One of the great punk rock records of all time. I have the 7" which was released prior to their first album. If I'm not mistaken this entire 7" of music (now on this 3" cd) is on the Rykodisc of the MP's first album with about 35 tracks. The good thing about that full cd is there's outtakes from this session. There's also the one song from this session that appeared on the album of whoever that other band was, Monitor. You don't see that that often, one song by a band on a full album by another band. But, when we do whatever we want in punk rock and press a few hundred copies, we can break traditional music business rules. I shouldn't side track. This record is so incredibly intense that every MP fan who likes the slower, cow pokey psychedelic meandering will run away screaming when they hear this. Well, I assume most of them. If you can't take your music so intense that it makes you laugh, not at it but that someone made music this fast and musical. The songs are, appropriately, brief, all around a minute maybe a minute and a half as I recall. There's one song that stands out even from this batch. It really takes your breath away. All punk rock fans need to hear this. It's refreshingly, not just straight hardcore punk rock. It's got the lovely MP feel to it and, a course, the drummer rarely goes all out. I can't recall what his drumming sounded like on this but the vocals and guitar and, I'm sure, the bass just blasted out, no metal, no standard musical format, just plowing out till the song ends. Oh, how I yearn for more. I was lucky enough to interview them in their van as it turns out after a show of theirs in something like Hollywood about 1980. I'll never forget asking, "Well, you won't be doing country western or anything." Uh, let's just say that, for the MP standard fan, it's psychedelic country western with a vocal cadance and music pacing that MP wants, evoking the desert from which they emerged. But, this 7", ok, now this 3", is something that, really, every fan of good, high quality music that explodes boundaries and, particularly any punk rock fan, simply has to hear. Course, it's more efficient and probably economical to buy the Rykodisc of the first album (with the baby on the cover). Especially, since there's unreleased songs from that pre first album period on it. Really, really satisfying. I was laughing out loud recently when I put that Rykodisc on while I was driving. Unadultered joy, passion, speed, intensity, amazing rush of pure punk rock pleasure, MP style, so fast, so unrelenting, that it is just something one rarely hears from any other source. Go get it kids. chrisbct@hotmail.com oh, and life's real short, I know cuz I'm 58 now and first saw them when I guess I was 26. Ha. God bless, one and all. Hope we get to heaven.
"In a Car" - 1:15
"Big House" - 1:01
"Dolphin Field" - 1:04
"Out in the Gardener" - 0:59
"Foreign Lawns" - 0:34
Yea, it's Foreign Lawns that busts out but, just do yourself a favor, if this sounds good, it really really is. Git it.
