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The Players:
Mike Snow – Guitar
Doosky – Guitar
Dirty Ernie – Drums
Noddie Osterberg – Bass
Doug Dagger – Vocals
Complaints Dept.: – Cocks out at the beginning, peters
out at the end.
My wife’s engagement ring is a white gold filigree number
from the forties. But it was brand new and virginal, having
never been mounted. In retail they call it new old stock.
This century has started out great for new old school punk.
Fresh, excited and nubile bands are playing familiar styles
of ’77, ’82 and streetpunk. In all fairness, The Generators
members haven’t been exactly chaste. They’ve lived in sin
with Schleprock, which flirted with becoming the next
Rancid. But with this marriage, they are committed
to a style associated with crudely photocopied cut and paste
flyers. Doug Dagger has a very good voice and versatile
sound, and the band makes some rough and tumble music. The
lyrics aren’t exactly prose, but they aren’t crap either.
And believe me, I know crap. The themes are solid and you
will gladly sing along.
The crunchy garage style of "Down In The City"
has a sixties Syndicate Of Sound flavor with British
influenced trashy vocals. The stories of junkies and hookers
are delivered with the attitude of Stiv Bators. Ernie
goes on a real smash and grab spree with the cymbals as the
guitar tries to work its way out of its owner’s hands. The
welcome use of oft-neglected vocal techniques spice it up
remarkably. "Murder" is a joyous punk romp in an
Adicts vein. The "dames is trouble" message
isn’t a bit morose. It’s lighthearted revelry with fun harmonic
camaraderie. The throaty vocals on "Keep On Runnin’"
actually remind me of Chambers Brothers minus the psychedelia
and more garage. It’s got a great drive and an open highway
to the border. High-octane "Hijacked" gives the
low-down on the clueless kids deposited in Hollywood, They
go face first, they live and learn. Watch those rich kids
crash and burn. A big nod to Noddie for the bass.
The trouble stirred up in "Summer Of Unrest" is
recognizable frustration well portrayed. The guitar work is
dramatic and radiating as Ernie parlays rounds of drum
patter. Dagger’s vocals relentlessly pummel from all sides.
The political poison "Tyranny" doesn’t present any
new complaints, but addresses the ever-present corruption.
Unless that gets fixed, it’s a timeless statement. Dagger’s
syllables hang off the edge of the beat making the measures
neatly off-kilter. "Dead At 16" is a full-volume
anthem for the disaffected. When he fell out of the womb,
no faith no future he was already ruined. The Generators
give a taste of their ability and then purposely play just
short of that. Even the intricate guitar-break has irresponsibly
given up. It’s like that high-school dropout you used to know,
messy and delinquent and completely cool. The siren guitars
are also good. The sly "Rats" may be referring to
Scabies, as it’s steeped in The Damned. Even
the progression takes a horror show step-down. The swaying
rhythm section braces the song from behind. Then it’s jerked
forward by Dagger’s projectile out-of-breath vocals.
The rest of the album quickly loses the excitement. Nice
slurred vocals bring "Us Against Them" to a nostalgic
street punk slow down. The traditional cops and yabbos song
works, but isn’t on par with the previous songs. "All
Night Long" picks up a bit, but still a mid-ranger without
much bite, although I like Daggers inflection on the chorus.
Then a poppiness takes over the last two songs. Even the reverb
on prom-punk "Suburban Bitch" can’t make up for
the light guitar tone that carries over to "Coming Down".
The filler tunes they end with would fit in on "All Killer
No Filler." Maybe I would feel better if they had been
mixed in among the general population.
On the musical marriage scale, One being Chrissie Hynde
& Ray Davies, and ten being Lou Reed &
Laurie Anderson; I almost gave Tyranny a nine,
Jim Reid & Hope Sandoval, but I have to
be honest and give it an eight, Sid & Nancy.
— Ewan Wadharmi
- Down In The City
- Murder
- Keep On Runnin’
- Hijacked
- Summer Of Unrest
- Tyranny
- Dead At 16
- Rats
- Us Against Them
- All Night Long
- Suburban Bitch
- Coming Down
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