The disc opens with the 1979
demo of “The Enemy,” a song that would end up on the band’s 1980 debut LP, Something Better Change. At the
beginning of the track, we hear it labeled “Take
one.” This version completely rocks, as you probably guessed, but it also
features some different lyrics from the album version. Instead of the lines
about roping you to a time clock, they sing about kicking Nazis in the head. Oh
yes! “You got to know who your enemy is.”
That’s followed by the 1981 demo of “No God, No War,” a song that would end up
on the expanded CD release of War On 45
(a title which has a different meaning these days, eh?). I love the main line
of this song which is, “If there’s no
god, there would be no war.” No
kidding. How many wars have been caused by completely insane beliefs about what
a deity wants humanity to do? All of them? The song’s title is also a play on that slogan, “No God, No Peace; Know God, Know Peace” (which I remember seeing on billboards in the south). The 1981 demo of “Bored And Suicidal”
is also included. The first lines of this song would later be used for the song
“Suicidal,” included on the band’s 1990 LP Murder.
“Disco Sucks” is still enjoyable,
even if the sentiment is rather dated at this point. This song was released on
a 4-song single in 1978. The other three songs from that single are also
included here, though not presented in order – “Nazi Training Camp,” “Woke Up
Screaming” and “Royal Police.” “Nazi Training Camp” is one that stands out,
because of the bizarre position of power those pricks suddenly enjoy in the
United States. White supremacist Donald Trump has allowed Nazis to have a
public voice again, yet one more reason to want that bastard gone. I mean,
hell, I thought one thing everyone could agree on is that Nazis are horrible
people. It seemed that even they knew they were horrible, for they kept their
backward views mostly to themselves. Now they march proudly, chanting their
hateful nonsense. As much as I abhor violence, every last one of those Nazis
deserves a severe beating. “Nazi Training Camp” begins with a military march on
drums, then the drum beat picks up speed, turning into a glorious hardcore song.
“Don’t you see it/This is a Nazi training
camp.”
Some people seem to have
rewritten history to make Ronald Reagan some kind of hero. What they are
forgetting is that he was a shitty actor, a disaster as the president of SAG,
scum as the governor of California, and a demented tool as president of the
United States. Basically, he was an asshole from beginning to end. D.O.A. is
aware, of course. “Fucked Up Ronnie” was the lead track from the 1981 5-song
7-inch, Positively D.O.A. “You’re fucked up, Ronnie.” This disc
also includes the 1982 demo of “America The Beautiful,” a song that was
included on that year’s War On 45.
And, wow, these lyrics are sadly relevant these days: “It’s the new immoral right/They wanna cleanse the home of the brave/For
the master race of the USA.” And these: “America/I got my bible/America/And I got my handgun/America/Now I'm
ready.” And that’s followed by the demo of “Liar For Hire,” another song
that feels pertinent. Has there ever been a liar like Donald Trump? His rabid,
demented followers don’t care about truth. I want to shout these lyrics to
Donald Trump and the rest of his horrid gang: “Got to get you out/Get you out of here/Get rid of you/Nobody wants
you/Nobody needs you.”
Suddenly in the middle of this
disc we get an absolutely fantastic rock and roll number, “Rip Dis Joint,”
something of a surprise and a whole lot of fun. It has a great bass line, some
wild guitar work, and a ton of energy. Just dance away some of your cares with
this 1979 demo. (And again, at the beginning we hear that this is the first
take.) This is one of my favorite tracks. It’s followed by “World War 3,” which
was originally released as a single. “We're
pawns in the middle, sittin’ ducks with no acquittal.” “The Prisoner” is
another of my favorites. This groove throws me against my wall, and I mean that
in a good way, of course. It’s a groove with teeth and claws and strength. And
check out those drums. Unleash this song in the White House, let it tear into
whatever flesh it finds in there. This song was the band’s first single,
released in 1978. The disc concludes with “Whatcha Gonna Do?” which also has a great
bass line. It’s an excellent song, and “Whatcha gonna do?” is the question,
isn’t it? What can we do? “If you’re
thinking that you’re nothing, you already are.” Doesn’t it feel like
everyone is waiting for someone to tell us what the hell we can do?
CD Track List
- The Enemy
- No God, No War
- Bored And Suicidal
- Disco Sucks
- Fucked Up Ronnie
- Smash The State
- I Hate You
- The Mutant
- Rip Dis Joint
- World War 3
- Nazi Training Camp
- America The Beautiful
- Liar For Hire
- No Way Out
- Rent-A-Riot
- Kill, Kill, This is Pop
- The Prisoner
- 13
- Woke Up Screaming
- Royal Police
- Whatcha Gonna Do
1978 was released on April 12, 2019 on Sudden Death Records.
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