumb sheep that think Urban Outfitters' clothing and a Yeah Yeah Yeahs CD makes you punk. You either get it or you don't. Assuming you're reading these reviews, you probably get it. And if you dig old American (California sound) punk/early hardcore at all, then this is absolutely mandatory.