Reviews

1-2-3-4 Go!

Big Rig Expansive Heart EP reissue

1-2-3-4 Go! has reissued this overlooked gem. BIG RIG was a short-lived project whose members went on to play in SCREW 32, the NERVE AGENTS, and DANCE HALL CRASHERS, and featured Jesse Michaels of OPERATION IVY on vocals. This four-song offering is decidedly more punk (whatever that means) than Michaels’ previous band; in fact, there’s nary an inkling of ska heard here. My only complaint about this record is that I wish there were more songs! This is a perfect document of a moment in time, and I’m glad it’s been reissued so that more people have a chance to hear a perfect record.

Dicks Hate the Police EP reissue

This EP is 40 years old and its relevance couldn’t be more important or timely. This is the second reissue, the first being in 2012. During its production and pressing, George Floyd was murdered, focusing a hyper-lens on the ongoing abuse and savagery carried out by the nation’s police forces. The record came out last summer amidst the despot führer’s election year antics and the protests in our nation’s streets. “Hate the Police” has been covered many times, each one failing to reach the impact and authenticity of Gary Floyd’s vocal delivery or the perfectly imperfect raw, cavernous recording of the original band. The lyrics and delivery of the song are so much more than a simple “punks vs. police” dichotomy. The hate and sadistic oppression that encompasses a personal sphere mirrors that of our society on a systemic level. I’m not a pessimist, but when Gary Floyd growls “You can’t find justice, it’ll find you,” I know this song will still be relevant and necessary 40 years from now.