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| The Drags |
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| Teengenerate |
I know everyone who knows even a tiny morsel about underground rock n roll knows about the mighty Teengenerate from Tokyo, Japan and the majestic Drags from Albuquerque, New Mexico. Even though not everyone was around then these bands were demolishing venues and leaving audiences shell shocked. We are still lucky enough to have record labels like Total Punk and Hozac Archival to recognize how important it is to keep these bands in the current zeitgeist. These labels put forth the blood and sweat to put these records out, in an effort to enrich the lives of rock n roll fans of all ages. These bands should be household names as much as The Stooges or the Ramones and who knows, maybe someday they will.
The interesting thing about these two bands is that, as many times as they get mentioned in the same sentence together, they had different angles at which they seemed to approach their music. While Teengenerate seemed to come at it from a more 70's punk angle, while The Drags took a more Sonics/Link Wray approach. Is either better than the other, well I'll let you decide that. Were we lucky to have these bands walk among us for as long as they did, absolutely!
This record was recorded live on November 5th, 1995, over 30 years ago and Teengenerate's music hasn't aged a bit. It still remains just as savage and unbridled as ever because only a select few bands have even come close to delivering rock n roll on the same level as these dudes once did. This recording captures Fink and Fifi's guitars perfectly, with that total gutting effect they have on their victims. And the rhythm section of Sammy and Shoe teaming up as they do, feels like they're beating you in the skull and that yes, you should take the beating personal. The recording captures all the crowd getting all crazy, the band yelling at the sound guy and audience. It really preserved the ambience of this club show perfectly. All the Teengenerate hits are here as well as those killer covers the band made famous. Is this a great sounding record, remastered in crystal clear, high resolution audio? HELL NO! And why would anyone in their right mind want to neuter a rock n roll band by doing that kind of shit to a record anyway! Rock n roll is supposed to be dirty, loud, and dizzyingly distorted. That's what gives it it's unique energy and charisma. Something this live recording, and this band for that matter, is absolutely dripping with.
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I remember first listening to Dragsploitation Now, which was then on a 10"record, for the first time. I remember how loud and disturbing those blood curdling screams were in the first song, the title track. That, coupled with those angry, scratching surf riffs were so jarring and off-putting. It gave me nails on the chalk board feelings, but strangely I was drawn to it. Then after than, the record just lunged straight into one brilliant garage rock anthem after another. The guitars are like a knife fight, jabbing and recoiling, with the drums circling around you, just wafting for their moment to strike. But The Drags next LP, Stop Rock And Roll took everything that was glorious about Dragsploitation...Now, poured black powder all over it and lit in on fire. The band took their music to a whole new level on their next record and secured their position on the Mount Rushmore of garage punk. The 12 songs on Stop Rock And Roll have the force and intensity to sink continents. These tunes are catchy as hell garage surf punk but with a dark side. They instill a level of anxiety and paranoia in you that puts a maniacal grin on your face and makes you want to put on a purple suit and plot how you're finally going to kill that pesky Batman.
