Anti-Flag: “17 Song Demo” (2021) CD Review

The punk band Anti-Flag formed in Pittsburgh in the late 1980s, as the terrible Reagan years transitioned smoothly into the terrible Bush years. Fortunately, Bush got only one term, and in 1992 things started to look up again. But the Reagan/Bush crew never really left. They lurked in the shadows, gerrymandering their way back into power, like that flesh-eating psychopath Dick Cheney, and we’re still dealing with those bastards and their progeny today. In the early 1990s, Anti-Flag released a cassette titled 17 Song Demo, full of raw fury and tremendous energy, and with plenty to say. For the most part, this music really hasn’t aged at all, and feels completely relevant and fresh. And of course Anti-Flag has continued to release material that addresses troubles facing the nation, including racism, Christian nationalism, and corruption. And now that first album, 17 Song Demo, has been released on CD and vinyl, with an eighteenth track, a cover of “That’s When I Reach For My Revolver.” Some of these songs would be re-recorded for their 1996 release Die For The Government. And no, not all of the songs on this disc are political.

The disc opens with “They Don’t Protect You,” a song about how the police don’t protect the poor. “With police disguised as guardians of the masses/We’d never suspect their role is to save the rich bastards.” This song has a great, angry energy. It’s followed by “Red, White And Brainwashed,” which comes at us at a furious pace, and touches upon the systemic racism of this nation. “They call that being a patriot/Well, I just call it ignorant/If you don't fight to make thing better/Then you're the one betraying this country.” Oh yes! “Your Daddy Was A Rich Man (Your Daddy’s Fucking Dead)” is a delicious Fuck You to people who come from money and do nothing good with it, and to the people who equate riches with some kind of superior status. It is so raw, so angry, so right. There is a moment when the instruments drop out, and Justin shouts, “He was a brainwashed scumfucker, wasted motherfucking piece of shit.” He does it again toward the end: “Your daddy was a scumbag, motherfucker, fuckhead, asshole, piece of shit.” I can’t help but think of Donald Trump, and his KKK-supporting daddy, two of the worst people to ever manage to stand upright. There are several other Republicans I can think of who deserve to have this song blared outside their bedroom windows every damn night.

“Davey Destroyed The Punk Scene” is a fun song about those people who took on the pose and trappings of punk, or what they believed was punk. But of course all that nonsense isn’t punk at all. And Anti-Flag is pretty clear about that in these lyrics: “I don't know when punk became a uniform/I always thought uniforms were for the army/But I guess he’s right, he's got punk rock hair/He paid a fortune for his gear, yeah.” And later they sing, “We’re not supposed to fight each other.” It was that sort of behavior and stupidity that drove a lot of folks away from the scene. This is a really good song. It’s followed by “I Hate People Like You.” Over the last five years or so I have found myself saying “I hate people” too often. It’s depressing to feel that way, though of course there are many people who deserve only our hatred and disdain. There is no reaching out to them. And this is a song to play for them. It’s short, fast, and directly to the point. Then “She’s My Little Go-Go Dancer” has a great bass line.

“Kill The Rich” is about those that profit from war and military contracts, while others die so they can have their way. The song promises an end coming to those bastards, but it hasn’t happened yet. “One day they'll push too far, that marks the beginning of their end/We'll bring them crashing down until they're dead, they're all, they’re all dead.” Is it possible they have not yet gone too far? That’s followed by “Betty Sue Is Dead,” which features another great and catchy bass line. This one is funny. Check out these lines: “Sitting home on a Saturday night/I’ve got nothing better to do/Than to sit here and play with myself/Now that she’s dead.”  And that whole section in which they wonder if there were bisexual people in 1953 is hilarious. I love this track. “Class Plague” opens with these lines: “We have no rights and I am pissed/Your Bill of Rights does not exist/This whole system is a lie/This system we should defy.” And then they sing, “Stop corruption, it’s too late.” Since this song was recorded, corruption seems to have only gotten worse. Reagan paved the way for Donald Trump, who didn’t even make an attempt to hide his corrupt nature. And still 74 million morons voted for him in 2020. What the hell is wrong with our country?

“Song For Jesus Christ” is a short, concise song that made me laugh the first time I heard it. It is followed by an even shorter song, “10 Seconds,” a title that is fairly accurate. Then we get “5 Minutes,” a title that isn’t accurate. On the original cassette it is titled “3 minutes,” which is closer (it is 2 minutes, 18 seconds). This track is somewhat chaotic, and is basically just noise. I can’t make out the lyrics at all, which is part of the reason this is the only track I don’t care for. This disc concludes with that extra track, a cover of “That’s When I Reach For My Revolver,” originally done by Boston band Mission Of Burma, who included it on the 1981 EP Signals, Calls, And Marches. This track was originally included on Anti-Flag’s second cassette, titled 11 Song Demo (the other ten songs were also on 17 Song Demo). It opens with these lines: “Once I had my heroes/Once I had my dreams/And all of that has changed now/They’ve turned things inside out/The truth is not that comfortable, no.”

CD Track List

1. They Don’t Protect You
2. Red, White And Brainwashed
3. All Alone
4. Your Daddy Was A Rich Man (Your Daddy’s Fucking Dead)
5. Davey Destroyed The Punk Scene
6. I Hate People Like You
7. She’s My Little Go-Go Dancer
8. Drink Drank Punk
9. Kill The Rich
10. Betty Sue Is Dead
11. Daddy’s Wearing Mommies Clothing
12. I Fall Apart
13. Class Plague
14. You’d Do The Same
15. Song For Jesus Christ
16. 10 Seconds
17. 5 Minutes
18. That’s When I Reach For My Revolver

17 Song Demo was released on CD and vinyl on August 20, 2021.